Mahabharatey Ghanada
(Ghanada & The Mahabharat), 1980
First Published:
Chaitra 1386 – Bhadra 1387 (1980), in six instalments
as an incomplete serial novel in the childrens’ monthly Jhalmal
Illustrator: Subodh Gupta, Swapan (?)
First featured in the book: Uncollected till date.
Even absent in Ghanada Samogro.
Mahabharatey Ghanada (Incomplete), from Jhalmal, 1980 (Chaitra 1386 – Bhadra 1387)
Artist: Subodh Gupta, Swapan
Ajit Gupta‘s famous Ghanada prototype has been faithfully duplicated by the artists.
Unrelated to the 2003 compilation of the same name.
As mentioned, Mahabharatey Ghanada is an incomplete serialized tale, hitherto uncollected.
Ghanada Gallery wishes to acknowledge the efforts of Mr. Samudra Basu, Mr. Sujit Kundu & Mr. Somnath Das Gupta in unearthing the six extant instalments of Mahabharatey Ghanada.
Mahabharatey Ghanada was written between Tel Deben Ghanada (1978) and Jayadrath Badhey Ghanada (1980). Story-teller Ghanada‘s audience has always been divided, without any interaction between the two branches. Mahabharatey Ghanada finally tries to arrange a meeting between the Banamali Nashkar inmates and the elderly lakeside listeners. With this tale remaining unfinished, never the twain did meet…
In the sextet of episodes discovered, Ghanada doesn’t appear in the present, but only through flashbacks.
No reference is made to the ‘Mahabharat’ either.
It may be mentioned that Ghanada‘s mythologist phase had already begun by then, from the mid 1970-s.
The Bhadra 1387 number of Jhalmal contains the final unfinished episode of Mahabharatey Ghanada.
Ashwin 1387 carried a fresh instalment of Ghanar Bachon.
As far as we have been able to determine, Mahabharatey Ghanada did not appear in any subsequent issue of Jhalmal.
- For further details regarding Mahabharatey Ghanada, do look up Uncollected Ghanada in the Blogus blog:
https://blogus-abogusblog.blogspot.in/2016/07/An-Uncollected-Ghanada-Tale.html
