Aranyak - Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay

Aranyak (Bengali) is a simple and heartwarming story of a man who gets a job as an estate manager in Bhagalpur and how he adapts to the rural setting and slowly gets emotionally attached to the place.

Summary of the Book

The story revolves around Satyacharan, the protagonist who gets a new job of managing an estate in the rustic locales of Bhagalpur. He faces a lot of trouble adjusting to the lonely jungle life, but gradually Satyacharan gets mesmerized by nature’s bounty. The beautiful and tranquil forests of Bhagalpur enchant Satyacharan, and he cannot even resist a moment of absence from the forests. Satyacharan and his partner Jugalprasad decorate the forest with rare species of plants and saplings and nurture it selflessly. Satyacharan’s job requires of him to divide the forest land and distribute it among the local people. As Satyacharan witnesses the forest getting destroyed in front of his eyes, he feels a deep sense of remorse and guilt at his helplessness to protect the gift of nature.

About Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay was one of the most celebrated authors of Bengali Literature. Bibhutibhushan belonged to the North 24 Parganas region of West Bengal. Apart from this book, Bandyopadhyay has authored several books like Aparajito, Pather Panchali, Adarsha Hindu Hotel, and Aam Aatir Bhenpu.

Bandyopadhyay was born on the 12th of September, 1894. He finished his schooling from Bongaon High School, and later attended Surendranath College (Ripon College), Kolkata, to study Economics, Sanskrit, and History. In the year 1951, he was honored with Rabindra Puraskar, which is one of the most prestigious awards in Bengali literature.