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নীলকন্ঠ হিমালয়
একটি হিমালয় ভ্রমণ কাহিনী।
308 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 1955
20 people want to read
About the author
Abadhut
17 books6 followersঅবধূত (১৯১০ - ১৩ এপ্রিল, ১৯৭৮) বা কালিকানন্দ অবধূত ছিলেন একজন বিশিষ্ট ভারতীয় বাঙালি ঔপন্যাসিক ও তন্ত্রসাধক। তাঁর প্রকৃতনাম দুলালচন্দ্র মুখোপাধ্যায়। জন্ম কলকাতার ভবানীপুরে। পুত্র অমল মুখোপাধ্যায়ের জন্মের পর প্রথমা স্ত্রীর মৃত্যু হলে উজ্জয়িনীর মহাকাল মন্দিরে সন্ন্যাস (অবধূত) গ্রহণ করেন। সন্ন্যাসজীবনে তাঁর নাম হয় কালিকানন্দ অবধূত। সন্ন্যাসজীবনে তাঁর ভৈরবী স্ত্রীও ছিল। হুগলি জেলার চুঁচুড়ায় স্বপ্রতিষ্ঠিত রুদ্রচণ্ডী মঠে তাঁর মৃত্যু হয়।
অবধূত ছদ্মনামে তিনি একাধিক গ্রন্থ রচনা করেছিলেন। ১৯৫৪ সালে মরুতীর্থ হিংলাজ নামক উপন্যাস রচনা করে খ্যাতি অর্জন করেন। এই উপন্যাসটি অবলম্বনে একটি জনপ্রিয় চলচ্চিত্রও নির্মিত হয়, যার কেন্দ্রীয় চরিত্রে অভিনয় করেন বিকাশ রায় ও উত্তমকুমার। তাঁর অপর বিখ্যাত গ্রন্থ উদ্ধারণপুরের ঘাট (১৯৬০)।
অবধূত ছদ্মনামে তিনি একাধিক গ্রন্থ রচনা করেছিলেন। ১৯৫৪ সালে মরুতীর্থ হিংলাজ নামক উপন্যাস রচনা করে খ্যাতি অর্জন করেন। এই উপন্যাসটি অবলম্বনে একটি জনপ্রিয় চলচ্চিত্রও নির্মিত হয়, যার কেন্দ্রীয় চরিত্রে অভিনয় করেন বিকাশ রায় ও উত্তমকুমার। তাঁর অপর বিখ্যাত গ্রন্থ উদ্ধারণপুরের ঘাট (১৯৬০)।
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September 14, 2023
Kunad hum jins ba hum jins parwaaz... Kabootar baa kabootar, baaz baa baaz
The Farsi couplet loosely translates to, "Birds of a feather flock together." Can the same be said about hermits and monks? Well, the author of this book certainly believes in that idea.
The book is a personal account of Kalikananda Avadhut, who embarked on extensive journeys through what is now known as the modern state of Uttarakhand in India. Kalikananda embraced a life of renunciation at a young age, and his quest led him to traverse several pilgrimage sites across the Indian subcontinent.
Categorizing this book presents a challenge, as it effortlessly straddles the realms of travelogue, spiritual guidebook, and adventure novel. However, I would prefer to view it as the journal of a young man seeking enlightenment, perhaps even in search of himself. One might wonder why the author refers to the Himalayas as "Neelkantha," the one who has consumed poison. Amongst all the snow-capped ranges, the Himalayas stand out, not merely as a colossal formation of rock, snow, and trees, but as a living entity animated by its inhabitants and spiritual seekers. The author endeavors to explain how.
Kalikananda delves into the myriad austere practices of hermits and shares his experiences and realizations through his writing. Despite the formidable task, he maintains a lucid writing style. Readers have the opportunity to gradually absorb, at a gentle pace, what Kalikananda has gleaned through his extensive experiences over a considerable period. His candid revelations render the book particularly intriguing, to those who have never seen a mountain beyond treks and hill stations.. Throughout the book, he most generously imparts details about his faith in Yoga and Pranayam, his stopovers in humble and shabby roadside shelters, his survival on meager sustenance, and his moments of epiphany, among other experiences. Numerous encounters with seemingly unremarkable common folk enrich the narrative, as Kalikananda portrays them earnestly. Discovering childlike innocence in Bharadwaj, the contractor, encountering Yashomati, who unveils the realms of sexuality and tantra within the human body, meeting Mr. and Mrs. Arden, a British couple yearning to visit Kedarnath, and engaging with Lodha Singh, a figure who redefines selfless devotion and friendship—these diverse experiences converge in this literary work, infusing it with life and vibrancy.
What sets Kalikananda apart is the fluidity of his soul, which prevents him from becoming a zealot. He preserves his sense of romanticism and relishes the poetry of life. This is precisely why the book retains its humanity. Countless individuals flock to the Himalayas every year, sharing their stories, pain, and sorrows. The Himalayas, in turn, serve as an attentive listener to its inhabitants and visitors, silently absorbing their tribulations. In return, it bestows upon them self-realization and a sense of security that liberates their minds from the shackles of uncertainty. It stands resolute, gazing toward the future, in its majestic grandeur, indifferent to the past, like a true Neelkantha.
The Farsi couplet loosely translates to, "Birds of a feather flock together." Can the same be said about hermits and monks? Well, the author of this book certainly believes in that idea.
The book is a personal account of Kalikananda Avadhut, who embarked on extensive journeys through what is now known as the modern state of Uttarakhand in India. Kalikananda embraced a life of renunciation at a young age, and his quest led him to traverse several pilgrimage sites across the Indian subcontinent.
Categorizing this book presents a challenge, as it effortlessly straddles the realms of travelogue, spiritual guidebook, and adventure novel. However, I would prefer to view it as the journal of a young man seeking enlightenment, perhaps even in search of himself. One might wonder why the author refers to the Himalayas as "Neelkantha," the one who has consumed poison. Amongst all the snow-capped ranges, the Himalayas stand out, not merely as a colossal formation of rock, snow, and trees, but as a living entity animated by its inhabitants and spiritual seekers. The author endeavors to explain how.
Kalikananda delves into the myriad austere practices of hermits and shares his experiences and realizations through his writing. Despite the formidable task, he maintains a lucid writing style. Readers have the opportunity to gradually absorb, at a gentle pace, what Kalikananda has gleaned through his extensive experiences over a considerable period. His candid revelations render the book particularly intriguing, to those who have never seen a mountain beyond treks and hill stations.. Throughout the book, he most generously imparts details about his faith in Yoga and Pranayam, his stopovers in humble and shabby roadside shelters, his survival on meager sustenance, and his moments of epiphany, among other experiences. Numerous encounters with seemingly unremarkable common folk enrich the narrative, as Kalikananda portrays them earnestly. Discovering childlike innocence in Bharadwaj, the contractor, encountering Yashomati, who unveils the realms of sexuality and tantra within the human body, meeting Mr. and Mrs. Arden, a British couple yearning to visit Kedarnath, and engaging with Lodha Singh, a figure who redefines selfless devotion and friendship—these diverse experiences converge in this literary work, infusing it with life and vibrancy.
What sets Kalikananda apart is the fluidity of his soul, which prevents him from becoming a zealot. He preserves his sense of romanticism and relishes the poetry of life. This is precisely why the book retains its humanity. Countless individuals flock to the Himalayas every year, sharing their stories, pain, and sorrows. The Himalayas, in turn, serve as an attentive listener to its inhabitants and visitors, silently absorbing their tribulations. In return, it bestows upon them self-realization and a sense of security that liberates their minds from the shackles of uncertainty. It stands resolute, gazing toward the future, in its majestic grandeur, indifferent to the past, like a true Neelkantha.
Displaying 1 of 1 review