Ray, Jogesh Chandra (1859-1956) scientist, antiquarian, astrologer, writer, was born on 20 October 1859 at Dighra in Hughli. He studied at Bankura Zilla School till his father's death, when he returned to his native village. He passed the Entrance (1879) from Burdwan Raj School, and the FA and BA (l882) from Hughli College. After completing his MA in Botany in 1883 he joined as lecturer at Cuttack Ravenshaw College. He also taught at Calcutta Madrasah College, chittagong college and presidency college for some time, then again at Cuttack Ravenshaw College till his retirement in 1919. In 1920 he returned to Bankura.

His writings were regularly published in the prabasi, Sahitya, bangadarshan, and Bharatvarsa. He introduced omission of joint alphabets in Bangla spellings and discovered the Bashuli Chandidas Manuscript. He was a member of the vangiya sahitya prishad and for some time was its vice president and president. He was a member of the Bijnan Parisad, Udbhid Vidya Parisad and Utkal Sahitya Samaj. Among his books are Siddhanta Darpan (1899), Amader Jyotisi O Jyotis (1903), Bangala Shabdakos (4 Vols, 1908-1915), Bangla Bhasa (1908-1915), Puja Parvan (1951), Ratna Pariksa, Chandidas Charita, Ancient Indian Life (1948), Veder Devata O Krstikal (1954).

Jogesh Chandra ray was awarded the Vidyanidhi (1910) by the Pandit Sabha of Puri, Rabindra Smrti Puraskar, Rampran Gupta Puraskar, Jagattarini Svarna Padak by Calcutta University and Sarojini Padak. Calcutta University awarded him an honorary doctorate. He died on 30 July 1956. [Badiuzzaman]