Chowringhee  (English, Paperback, Sinha Arunava)

Set in 1950’s Calcutta, Chowringhee closely follows the lives of managers, employees and guests at one of Calcutta’s largest hotels, Shahjahan. Considered a Bengali classic, it is penned down by celebrated Bengali author, Sankar.

Summary of the Book

Chowringhee follows the life of Shankar, an ambitious young man, employed as a secretary to an English barrister. Shankar loses his lucrative job when the barrister dies all of a sudden and is forced to take up a menial, low-paying job to earn his bread and butter. One fateful day, when Shankar was lazing around in a neighborhood park reminiscing about his past, he has a chance encounter with a friend who is shocked by Shankar’s abrupt descent into poverty. He offers Shankar a job at the famous Shahjahan Hotel and Shankar agrees to take it up. His new job at the hotel turns out to be a completely new experience for Shankar. He soon befriends the manager, Marco Polo and Sata Bose, the chief receptionist, of the hotel. The story revolves around Shankar's varied experiences at the hotel, interacting with the guests, entertainers and the frequent visitors of the Shahjahan. Intriguing and riveting, Chowringhee will make for an engaging and entertaining read for those who enjoy Bengali classical literature.

About Sankar

Sankar, real name Mani Sankar Mukherjee, is a popular writer in the Bengali language. He grew up in Howrah district of West Bengal. Some of the other popular works by him include Jekhane Jemon, Kato Ajanare, Gharer Madhye Ghar, Purohit Darpan and Subarno Sujog, among others.