A brief Life-sketch of Harish Chandra Paul :
Harish Chandra was born on the 8th of Aswin, 1322 B.S. (1915 C.E.), Sunday to Sashi Bhushan Paul and Gyanada Sundari Devi in a business family at Dinhata, Cooch Behar (then one of the Princely States of India). Sashi Bhushan known for his loyalty and philanthropy, also held a small Jotedari at Ranirhut Village, Tiyadaha, of Dinhata Sub-division.
Harish Chandra was their fourth boy-child, he completed his Schooling from Dinhata High School & his Intermediate in Science from the University of Calcutta in 1938.
He was the founder member of the then one of most reknowned organizations in the North East, the Pioneer Club Dinhata. Harish Chandra was an erudite of Indian Raga-Music & an expert player of the Esraj, he was also easy in other string instruments including Dotara and Violin, percussion instruments, such as the Dhol, Tabla, Pakhowaj etc. and others such as Piccalo, Flute, Mandolin, Harmonium etc. Later he became popular as a Director of Folk songs, Folk sketches and plays recorded from the His Master's Voice, Columbia & Hidusthan Record Companies as well as a playwright & also served solely by passion as a Make up Artist for sometime. He was a lyricist, music-composer and a great enthusiast of Folk-music. In his life-time(c.1947-1982) he had directed the recording of 94 Records of Folk songs (77 records in 78 R.P.M. & 17 records in 45 R.P.M. including Vhawaiya, Chatka, Bhatiyali, Malsee and Boro songs), 9 Plays(including plays of Khushan, Jag & Peeran songs) & 6 Sketches. Harish Chandra was also a lyricist & composed the music of some of the songs he recorded & even acted in some of the plays. He also published nine pamphlets of the aforementioned plays.
He was the pioneer to publish the North Bengal folk songs with musical notes in his two volume milestone work, 'Uttar Banglar Palligeeti(Vhawaiya Khanda & Chakta Khanda)'. Some other books published by him are 'Gosanimangal', 'Uttar Banglar Loukik Bratakatha', 'Duti Natak' & etc.(posthumous issues).
He had written several articles on folklore & his Autobiography, 'Chalar Pathe Gharer Katha'(incomplete) gained much attention.
As a photographer his personal collection consisted of about 10,000-12,000 self-taken, experimental & collected photographs. He was also a collector of Gramaphone records, Folkarts & a Numismatist.
He joined his family business after completing his studies & later by profession became an established Business personality.
He received the perstigious 'Tribitta' award for his contribution on folk-songs in 1973 & was posthumously honoued by the Government of Bengal in his Birth Centenary on 2015.
He passed away on the 23rd of March, 1982 (8th of Chaitra, 1388 B.S.) at Cooch Behar.