As a great-grandson of Lakshminath Bezbaruah and Pragyasundari Devi, through their second daughter (my grandmother, Ratna Baruah) and her second daughter (my mother, Ira Ghosh), I feel that my cousins and I (i.e., their eleven great-grandchildren), share a special legacy gifted to us from this remarkable couple. It is well known that both Lakshminath Bezbaruah and Pragyasundari Devi were each a trailblazing pioneer in their own respective fields, setting standards that are still measured up to and revered today: Lakshminath Bezbaruah as the ‘Sahityarathi’ of Assam (Charioteer of Literature) establishing a new standard for Assamese literature, and also due to his witty writings being known as ‘Roxoraj’ (King of Humor), and Pragyasundari Devi as the author of the first modern Bengali cookbook ‘Amish O Niramish Ahar’. But behind these creative achievements which enriched and benefited society, especially for the age they lived in, was the strength of their convictions to follow the unconventional paths that enabled them to explore and realize their creative and humanistic interests and passions. Having the courage, determination, and fortitude to follow one’s interests, even if it meant being a freethinker and going against conventions, became the family ethos.

My cousins and I grew up with the examples of Lakshminath Bezbaruah and Pragyasundari Devi, and have seen the same innovative spirit, humanism, and determination in their daughters and grandchildren. In my cousins, the great-grandchildren of this remarkable couple, I see the same spirit of applying creativity and humanism in following their interests, however unconventional the journey. My cousins’ endeavors range from the creative arts to academia, education and science, to the corporate and business world – all achieved through applying innovation, creativity, and freethought, and by having the strength and perseverance to follow one’s convictions. We are continuing this legacy by instilling the same progressive, creative, and independent mindset onto our children through the examples of Lakshminath Bezbaruah and Pragyasundari Devi. This spirit is the wonderful legacy passed down to us by this unique couple from whom we are descended.

Dr. Richik Niloy Ghosh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
October, 2021