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आखिरी चट्टान तक
In 1952, at the age of twenty-seven, Mohan Rakesh undertook a journey to south India, travelling by bus, train and steamer along the western coast from Bombay to Kanyakumari. Young and ardent, he dreamt of the wide expanse of sea that would make up for a childhood spent in Amritsar's narrow lanes, and had visions of comely guides who would look kindly upon his wandering. But once he set out from Delhi on a train to Bombay, his visions slipped away and complex reality took over. To the Farthest Rock is a remarkable account of the hope and despair that characterized post-Independence India. Rakesh had only published a few short stories when he quit a teaching job in Shimla in order to travel, but readers who know his later work will recognize his skill with portraits of people and his exceptional ability to render fluctuations of feeling. Set against the verdant coastal landscape of Goa and Kerala, this absorbing travelogue is a fine introduction to the mind of one of Hindi's greatest novelists and playwrights.
105 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
15 people want to read
About the author
Mohan Rakesh
58 books85 followersजन्म: 8 जनवरी, 1925; जंडीवाली गली, अमृतसर।
शिक्षा: संस्कृत में शास्त्री, अंग्रेजी में बी.ए., संस्कृत और हिन्दी में एम.ए.।
आजीविकाः लाहौर, मुंबई, शिमला, जालंधर और दिल्ली में अध्यापन, संपादन और स्वतंत्र-लेखन।
महत्त्वपूर्ण कथाकार होने के साथ-साथ एक अप्रतिम और लोकप्रिय नाट्य-लेखक। नितांत असंभव और बेहद ईमानदार आदमी।
प्रकाशित पुस्तकें: अँधेरे बंद कमरे, अंतराल, न आने वाला कल (उपन्यास); आषाढ़ का एक दिन, लहरों के राजहंस, आधे-अधूरे, पैर तले की ज़मीन (नाटक); शाकुंतल, मृच्छकटिक (अनूदित नाटक); अंडे के छिलके, अन्य एकांकी तथा बीज नाटक, रात बीतने तक तथा अन्य ध्वनि नाटक (एकांकी); क्वार्टर, पहचान, वारिस, एक घटना (कहानी-संग्रह); बक़लम खुद, परिवेश (निबन्ध); आखिरी चट्टान तक (यात्रावृत्त); एकत्र (अप्रकाशित-असंकलित रचनाएँ); बिना हाड़-मांस के आदमी (बालोपयोगी कहानी-संग्रह) तथा मोहन राकेश रचनावली (13 खंड)।
सम्मान: सर्वश्रेष्ठ नाटक और सर्वश्रेष्ठ नाटककार के संगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार, नेहरू फ़ेलोशिप, फि़ल्म वित्त निगम का निदेशकत्व, फि़ल्म सेंसर बोर्ड के सदस्य।
निधन: 3 दिसम्बर, 1972, नई दिल्ली।
शिक्षा: संस्कृत में शास्त्री, अंग्रेजी में बी.ए., संस्कृत और हिन्दी में एम.ए.।
आजीविकाः लाहौर, मुंबई, शिमला, जालंधर और दिल्ली में अध्यापन, संपादन और स्वतंत्र-लेखन।
महत्त्वपूर्ण कथाकार होने के साथ-साथ एक अप्रतिम और लोकप्रिय नाट्य-लेखक। नितांत असंभव और बेहद ईमानदार आदमी।
प्रकाशित पुस्तकें: अँधेरे बंद कमरे, अंतराल, न आने वाला कल (उपन्यास); आषाढ़ का एक दिन, लहरों के राजहंस, आधे-अधूरे, पैर तले की ज़मीन (नाटक); शाकुंतल, मृच्छकटिक (अनूदित नाटक); अंडे के छिलके, अन्य एकांकी तथा बीज नाटक, रात बीतने तक तथा अन्य ध्वनि नाटक (एकांकी); क्वार्टर, पहचान, वारिस, एक घटना (कहानी-संग्रह); बक़लम खुद, परिवेश (निबन्ध); आखिरी चट्टान तक (यात्रावृत्त); एकत्र (अप्रकाशित-असंकलित रचनाएँ); बिना हाड़-मांस के आदमी (बालोपयोगी कहानी-संग्रह) तथा मोहन राकेश रचनावली (13 खंड)।
सम्मान: सर्वश्रेष्ठ नाटक और सर्वश्रेष्ठ नाटककार के संगीत नाटक अकादमी पुरस्कार, नेहरू फ़ेलोशिप, फि़ल्म वित्त निगम का निदेशकत्व, फि़ल्म सेंसर बोर्ड के सदस्य।
निधन: 3 दिसम्बर, 1972, नई दिल्ली।
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 20, 2021
The आखरी चट्टान (‘last boulder’) of the title being the southernmost rock that was part of Indian territory, when Mohan Rakesh went on the trip he describes in this travelogue. Just a little beyond Vivekanand Rock at Kanyakumari, this rock, jutting out of the sea, is the focus of the last chapter of this book, and a culmination of Rakesh’s journey, which took him from his home in Shimla, through Bhopal and Bombay, to Goa and then finally through Kerala and on to Kanyakumari.
Aakhri Chattaan Tak is a memorable travelogue: there are, of course, some descriptions of the places Rakesh visits and the sights he sees (the backwaters of Kerala, Cochin’s Mattancherry Palace, the tea gardens, Kanyakumari, Kovalam, and the exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier at Goa among them), but equally, there are the people he meets. The art student who acts as substitute watchman at Mattancherry Palace; the very poor old man who begs Rakesh to look for his fugitive son in Delhi. The travelling salesman, who spends nine months of the year outside his home just so that he can earn enough to support his family—and whose façade of bonhomie and good humour proves to be just that: a façade. The leech who clamps onto anyone whom he can get some money or food out of. Farmers, boatmen, labourers, children.
The people of Aakhri Chattaan Tak perhaps are what show us a glimpse of Mohan Rakesh himself. While his love for natural beauty comes through in his awestruck descriptions of the sunset, the backwaters, the birds and the beach, it is in his impressions of his fellow human beings that we see the writer himself. His empathy, his sense of humour, his occasional helplessness at realizing he can do little to alleviate the suffering he sees around him.
Also, given that this trip took place in the early 50s (1952-3), it’s an interesting snapshot of a newly independent India. There is a tragic reminder of Partition, and there is also the fact that Goa was still a Portuguese colony, with travellers into Goa having to stop for customs checks, and African policemen patrolling the streets.
Aakhri Chattaan Tak is a memorable travelogue: there are, of course, some descriptions of the places Rakesh visits and the sights he sees (the backwaters of Kerala, Cochin’s Mattancherry Palace, the tea gardens, Kanyakumari, Kovalam, and the exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier at Goa among them), but equally, there are the people he meets. The art student who acts as substitute watchman at Mattancherry Palace; the very poor old man who begs Rakesh to look for his fugitive son in Delhi. The travelling salesman, who spends nine months of the year outside his home just so that he can earn enough to support his family—and whose façade of bonhomie and good humour proves to be just that: a façade. The leech who clamps onto anyone whom he can get some money or food out of. Farmers, boatmen, labourers, children.
The people of Aakhri Chattaan Tak perhaps are what show us a glimpse of Mohan Rakesh himself. While his love for natural beauty comes through in his awestruck descriptions of the sunset, the backwaters, the birds and the beach, it is in his impressions of his fellow human beings that we see the writer himself. His empathy, his sense of humour, his occasional helplessness at realizing he can do little to alleviate the suffering he sees around him.
Also, given that this trip took place in the early 50s (1952-3), it’s an interesting snapshot of a newly independent India. There is a tragic reminder of Partition, and there is also the fact that Goa was still a Portuguese colony, with travellers into Goa having to stop for customs checks, and African policemen patrolling the streets.
February 19, 2019
This is simply a wonderful travelogue. The writing and the translating are excellent, the vignettes into lives of people in Deccan India in the 1950s are superb. The writer (and translator) capture the sense of feeling of the various situations and I felt as though I was there, travelling with Mohan Rakesh back in 1952.
I have nothing but praise for this book, I had a feeling of sadness (not unlike the author) as the book and trip drew to a close. I highly recommend it and I will reread it. First class.
I have nothing but praise for this book, I had a feeling of sadness (not unlike the author) as the book and trip drew to a close. I highly recommend it and I will reread it. First class.
December 14, 2025
What a great final read for my Travel Lit class! I loved Rakesh's narrative style and the impact he was able to leave with relatively simple prose. An excellent book about longing, wanderlust, and early adulthood.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews