Smt. Shuvra Bose (née Das, born on May 14, 1947, in Kolkata)
was a lifelong devotee of poetry and elocution. Her journey began at the young
age of four, when she started participating in elocution contests. Her early
success fueled her passion, and she soon became a well-known name in the field.
While studying Geography at Vidyasagar College, she met her
future husband, Shri Niladri Shekar, and inspired in him the same love for
recitation. Together, they performed, each maintaining their unique style and
approach. Smt. Bose's style was more classical, and her choice of poetry led
her to delve deeply into ancient Indian scriptures in Sanskrit in her later
years. She was also a talented singer, having trained extensively in
Rabindrasangeet under Shri Ashoktaru Bandopadhyay, though she rarely performed
publicly.
Smt. Bose had a natural gift for teaching. She taught at
Abriti Parishad and Abriti Academy, where she not only honed her students'
elocution skills but also cultivated lasting relationships with them. She was a
founding member of Abriti Parishad and a part of Bachik Shilpa Sansthan. For
her, the greatest reward was seeing her students achieve recognition as
accomplished elocutionists.
From 1971, for approximately twelve years, she served as
editor of Yatrik Parishad Patrika, one of India's earliest magazines dedicated
to Indology and Tourism.
In 2020, the West Bengal Government honored her with a
lifetime Kaji Sabyasachi award. She passed away in Dehradun on May 28, 2021,
due to complications from COVID-19, shortly after her 74th birthday.