পৃষ্ঠা:অসমীয়া সাহিত্যৰ চানেকি v1.pdf/৪১

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regarding the expenses of its publication. The University was passing through a financial crisis and the newly organised Vernacular Department had naturally to suffer in spite of the best endeavours of Sir Asutosh. In January, 1922, Mr. Goswami stayed as a guest at the Howrah residence of Mr. Bholanath Barua, an Assamese gentleman who had risen to wealth and eminence by extensive business concerns in India and England. Mr. Goswami persuaded Mr. Barua to come to the rescue of Sir Asutosh in the matter of publishing the Assamese selections. This possibility was pointed out to Sir Asutosh, who motored down to Mr. Barua's one fine afternoon and obtained from the merchant and philanthropist a promise to finance the publication of the Assamese selections. The next day a cheque for Rs. 10,000 reached the hands of Sir Asutosh. The printing of the book was undertaken at the Calcutta University Press, but some difficulty arose owing to the absence of types of some Assamese letters. Sir Asutosh got them cast in a leading Calcutta foundry. The printing of the book went on apace though some inconvenience arose for the distance at which the compiler lived. The printing of the first volume we postponed to the last for obvious reasons, chiefly because it had to contain the introductory matter relating to the entire compilation. Only six parts were published during the life-time of Mr. Goswami, four parts of the second volume and two parts of the third.

 The Assam Sahitya Sabha was established in December 1917, with the object of promoting the cause of Assamese langu age and literature, on the lines of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishat. After some change of fortune its headquarters were perma nently established at Jorhat. The momentous task which the Sabha has undertaken is the compilation of an exhaustive dic- tionary of the Assamese language to be known as 'Chandra- kanta Abhidhan' to the memory of the late Srijut Chandra- kanta Handique, B.A., son of 'Rai Bahadur Radhakanta Handi que, the munificent patron of he compilation. Hemchandra