Indulging in the supernatural world of Taranath Tantrik

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay is primarily known in Bangla literature as a writer possessing a nearly supernatural ability to portray the realities of rural Bengal of the 1900s in spontaneous and lucid language.

A little-known fact about him is that he is also one of the pioneers of the horror and paranormal genre of Bangla literature, with Taranath Tantrik being the magnum opus of occult fiction written in Bangla.

Although initially started by Bibhutibhushan himself, he only managed to write two stories of Taranath Tantrik before his death.

After that, his son Taradas Bandyopadhyay continued the series, and the character achieved cult status among the readers of Bangla literature who were inclined to this genre.

The stories revolve around the namesake, Taranath Chakrabarty, a.k.a Taranath Tantrik, who develops a friendly relationship with the unnamed main protagonist and his friend Kishori Sen whimsically.

Taranath claims himself to be an astrologer and involved with occult practices. All the stories are about the protagonist, a Kishori, visiting Taranath's house and Taranath telling them any supernatural experience he had in his life.

The stories are full of practices from the Tantra domain of Hinduism, although they do not seem incomprehensive to ordinary readers due to the craftsmanship of Bibhutibhushan and Taradas.

Instead, these would appear and a pretty quirky trip far away from the monotones of everyday life.

Rural pictures of West Bengal have also been rendered beautifully, and one is bound to get immersed in the place and time with the characters.

The practices of pre-partition Hindu families in the remote areas of Southern West Bengal have been depicted superbly. The beliefs, superstitions and mannerisms represent a time that has long been gone and can only be experienced through the written accounts of the writers.

As the whole book is a compilation of all the stories of Taranath Tantrik, it also includes a short novel named Alatchakra, which can easily be regarded as the best work produced on Taranath Tantrik.

The character of Debdarshan Mukhopadhyay is sure to remain in the reader’s mind for a long time. The subtle allegories used by Taradas Bandyopadhyay in this novella add to the whole book’s aesthetic beauty as a whole.

For someone who is a lover of horror fiction, Taranath Tantrik Shomogro should be a must-read as it probably is the best supernatural fiction written in Bangla, giving the readers a taste of the socio-cultural scenario of pre-partition West Bengal.

rassiq.aziz@gmail.com