| Krishnalal Bysack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 21 April 1866 Calcutta, Bengal, British India |
| Died | 19 October 1935 Baranagar, Bengal, British India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Known for | Gymnast and Entrepreneur |
Krishnalal Bysack (Bengali: কৃষ্ণলাল বসাক) was an Indian circus performer and entrepreneur. He founded the Hippodrome Circus with an all-Indian team and toured Bengal, India and South East Asia. He is considered to be one the pioneers of circus and physical culture in Bengal as well as India. He was a descendant of Sovaram Bysack, a well known merchant and zamindar during British Raj in India.
Early life
Krishnalal was born in Ahiritola area of Kolkata, Bengal in the year of 1866. His father was Chandranath Basak and his mother was daughter of Brindaban Basak. He lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his grandparents.
Career
Krishnalal learnt gymnastics at a young age and gained expertise over the years. In 1882, he won praises after performing gymnastics in Sovabazar Rajbari. He was famous for juggling, parallel bars, trapeze, top spinning etc. He travelled many countries performing his shows. In early 1900s he established his own circus known as The Great Indian Circus which was later renamed as Hippodrome Circus. At its peak period, there were over 200 performers in his troupe.
After retiring, he continued with teaching gymnastics and wrote his autobiography 'Bichitra Bhraman' (Bengali: বিচিত্র ভ্রমণ meaning Amazing Travelogue) which was published in 1921. 'Bichitra Bhraman' has been reprinted in its centennial year by D. M. Library Publishers and Booksellers, edited and annotated by Sourapravo Chatterjee.
See also
References
- Ghosh, Anirban (24 January 2014). "The Tropic Trapeze: Circus in Colonial India" (PDF). Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ চট্টোপাধ্যায়, সৌরপ্রভ (2024-03-24). "বিস্মৃত বাঙালি অভিযাত্রী কৃষ্ণলালের 'বিচিত্র ভ্রমণ' অভিজ্ঞতা" (in Bengali). Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- "পাতা:জীবনীকোষ-ভারতীয় ঐতিহাসিক-দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড.pdf/২০৪ - উইকিসংকলন একটি মুক্ত পাঠাগার". bn.wikisource.org (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- "পাতা:প্রবাসী (ষট্ত্রিংশ ভাগ, দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড).djvu/৪২১ - উইকিসংকলন একটি মুক্ত পাঠাগার". bn.wikisource.org (in Bengali). Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- "Sovaram Bysack – The Lost Icon of Bengal – Episode 1 – The Ganges Walk". 27 November 2018. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- ^ মজুমদার, পল্লবী (2020-02-07). "সার্কাস-গিরি-কান্তার-মরু: ইতিহাসের এক ঝলক". BanglaLive. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- Basu. Abanindrakrishna (1936). Bangalir Sarkas.
- "Physical Cultures of Bengal". www.granthsouthasia.in. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- Bichitro Vromon.