Guwahati: Eminent Assamese academician, linguist, folklorist, singer, and lyricist Birendra Nath Datta passed away at the Dispur Hospital in Guwahati, Assam on Monday morning (October 23, 2023), at the age of 88.
He had been suffering from a prolonged illness. However, the exact reason for his death has not yet been disclosed.
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He was reportedly admitted to the hospital last week.
Birendra Nath Datta was born on March 1, 1935, in Nagaon, Assam.
He started his career as a lecturer at B Borooah College in 1957.
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He later served as the principal of Pramathesh Barua College in Gauripur, Goalpara College, and Pandu College.
He obtained his PhD in folklore from Gauhati University in 1974.
In 1979, Datta joined Gauhati University as a reader and became the Head of the Department of Folklore Research.
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He retired from Gauhati University in 1995.
However, upon request, he joined Tezpur University as a professor in the Department of Traditional Culture and Art Forms.
Datta was a prolific writer and wrote a number of scholarly books on folklore, culture, and literature. One of his most notable books is “Cultural Contours of Northeast India,” which was published by Oxford University Press.
He also won the 12th Jagaddhatri-Harmohan Das Literary Award for his book “Sankar Madhavar Manisha Aru Asomar Sanaskritic Uttaradhikar.”
In addition to his academic achievements, Datta was also a talented singer and lyricist. He wrote many popular Assamese songs as well.