Intra (Diran Chrakian)

Indra (Armenian: Ինտրա, 1875, in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire - 1921) was an Armenian poet, writer, painter and teacher, and a victim of Armenian Genocide.

Biography

His real name was Diran Chrakian (alt spelling: Tcharakian) (Armenian: Տիրան Չրաքեան). He was educated at Berberian College of Constantinople, then finished the College of Arts, where his works were appreciated by the famous painter Hovhannes Aivazovsky. Indra worked as a teacher, wrote articles, literary researches and notes. He signed his books "Inner World" (Ներաշխարհ, essays, 1906) and "Cypress Wood" (Նոճաստան, sonnets 1908), with the pseudonym Indra (anagram of his first name).

After the genocide of 1915, Indra lost his reason, walked as a tramp through provinces and preached love and unity. In 1921 he was exiled by the Turkish authorities and was tortured and killed on the way.

He also became a prominent member of the Seventh-day Adventist church in the Ottoman Empire, having joined the church in 1913.