Ichhamoti
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (Trans. Chhanda Chattopadhyay Bewtra) — Parabaas
Year published: 2023
Category: English
Review1:
“A dynamic Bengali epic dazzles in a smart new translation.” — Kirkus Reviews
Review2:
Literary readers interested in Indian literature in general and portraits of Bengali rural life in particular will find Ichhamoti a powerfully rendered exploration of caste, social order, and historical events that take place in the second half of the 19th century.
This is an era fraught with new inventions, political turbulence, and revised possibilities as rural villagers face the influence of the British Empire on their lives and the social and political currents that buffet their future potential.
The Ichhamoti is a small river that flows through the Jessore district and eventually empties into the Bay of Bengal.
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's ability to capture the nature of the driving force of its story embeds his novel with a vivid "you are here" feel that requires no prior familiarity with Bengali atmosphere or people in order to prove compelling:
Suppose you take a boat from the quays in Morighata or Bajitpur and sail straight onto Chanduria Ghat. As you travel, you will see the two banks lined with red palte madar flowers, wild bonyeburo, clusters of water lettuce and the bright yellow flowers of wild tithpalla. Ancient banyan and pipal trees loom over the high banks, with bamboo groves and shadowy clusters of uluti, bachra, and boinchi peeking around them. The nesting holes of bank mynahs look out of frames of dainty little vines and climbers. You won’t see many houses on the riverbanks. Instead, you’ll find soft green grasslands, empty sandy banks, shrubs bright with wildflowers and forests filled with chirping birds.
The time taken to create the foundations of this special place and time is also reflected in depictions of the people of this region, their dialogues and interactions, and their concerns about everyday life, as well as their futures.
Bandyopadhyay laces his descriptions and encounters with the force of growth, realizations, and relationships that experience the turbulence of change. This leads to such disparate events as the task of hiding bodies, spiritual lessons passed from father to son, and the political and economic choices that involve an indigo plantation's survival or demise and its lasting impact on villagers who depend on its existence.
The presence of these relics of yesteryear in daily lives is well-described and revealing:
The mansion’s rooms remained as full of large, heavy furniture as ever; the Bengal Indigo Concern had sold those along with the building and pocketed the money. Sure, the plantation had sold for a pittance, but what villager could buy a mansion full of fancy furniture at its actual value? Sending the pieces elsewhere was too expensive and too much work to organize. So, the furniture had been left as it was.
From its depictions of wealth and power to poverty and spiritual revelations, Ichhamoti is a force to be reckoned with. Its epic contrasts between the lives of humans and the nature that coexists peacefully alongside, powered by the Ichhamoti, which "rules the area with a firm, kind hand," makes for engrossing reading that's compellingly enlightening.
Libraries and readers attracted to epic Indian literature will find Ichhamoti a historical novel whose literary attractions are many. It deserves profile in any definitive literature collection featuring Indian backdrops, and in book club discussion groups about Bengali experiences.
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer. Midwest Book Review, July 2023 (forthcoming )
Description:
Set in the second half of 19th Century Bengal, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s classic novel, Ichhamoti, vividly portrays the lives of ordinary Bengali villagers and British indigo plantation owners on the banks of the river Ichhamoti. As the British Raj expands its reach and the invention of a chemical dye in Germany threatens the livelihoods of the indigo plantation owners, the villagers face a future both uncertain yet with possibilities. Through the ups and downs of the fortunes of its numerous unforgettable residents, the author weaves these historical elements into a stunning tale that captures the power dynamics at play, as well as the subtle yet significant changes transforming the social order and caste hierarchies of the time.
With its beautifully drawn characters and evocative descriptions of rural life, as we read Ichhamoti, we are reminded of the power of forgotten memories and untold tales in shaping our understanding of history. Bandyopadhyay’s poetic and poignant writing style captures the essence of life on the riverbank and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
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