Abanindranath Tagore's book tracing Buddha's journey now in English

A book by Rabindranath Tagore's nephew Abanindranath which parallelly examines the journey of the Buddha through various stages of his life as well as that of a young village lad has been translated into English.

Nalak in its English translation has no chapters. Another feature is a bunch of new illustrations in the pen-and-ink style.

The illustrations present a well-researched theme, apparently inspired by the style of Buddhist tankha paintings while depicting the details of clothing, environment, buildings, paths and gardens, cities and villages, mythical figures, animals, objects and people.

The illustrations along with the lyrical narrative also trace the restless spirit of Nalak, who cannot put his mind to school work and feels imprisoned at home.

Abanindranath literally paints pictures, taking readers through the story of Nalak's coming-of-age and his quest and meditation for finding Buddha.

Nalak is born with special powers of a divine vision which enables him to perceive the birth of Buddha and the stages of the Jataka story. The original storyline has a twist, bringing in an element of magic realism where fantasy takes hold of reality and vice versa.

There is a complete merging of timelines here, when Nalak's childhood and years of youth capture prince Siddhartha's transition from a newborn to a full-grown man, a husband and a father, in a time capsule very deftly.

Nalak yearns to meet and forever remain with Buddha; he travels in a surreal world of sorts, taking Buddha's journey along with him.

Abanindranath was an artist and writer and as the principal innovator of the Bengal school of art, he created a distinctive Swadeshi style of art at a time when only western models were being imitated and practised in contemporary India.

Published by Niyogi Books, the novel has been translated into English by Urbi Bhaduri.