Byomkesh Bakshi



Byomkesh Bakshi is a popular Bengali fictional detective created by Sharadindu Bandhopadhay. Contents  [show] Character[edit]Sharadindu Bandhopadhay's most well known character Byomkesh Bakshi first appeared as a character in the story Satyanweshi (The Inquisitor). The story is set in 1931 in the Chinabazar area of Kolkata where a 'non government detective' Byomkesh Bakshi on the permission of the police commissioner starts living in a mess in that area under the pseudonym of Atul Chandra Mitra to probe a series of murders. Most of the stories are written by Sharadindu under the pen name of Ajit who is said to have met Byomkesh in the mess at Chinabazar. Byomkesh Bakshi is described in Satyanweshi as "a man of twenty three or twenty four years of age who looked well educated." Later in the story it comes to be known that Byomkesh lives on a three-story rented house at Harrison Road. The only other person living with him, is his attendant, Putiram. At the request of Byomkesh, Ajit starts living at the house with them. It is also mentioned that Byomkesh did not like being called a detective, and the word 'investigator' was even more worse. Thus he fashioned a new name for himself and had it inscribed on a brass plate in front of his house .The plaque read " Byomkesh Bakshi Satyanweshi (The Inquisitor)".Unlike other lead characters in detective stories, Byomkesh Bakshi marries, ages contemplates buying a car etc. When Sukumar is charged with murder in the story "Arthamanartham", Byomkesh meets Satyabati, sister of Sukumar, whom he later marries. In the story Adim Ripu, there is some information about Byomkesh's early childhood. His father was a mathematics teacher at a school and practised Sankhya philosohy at home while his mother was the daughter of a Vaishnavite. When Byomkesh when seventeen years old, his parents died of TB. Later, Byomkesh passed University with scholarship. During the Second World War, and after the independence of India, Byomkesh, Satyabati and Ajit live in the mess house of Harrison Road. Later, they decide to buy land in Keyatala in South Kolkata and shift to their new residence. Byomkesh stories[edit]Saradindu Bandopadhyay penned 32 Byomkesh stories from 1932 to 1970 prior to his death. In his early stories Ajit Bandhopadhyay is described as his companion cum chronicler of his stories. But in some cases there Ajit also investigates in absence of Byomkesh (Makorshar Rosh, Shoilo Rahasya). These stories are all written in traditional Bengali language but later stories shift to colloquial language. It is also found that the later stories are not penned by Ajit, as he is much more engaged in his publication business. The stories are not very complicated but very grasping, with a long series of events. From the first one Satyanweshi, where Byomkesh destroys an international drug racket, to house hold mysteries and crimes like Arthamanartham, Makorshar Rosh etc, all are equally enjoyable. Byomkesh gradually ages through the series, and he has a son who is mentioned as Khoka (little boy) in the series. Sharadindu didn't want to continue the Byomkesh stories, which is why he stopped writing Byomkesh stories from 1938 to 1951. During that time he was busy writing scripts for films in Bombay. After his return to West Bengal, there was still a demand for Byomkesh stories and so he wrote Chitrachor (Picture Imperfect) in 1951 and gradually so on to 1970, when his last story "Bishupal Badh"(Killing of Bishupal) was not completed owing to his untimely death. List of stories[edit](1932) Satyanweshi aka The Inquisitor(1932) Pother Kanta aka The Gramophone Pin Mystery(1932) Seemanto-heera aka The Hidden Heirloom(1933) Makorshar Rosh aka The Venom of the Tarantula(1933) Arthamanartham aka Where there is a Will(1933) Chorabali aka Quicksand(1935) Agnibaan aka Calamity Strikes(1935) Uposonghaar aka An Encore For Byomkesh(1936) Roktomukhi Neela aka The Deadly Diamond(1936) Byomkesh O Boroda aka Byomkesh and Boroda(1951) Chitrochor aka Picture Imperfect(1952) Durgo Rahasya aka The Mystery of the Fortress(1953) Chiriyakhana aka The Menagerie(1955) Adim Ripu aka The Pristine Enemy(1956) Banhi-patanga aka The Moth and the Flame(1956) Rokter Daag aka The Stain of Blood(1958) Monimondon aka The Jewel Case(1959) Amriter Mrityu aka The Death of Amrito(1959) Shailo Rahasya aka The Phantom Client(1960) Achin Pakhi aka The Avenger(1961) Kohen Kobi Kalidas aka Thus Spoke Kavi Kalidasa(1961) Adrishyo Trikon aka The Invisible Triangle(1961) Khuji Khuji Nari aka The Will that Vanished(1961) Adwitiyo aka One and Only(1963) Mognomoinak aka The Mother(1963) Dushtochokro aka The Crooked Circle(1964) Henyalir Chhondo aka The Rhythm of Riddles(1964) Room Nombor Dui aka Room Number 2(1965) Cholonar Chhondo aka The Man in a Red Coat(1967) Shajarur Kanta aka The Porcupine Quill(1968) Benishonghar aka The Slaughter Of Beni(1969) Lohar Biskut aka Iron Biscuits(1970) Bishupal Bodh (incomplete)