Khana

Khana (; also known as Dak or Lilavati) was a legendary Bengali philosopher, polymath, poet, and astrologer, who is said to have lived between the 8th and 12th centuries CE. She is best known for being associated with Khanar Bachan, a set of philosophical poetries known for its agricultural philosophy. She is associated with the village Deulia in Chandraketugarh, southern Bengal.

Legend The mound of Khana-Mihir or Baraha-Mihir on Prithiba road, Chandraketugarh, Berachampa, West Bengal, India. Excavated Brick Structure of Khana-Mihir Mound at Chandraketugarh.

The legend of Khana centers around her association with Chandraketugarh, near Berachampa, in present-day Barasat, North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India, where a mound has been discovered amongst ruins with the names of Khana and Mihir associated with it, which likely gave rise to the legend that she was either the wife or the daughter-in-law of the ancient Indian astronomer-mathematician Varahamihira. However, there is no historical basis to the legend of her being related to Varahamihira, who was born several centuries earlier ( 505 – 587) and lived in Ujjain. However, Khana is said to have been an astrologer herself.

A number of legends have grown up around her life. According to one legend, she was born in Sri Lanka and was either married to Varahamihira or was his daughter-in-law. However, she exceeded him in the accuracy of her predictions, and at some point her tongue was cut off to silence her prodigious talent.

Legacy The legend of Khana's tongue being cut off resonates in modern Bengali feminism, as in this poem by Mallika Sengupta, Khanaa's song:

Shrii P.R. Sarkar writes about her:

Khanar Bachan Khana's poetries are called Khanar Bachan (or vachan; ). These contain a short couplets or quatrains reflecting a robust common sense, such as "He who owns oxen, but does not plough, his sorry state lasts twelve months of the year", and "A little bit of salt, a little bit of bitter, and always stop before you are too full". These poetries are among the earliest compositions in Bengali literature, and still considered valuable for its traditional agricultural knowledge. Through the centuries, these poetries have acquired the character of an oracle in rural Bengal, modern-day West Bengal, Bangladesh and parts of Bihar. Ancient versions in Assamese and Oriya also exist.

Khana's poetries have been included to the HSC English syllabus in Bangladesh.

Popular culture On 15 June 2009, Indian-Bengali television channel Zee Bangla started to telecast a TV serial called Khona based on the life of Khana. The show follows the legend that states she was born and thereby lived in "Sinhal" (Sri Lanka).

In 2019, Colors Bangla channel started a new serial named Khanar Bachan based on Khana's words and her conflicts with her father-in-law Varaha.