Photographs of Dilip Kumar Roy

Dear Friends,

Dilip Kumar Roy (22.1.1897—6.1.1980) was a famous poet, author, singer, composer, lyricist, musicologist and dramatist. After obtaining his B.Sc degree with first class Honours in mathematics from Presidency College (Kolkata) he left for England in 1919 to pursue higher studies at Cambridge. He passed Part I mathematical Tripos and Part I music special in Cambridge. In 1922 he went to Germany to study Western Music. In the same year he lectured at an international conference at Lugano (Switzerland) and also toured Vienna, Prague, Budapest and other cities to speak on Indian music and culture. He met Sri Aurobindo in January 1924 and interviewed him twice. By the time he joined Sri Aurobindo Ashram on 22 November 1928, he had established himself as a popular singer and composer. In 1953 he went on a world tour as the cultural ambassador of India sponsored by the Government of India. He left Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1953 and settled in Pune where he set up his own Ashram, Hari Krishna Mandir. He received the title of Sur-sudhakar from Sanskrit College (Kolkata) and D.Litt from the universities of Calcutta and Rabindra Bharati. His published works in English and Bengali include The Flute Calls Still, Smriticharan, Sri Aurobindo Came To Me, Among the Great, Yogi Sri Krishnaprem, Hark! His Flute, The Upward Spiral, Netaji: The Man, Pilgrims of the Stars, Aghotan Ajo Ghate, Ashruhashi Indradhanu, Chayapather Pathik, Alochaya Akapakhi, Smriti Joware Dukul Cheye, The Beggar Princess, etc.

We have published more than three dozen photographs of Dilip Kumar Roy in the online forum of Overman Foundation. These photographs cover the entire period of his life which includes his pre-Pondicherry days, his life in Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Hari Krishna Mandir, Pune.

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

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Young Dilip Kumar

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Dilip Kumar with his father Dwijendralal Roy and sister Maya Devi.

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Dilip Kumar in England. From left to right: Dilip Kumar Roy (seated), Khitish Chandra Chatterjee, Subhash Chandra Bose and C.C. Desai (seated).

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Dilip Kumar with Nishikanto Roychowdhury.

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Dilip Kumar with Nishikanto Roychowdhury.

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Photo taken on a Darshan day in Sri Aurobindo Ashram. From left to right: Saraswatiben, Dayakar, Satyakarma, Unknown, Sailen, Ambalal Balakrishna Purani, Dilip Kumar Roy and Tajdar Begum.

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From left to right: Venkataraman, Dilip Kumar and Anilkumar.

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From left to right: Kalyan Chowdhuri, Nirodbaran Talukdar and Dilip Kumar.

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Dilip Kumar with M.S. Subbulakshmi.

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With Uma Bose alias Hashi.

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From left to right: Krishnaprem (Ronald Nixon), Dilip Kumar and Motirani.

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With the Mother in April 1950.

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With Indira Devi.

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Dilip Kumar Roy with Indira Devi.

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Dilip Kumar Roy with Indira Devi.

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Photographs courtesy: Hari Krishna Mandir Trust, Pune.

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15 Replies to “Photographs of Dilip Kumar Roy

  1. Long, long, ago after reading Among the Great, I became his admirer and still am.I regret the twist of destiny for him to leave The Lord and The Divine Mother.Thank you very much for so many pictures.Dayanand

  2. On the cover of the special issue of the GOLDEN CHAIN on the Convention in 1951, there was a photo of Dilipkumar with his chorus; it so happens, I was the boy siting in front of him and singing. This chorus had been initially formed by Dilipkumar for singing before the Mother my Bengali hymn to Sri Aurobindo, set to tune by Dilipdâ.
    Prithwindra Mukherjee

  3. Thanks for this remembrance of a great personality:

    So many wonderful letters from Sri Aurobindo were lovingly addressed to him; we are blessed to go through them as sadhaks.

    I have his admirable books like, Among The Great, Yogi Krishnaprem, Wings And Bonds, The Bhagvad Gita in my possession, as well as a CD of his bhajans.

    He has enriched me in many ways and has presented the human side of Sri Aurobindo for the heart’s devotion.

  4. Dilip kumar Roy was friend of my father Promode Kumar Sen (author of Sri Aurobindo -Jeebon O Jog. In the Author’s Note it is quoted Dilip’s correspondence with Sri Aurobindo, which in a way inspired the author to complete Jeebon O Jog) .I had the fortune of being present at his residence at Pondicherry one evening with my father in 1951 when he held a musical himself singing full of Bhava).
    Thanks for giving us an opportunity to view the memorable pictures.
    –Prasenjit–

  5. DEAR SIR U HAVE PLACED ME IN an irrepayable debt by sending these excellent & rare wonderful photos. I am an admirer of Sri DKR.
    Krishnaswamy.

  6. Dear Anurag,

    You have don a great job in bring out those memorable pictures of Dilip Kumar Roy, who had lived in the consciousness of the refined Bengali mind.

    He was a good friend of my father. My elder sister Mira Banerjee may remember and narrate more of their friendship and discourses. The younger lot of today may not know about his rendering Dhana Dhannye Pushpe Bhora with MS [Subbulakshmi] in Sanskrit. I am lucky to have also witnessed (yes I remember them vividly even today ) his taking blessings from The Mother. It used to be a blissful sight.
    Many thanks for your sincere work.
    –Prasenjit–

  7. These are great photos of a great personality. Many of us were there during the Trojan war. It appears Dilip-da was Hector.
    Srikant.

  8. I chanced to read quite a few of Dilip Ray’s books since my college days , including Sri Chaitanya, Mira in Brindaban & Upward Spiral , Kumbha The Ageless Festival & other imp;ortant works including his ‘ Among The Great ‘ . It was such a pleasure to see so many of his photos . Thanks to Anuragda !

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