Srikanta is a Bengali novel written by Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay. The novel is published in 4 parts between 1917 and 1933. This novel has been described as Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay’s ‘masterpiece’. The title of the novel taken after the name of its protagonist, Srikanta, who lives the life of a wanderer.
The novel set in between late 19th– century and to early 20th century, the story occurs in different regions of British India – Bhagalpur , Patna , Rangoon , Sainthia (Birbhum) and Debanandapur (Hooghly).
The novel is published in 4 parts:-
Part I
While living in his uncle’s house , Srikanta (a boy) , one day meets Indranath (a boy of his age), during a football match and they become close friends from that time. Srikanta consorts Indranath in his daring adventure. Indranath amours and helps with money an exiled woman named Annadadidi’s husband dies of snake -bite leaving her alone, one day she disappears from the scene . Indranath also goes away and disappears. Srikanta by chance meets a princely friend of his and goes out on a hunting expedition in course of time. He meets Piyari ( a notch girl) in the prince’s tent who is none other than his old and his schoolmate. Rajlakshmi is her real name. While meeting Srikanta, she has not forgotten her old love which grows more intense. Srikanta then joins a roving mendicants. Srikanta falls ill during the travelling and with some difficulties he sends news of his illness to Piyari at Patna , who hurriedly comes with her stepson to him and takes in the loving care of Piyari, and one day Srikanta takes leave of Piyari and goes to his native village.
Part II
Srikanta’s voyage to Rangoon (Burma) and his stay there have been narrated in details in the second part.
Srikanta gets close with many strange people on board, the ship bound for Rangoon , among whom are Abhaya , a young married woman , and her male companion named Rohini. Abhaya is treated very inhumanly by her beastly husband and is refused entry into his house. Abhaya and Rohini who consort each other , live together like husband and wife. While Srikanta return to his village, he is taken ill there. Rajalakshmi arrives and takes charge of Srikanta’s treatment and nursing.
Part III
Srikanta and Rajalakshmi arrives to a village in the district of Birbhum. There Rajalakshmi is busy with religious practices and discourses. Then Srikanta is left alone, the rift between them becomes wider.
Part IV
Srikanta thinks of going to Rangoon again , but by chance he meets his old friend Gahar in his village. Gahar takes him to Vaishnava Ashram where he meets Kamallata ( later becomes very intimate to him). Kamallata leaves the Ashram bidding goodbye to Srikanta at the end.
Characters
The principle characters of the novel Srikanta are:-
i)Srikanta – Protagonist
ii)Indranath –Srikanta’s adventurous friend
iii)Annadadidi -an outcast woman and wife of snake charmer
iv)Rajlakshmi -a dancer girl in love with Srikanta
v)Abhaya – A Rangoon bound woman whose husband is an employee in Srikanta’s office
vi)Kamallata -a springly Vaishnavi
vii)Gahar -Srikanta’s friend who loves Kamallata
viii) Ratan -witty and faithful servant of Rajalakshmi
Sachchidananda Vatsyayan translated Srikanta into English by naming ‘Ageya’ in 1944. It was translated into French by J.G. Delamain and into Italian by Ferdinando Belloni-Filippi. It was translated into Spanish by Gloria Khisha in 2006.
About the author :- Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay
Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay was born in 15 September 1876 and died in 16 January 1938 . Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay’s family was Bengali Brahmin in Debanandapur , a small village in Hooghly, West Bengal. Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay was a adventure loving boy. His education starts at Pyari Pandit’s Pathshala, an informal village school and then he joined Hooghly branch high school. He got double promotion as he was a good student that enable him to a skip to a grade. He passed his entrance examination ( at the end of Class X) but could not take his First Arts examination or attend college due to lack of funds.
Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay spent most of his childhood at his maternal uncle’s home ( in Bhagalpur, Bihar). He attended Durga Charan Balak Vidyalay there. In Bhagalpur he wrote his famous book “Devdas” and is said to be somehow his own story , while he visited Jogsar a Red-light area to meet Chandramukhi.
Of the early 20th century, Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay was a famous Bengali novelist and story writer. His works mostly deals with the lifestyle , tragedy and struggle of the village people and the contemporary social practices that prevailed in Bengal. He remains the most popular and adapted Indian author of all time. His few notable works are Srikanta , Choritrohin , Devdas , Parineeta and Pother Dabi. His notable award is Jagattarini award by Calcutta University.
Television Series:-
Srikanta was a Television Show based on this novel. The show DD National in 1987. It was directed by Praveen Nischol and the role of Srikanta was casted by Farooq Sheikh.
The show was again telecast on Doordarshan from 30 April, 2020 due to the Coronavirus.
Film Adaptation :-
Rajalakshmi O Srikanta, Iti Srikanta, Indranath Srikanta o Annadadidi, Kamallata, Rajalakshmi Srikanta, Under the Gypsy moon (a stage adaptationby Akash Khurana), Rajlokhi O Srikanta.
Publication details :-
Srikanta was written over a period of more than sixteen years spanned in four parts. Except the last three chapters of third part from the first three parts of the novel were serialized in a monthly magazine Bharatbarsha, under the title of Srikantar Bhraman Kahini (The tale of Srikanta’s Wanderings). The fourth part was serialized in another monthly magazine Bichitra , with a slightly-changed name Srikanta Chaturtha Parba. The first three parts of the novel were published in 1917, 1918 and 1927 respectively. The fourth was published in 1933 with short title Srikanta, and was acclaimed as the great work of Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay.
Notable :-
Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay in a conversation revealed that the book is partly autobiographical, and his own life experiences of the protagonist Srikanta.
The book is described as involving journeys of both physical and spiritual. On asking whether Sarat Chandra Chattyopadhyay considered Srikanta to be a travelogue, and autobiography, or a novel, his reply was: “A collection of scattered memories – nothing else”.
