পথের পাঁচালী – বিভূতিভূষণ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়

Pather Panchali Novel Discussion:

Upendranath Gangopadhyay can be called the discoverer of Bibhutibhushan Banerjee and Manik Banerjee, the time-honored writers of Bengali literature ….
He was the first editor of ‘Bichitra’ magazine. However, before he became the editor of the newspaper, he got Bibhutibabu’s Pather Panchali. His acquaintance with Bibhuti Babu in Bhagalpur. There Bibhuti let Upendranath read the novel Panchali of his path. Shortly afterwards Upendranath came to Calcutta and edited Bichitra. Pather Panchali started printing from this magazine.
—- It can be said that the life of Bichitra Patrika, the editor of Upendranath Gangopadhyay and the author of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay made their debut together.
A few days later, Sajanikanta Das, the editor of the then famous magazine ‘Shanibarer Chithi’, searched for an address and finally went to Bibhutibhushan Banerjee. Ninety rupees was handed to him and he said, Bibhutibabu, if you allow me, I will publish the novel Pather Panchali in book form.
Pather Panchali novel was published in 1929.
Bibhutibhushan has reminisced about Bhagalpur in his essay ‘Smritirekha’. This is his travelogue. Here is a little about Upendranath.

Pather Panchali central character Apu. The whole of the novel is about Apu’s family, his childhood, growing up etc. Although it is divided into 3 parts, ‘Ballali Balai’, ‘Mango Antir Bhepu’, and ‘Akrur Sangbad’, the second part is called the original novel. Apur’s family history covers almost the whole of the 1st part. The total number of characters in the novel is 5.
Apu, Apu’s sister Durga, mother Sarvajaya, father Harihar, remote contact PC Indira Thakur.
In the first part of the novel, Ballali Balai. Let’s start with the last line of this section-
“With the death of Indira Thakrun, the old days in Nishchindpur village came to an end” …..
Yes, the ever-sad Indira Thakur was the witness of this story. Apur’s ancestor, Nishchindpur village, the aristocratic tradition of the past is a witness to all this. Durga’s close relationship with him is the main premise of this section. He has been called ‘Ballali Balai’.
During the reign of King Ballal Sen, polygamy was practiced by Koulin men. Cowlin men would leave their wives at their father’s house after marriage. Indira was a victim of this nobility at a very young age. After losing his parents and only daughter, 60-year-old poor Indira became paralyzed and stayed at the house of her distant brother Harihar.
He could see his daughter Bisweshwari in the middle of Harihar’s daughter Durga. Lots of affection. Durga also used to go around the forest and bring fruits and leaves and feed them to PC. PC used to tell him stories by rules. He spent most of his time with PC. That is why a deep affectionate relationship developed between them. Durga loved her PC more than her mother.
Maybe that’s why mother Sarvajaya could not stand Indira Thakur at all. Moreover, in the world of their own deprivation, Sarvajaya considers Indira Thakrun as a strange problem, and gives her various pegs to get up and sit down. Injured Indira Thakur often leaves home. People go from door to door hoping for a little food and shelter.
He never forgot the old rhyme-
The soles of the feet,
The rice stone is the ball of the chest-
Besides, he could do anything. That big lack of shelter! He crossed the road with a little shelter, a bundle of clothes, a torn mat. He had no one anywhere.
Wherever he takes refuge, he has to return after a few days. Never being able to bear deprivation, Durga never pulls Maya.
Eventually one day all this neglect, humiliation came to an end. One day, on the way, Indir Thakrun, a homeless person from Nishchindpur, fell silently.
Photo: Chunibala as Indira Thakur in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’