Translation Of Amrita Kumbher Samdhaney By Samaresh Bose To Release Soon
Niyogi Books will be releasing “In Search of the Pitcher of Nectar” by Samaresh Bose (Kalkut), translated from the Bengali original travelogue Amrita Kumbher Sandhaney by Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee.
The book will be launched on 9th September 2022 (Friday) at 6.30 pm, at Seminar Halls I, II & III, Kamladevi Complex, India International Centre, New Delhi.
The book is a perfect read for everyone who has attended the Kumbh-Mela, those who haven’t but aspire to, as well as those who seek nothing religious or even spiritual but have a penchant for learning about life, and about people. It offers a social commentary on human civilization, its prejudices, politics, and practices of everyday life.
Prof. Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, the book’s translator, said, “I was always captivated by the non-conformist kind of travelogue that Samaresh Bose authored under the pen name “Kalkut. Some forty years ago, I read Amrita Kumbher Sandhaney’s (In Search of the Pitcher of Nectar), and I was completely blown away by the way that three genres—travel writing, fiction, and personal memoir—were seamlessly merged. It was unique in its kind. I had been in love with the book for decades before deciding to translate it into English so that more people could read it and enjoy it”.
This travelogue, written by Kalkut aka Samaresh Bose, describes the author’s visit to the Kumbh-Mela, the revered location of the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers in Prayag, where pilgrims wash during a specific time of the year. Hindu legend holds that this is where the nectar of immortality, amrita, which resulted from the churning of the oceans by the gods and asuras, flowed from the Kumbh. The pilgrims think that taking a bath at the confluence is a way to atone for past misdeeds.
The narrator sets off on this journey with the intention of learning more about life and people rather than seeking atonement. One can see society’s hypocritical standards through his eyes as well. Many people travel together but are unwilling to leave their biases, habits, and ailments behind in the hopes that God will take away their suffering when they take a plunge in the holy waters.
Price: INR 450
Format: Flexiback
Pages: 288
Priyanka Dutta