Pather Panchali - Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

I had read this book in Kannada translation titled " Maha Yathrika" by Ahobala Shankara, when I was 15-16 years old. I was mesmarised by this book ever since my first reading and its characters continues to haunt me even after fifty years or so! . The author Vibuthi Bhushan depicts poignantly the life revolving around a hapless family struggling to make a living in a remote Bengali village. It captures vividly various pathos of life encountered by two little innocent lives, Apu and Durga. There is bountiness of nature entwined and intervening in the lives of these two little ones occasionally showering her riches and raising the hopes for a better but ever eluding tomarow! Captured in moving words by the great Vibuthi Bhushan Bandyopadyay, none can match his simplicity, innosence and fertile imagination. Infact, according to Satyajit Ray he lived a life of a saint in poverty and had disdain for money. Indeed, Pather Panchali' -the Apu trilogy as a film was applauded worldwide. No wonder, during the seventies, this gem of a novel was prescribed as a supplimentary reader in kannada vernacular for the first year degree classes in Karnataka. It is no exageration to say this is an unmatched literary work in any language.

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Hi, I'm Biplab Kumar Mahato! I live in Jamshedpur! This is my personal life experience of Pother Panchali book!

I was in 9th standard! Bengali was my main subjectas literature! Bengali subject contained three books! One textbook one supplemantery and one grammer! The supplementary book was named "AAM AANTIR VENPU". I read that book thrice .I liked the story of a poor family boy and girl. Their challenges and neglegeance by rich people! Very painful to read and imagine those scenarios! Tears rolled down while reading!

Whenever I finished the book , I felt that this story is not finished yet. So, finally I asked my teacher about that! He told me that this book is a small part of a big book named"POTHER PANCHALI". My exam finished. I came here Jamshedpur for further study! Then one day I remember about that book. So I went to book store and bought it!

I finished one chapter a day! And completed in 20 days. And then I was a different person.Everyday I felt like I am the main charactet Apu and that is my life! I became immotionaly attached with the book.

Now whenever I think about reading that book again I feel myself immotionally weak! Because this book tears apart my heart and tears rolled down my eyes! So much engaging real life experience!

So, I recommend this book to you! You read it you feel it!

Thank you!

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This book is a mistricios book.and I and my family love this book very much.in this dtory there was a additional sad titel.and when I reads this book my eyes was tiarring .so I suggested to every one that. please they will be read this book.i reads this book on 7 times.and the charecter of this book is very good

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In Bengali flim industry Pather Panchali is the biggest epic movie. Satyajit Roy created this epic movie in 1955. Satyajit Roy was the greatest director in Bangla flim industry. The main character in this flim is Apu. This movie is written by Bibhutibhusan Bandhopadhyay. Apu is belongs to a very poor family. He only had a friend who was his elder sister Durga. For him his elder sister was the only person who help him to discover many beautiful things like saw a train for the first time which is great enjoyable thing for Apu. Like this, days passes beautifully with this amazing time with his sister but on a stormy night his sister passes away accidently and with his sister all of his enjoyment also pass away. And his parents decide to leave this village. And this the end. This is my favourit movie of all time.

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I read this excellent creation of rich Bengali creation that has been translated in many other languages. I like because the author penned this story in a perspicuous way where he portrayed upbringing of a poor guy who lost her dear elder sister who was his only all time pal. Later lost his father and through various impediments how he became a man from a downtrodden boy.

His idiosyncrasies are etched in a skilled manner and that mental stamina devotion made him a strong man in life .Small happiness and manifestations  of happiness and expression in various positions are the keynote of its immortal appeal .That's why to get the taste of life dented with bereavement and  obstructions made the story so unique and satyajit roy also made a movie based on this unprecedented story that tremieed Bengali generations with the same smile, cry and emotions .we see unique, simple dwelling of lives without pomp and splendour of do called aristocrat society.

There is similarity with samaresh majumers " ITU palash" or " agyatobas".Mr.Bibhutibhushan was a nature lover and his " Chandler pahar" is a famous story .That's an adventurous story.on this platform I would like to draw readers attention that please come forward and translate the novel with publishers and authors family"s permission as more as possible. This books name will always shine in Bengali literature .it has two more sequels II.Aparajito III.Spur sansar( boys name is apu.)

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It is great pleasure for me to get an opportunity to write a review about Pather Panchali. Let me write a brief personal experience, it was 1992 or 93 when Satyajit Ray was sick lying on dying bed, he received Lifetime Achievement Oscar Awardand as usual India doesn’t recognize Indian brilliant son after when other countries find out and regards our people. Then in 1993 DD started to relays Satyajit Ray’s remarkable movies, that time I watched this movie, but remembrance is not deepen in my brain, due to poor relay, B/W tv, poor audio, and immature age. Later on in 1998 I taught “Pather Panchali” for eight class English lesson in Bal Bharti Public School in Delhi when I was teaching there.

Pather Panchali, pather means ‘of the path’, Panchali means 'folk song', so means of Pather Panchali is Song of The Road. It was a novel written by a Bengali writer Bibhutibhushan Banerjee (Bandyopadhyay), Satyajit always claimed that cinema, as a medium of artistic expression, so he done in 1955 and made this film on a shortening budget in Bengali language. Pathar Panchali takes place in a village where dirt paths were the only type of roads to be found.

The story revolves around a poor Brahmin family in Bengal. The father Harihar is priest, an optimist and dreamer, who never compromised with his dreams in spite of living in abject poverty. The mother Sarbajaya epitomizes practicality has the biggest responsibility for raising her 6 years old daughter Durga and caring for elder sister-in-law who is distant relative and sometimes irritates her. Apu, their son grows amidst the love and pampering of mother and sister. An aged aunt beloved by Durga. Meanwhile mother grows tired of her husband’s complacency. Durga facing false charges of theft by the rich lady. Indir Thakurun’s constant bickering with the mother and then ultimately she dies, not in the courtyard of her house as was her last wish but at the orchard. Durga falls in sick and died, monsoon turbulence caused disaster in village, father’s homecoming is saddened by Durga’s death and he finally faces life realistically and decides to take his family to Banaras for search of a new life.

The script in village like Durga’s running in the field, in the garden, picking mangoes, giving old aged lady, dipping in pond all these scenes focuses a realistic and true life. So in my view Satyajit Ray was a natural director. He has given natural movie, I remember some of them are “Gopi Gayen Bhoota Bhagen’, Aparajito, Mahanagar, Charulata, Parash Pathhar, Devi, Agantuk, Sadgati(Hindi- OmPuri, Shabana Azmi) Shatranj Ke khiladi (Hindi)

Thanks for reading

Have a nice day, bye bye

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ABOUT THE NOVEL

The novel pather panchali(THE SONG OF THE ROAD) has been divided into three sub-parts- ballali balai, aam aatir vepu, and akrur sanbad. The story line of the novel is very simple: the common things that happen in a poor village family; but it’s the description given by the author, the beautiful use of language and the wonderfully described truth of poorness, is what makes this novel unique…

SOME OF THE MAJOR CHARACTERS

Harihar Ray: a poor Brahmin of Nishchindipur village.

Sorbajaya: Harihar’s wife,over conscious of her self respect and a fond mother…

Durga: Harihar’s eldest daughter. She had the bad habit of stealing and lying, for which she had been punished many times. Nevertheless she was an extremely loving sister.

Opu: well he is the prime character of this novel. He is harihars younger son, extremely fond of his sister and mother.

Indir thakrun: A distant old cousin of harihars.

Sejo thakrun, ranu, sotu, potu etc: neighbours of the ray family at nishchindipur.

THE STORY

Ballali Balai

Well in the first part, the story evolves round the tragic life led by Indir thakrun. Indir thakrun(now a widow) was a victim of the ballali system(i.e. a Brahmin man had many wives but did not accept their responsibilities.After marriage the wives had to stay at their father’s house and not at their husband’s house) that prevailed in Bengal at that time .She is dependent on Harihar and has no other living relation, but Sorbojaya could not tolerate her. Durga was really close to her aunt and this made Sorbojaya even more furious. Many times they quarreled and finally one day Indir thakrun decided to go away but after some months she came back…and now Sorbojaya turned her out of her house again.Indir thakrun really felt helpless and didn’t know where to go,when on the road she died….

Aam Aatir Vepu

This part depicts the growing stage in Opu and Durga’s life. They are both good looking (especially Opu) and are fond of each other. Imaginative Opu’s feelings have been mostly potrayed in this part.It depicts incidents like: Opu-Durga getting lost while searching for railway tracks, their secret picnics, Durga getting beaten by her mother and once by sejo thakrun for stealing things from sejo thakrun’s house, opu’s dream of flying,etc..But the most tragic thing that takes place here is Durga’s death:she had been suffering for quite a long time from malaria and soon after recovery she died because of heart fail…Harihar was not present at the time of Durga’s death and when he came back after a long time,he decided to take his family to Kashi, where(Harihar thought) they had hopes of a better future…Opu was not willing to leave his lovely village, his friends,ranudi,potu,etc., the trees, their house.. and the memories of his sister….but he was forced to……

Akrur Sanbad

In Kashi, Harihar’s prospects did not improve at all…and after some months there Harihar also died.Sorbojaya didn’t have enough money.. and she could not go back to Nishchindipur(because her self respect stopped her…),so she took up a job as a cook in a rich family. She and Opu were not at all happy there but what could they do??? Well here Opu found a new friend Leela, a girl of the family where Sorbojaya worked, but soon enough she also went away to some other place and again Opu was left alone…Once after being mercilessly flogged by the head of the family where they lived,Opu’s mother proposed that they should go back to Nishchindipur…This aroused a new light of hope in Opu.He has always felt that Nishchindipur has been calling out to him and now he prayed to God that he must send them back to Nishchindipur,to where they belonged…But the god of the road answered him that he did not bring them all this long way just to send them back…..Opu’s journey has just begun and he has a long way to go…..And here ends the SONG OF THE ROAD…

MY VIEWS

Well no words can describe how wonderful this novel is ….so one must read it to find out for himself/herself…..

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A classic translation from Bengali to English. The author's style in keeping the bengali tradition is truely world class. Each and every character has been given a very clear cut style and the same has been potrayed in the movie made by Mr. Satyajit Ray.

Yes, their is little distortion in the language from the bengali version however same things do happen in the world of translation. The story tells the struggle of young lad from a Bramhin family in Nishcindipur. Each and every page of the story keeps you going on and on to read the complete struggle of the Boy.

The scene which has been captured in each and every section of the book is also a greatness of the writer. One can visualize the scene moving in front of the eyes. The struggle and tragedy which the boy overcomes is written in the subsequent books. A great book to read. The language is very simple to understand. Overall a great job done by the translator and she should get her credit for the same.

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Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay was a school teacher who lived on the outskirts of Calcutta.His all time favorite literary character was Pierre Bezukhov from Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'.All his life he fought unfavourable circumstances like poverty.He wrote a number of novels nearly all of them about rural bengal.However his magnum opus surely is 'Pather Panchali' which may be rendered as 'Song of the road'.

The novel is about the life and times of the Roy family in a village called Nishchindipur.The head of the family is a reader of holy books or kathak.His wife is the symbol of indian womanhood-silent and strong.Sarbojaya as she is called must keep the homefire burning when husband Harihar is away on work.She has a daughter Durga.As the novel progresses a son is born to the Roys and is named Apu.There are beautiful scenes between mother and son as they play a very private game of peek-a-boo between themselves.As Apu grows Durga finds an obedient companion in him.Together they play their childish games,have impromptu picnics in the nearby bush and watch trains.The novel presents a touching picture of the lives of ordinary people in a rural setting.

The children also are in awe of Indir Thakrun,an old aunt whom no one cares for.Infact Apu shares his food with her much to the chagrin of his mother.As always Apu,the man-child is the centre of both Sarbojaya and Durga's existence.Misfortune strikes as Durga falls ill.What happens thereafter is heart-wrenching.As a result of it the Roy family leaves the village for Benares.

The novel has a very smooth narrative.The events seem to come and go as they should.There is a poetic or better lyrical quality to the story.Its the tale of ordinary folks in very ordinary circumstances.Yet it provided insights into the tragedy of the human existence.This is surely a must read for those who seek real,expansive yet fine-tuned literature.

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A moving, utterly authentic portrayal of day to day village life, through the eyes of a boy and his sister, Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) was first published in 1929. Bibhutibhushan Bandhopadhyay was an immensely popular writer in Bengal and Pather Panchali was his greatest work. This beautiful English translation by TW Clark and Tarapada Mukherji retains a distinct Bangla flavour.

Pather Panchali captivatingly captures the life of four members of a family in stunning details. Children, Opu and Durga and parents Shorbhojoya and Horihor, living in their dilapidated home in Nishchindipur.

Horihor is an intelligent, but impractical man apparently incapable of earning enough to support his family. Wife Shorbhojoya loves both their children, especially her son, whom she dotes on. Her playful conversations with him are an endearing mollycoddling typical of a mother. Her maternal warmth is palpable through her games of hide ‘n’ seek and the loving fondness with which she sees her son grow. Durga too loves her younger brother, forever including him in all her thoughts and her play.

But most of all, the novel is about Opu, seen through his eyes. Opu’s growth from a baby-talking infant, to a young boy discovering the world around him, his first walk outside the village, seeing a factory for the first time, his games, time spent in school, desires to join the jatra, his painful separation from Durga, and finally leaving the village he was born in, is all tenderly documented.

Besides them, beautifully etched characters like Indir Thakrun, a far-off old aunt living her last years and Shokithakrun, a melodramatic rabble rousing neighbour also make their mark. The plight of old unwanted people like Indir Thakrun and the way her life ends is touching.

The novel depicts abject poverty. For this family, simple things like a new piece of cotton cloth or a custard apple are sheer luxury. Yet, no one is sullen and depressed due to their economic insufficiencies. The children derive joy from the little treasures village life offers them- trees, fruits, dusty paths, rains, lush grass, songs of birds, and flowers. Life’s path is strewn with thorns, yet they have an unending enthusiasm for living, an innocent wonderment of exploring every new day which is not at all mawkish and unconvincing. Class differences between haves and have-nots, the way the children stare at sweetmeats with wondrous amazement, tugs at your heartstrings. Makes you immediately want to take Durga and Opu out for a treat.

The powerful imagery of the novel stays with you: like Opu’s birth, Shorbhojoya trying to play cards cunningly, the kids discovering a railway track, Opu seeing a train for the first time, Durga being accused of stealing, a child’s thoughts and apprehensions on his first day at school, Durga’s unfulfilled desire to see a train… all can almost be felt happening in front of the reader’s eyes.

Although, structurally this work may seem a tad disjointed, but the end result is a relaxed read that grows on you as you delve further into the lives of Opu and Durga till you find yourself walking with them the roads of Nishchindipur. Pather Panchali is said to be a more or less autobiographical account of Bandopadhyay’s own childhood. Bandopadhyay displays astute understanding of the world through a child’s eyes, mind and lips and he writes without a trace of adult condescension. Seemingly, Bandopadhyay never let the child in him grow up as he wrote this novel. His writing has a much more moving and imaginative quality than many today. Whatever, the incident being narrated, however commonplace it may be, Bandopadhyay extraordinarily tells it in a way that makes it come alive.

I strongly recommend parents of 9-10 year olds to buy them this book, to realise that despite being terribly deprived some poor children enjoy life regardless. It is a must read for a young child, or even adults to consider themselves very fortunate compared to Opu and Durga. Children today do not have an innocence that causes fascination in simple things. It is difficult to imagine any child today getting taken-in by the simple pleasures of what nature has to offer like Opu and Durga. (I didn’t either). I can’t say how well this age group may react to this book as they are presently struck by the wizardy of the Harry Potter series. But, I for one have found the right gift for my 11 year old nephew for my next visit. Elders too would enjoy this book for its sheer simplicity and a fascinating depiction of life in a village. This novel takes you back to innocence.

Go ahead and walk the roads of Nishchindipur in rural Bengal, while I’m busy kicking myself for not having seen Satyajit Ray’s film based on this novel

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