The Fakir  (English, Paperback, Gangopadhyay Sunil)

This is the Punjabi translation of the popular Bengali novel, The Fakir.

Summary Of The Book

The Fakir is the fictional life story of a popular and revered eighteenth century Bengali mystic known as Lalan Fakir. There are many legends about this man, but nothing definite is known about him. The famous Bengali writer, Sunil Gangopadhyay has pieced together this interesting biography, The Fakir, based on many legends.

Lalan Fakir united people of different communities through his simple songs that expressed love of mankind and of God, without adhering to any particular religious creed or any traditional spiritual school. His simple teachings alienated the orthodox communities of Hindus and Muslims. But, he inspired thousands of simple folk who were attracted by his songs and by his universal message of love and hope.

His simple compositions have since passed into folklore, and his uncomplicated message attracted people of different communities and bound them together during a time of strife and feudal oppression. But, there is no written record of the life history of this mystic. The Fakir is written based on the many legends that abound about him. The author describes Lalan Fakir as a simple young man whose gift of a sweet voice attracts the patronage of a local landlord.

While on a pilgrimage with his patron, Lalu contracts smallpox and is presumed dead. His body is set afloat in the river Ganga. However, the young man is rescued and cared for by a Muslim lady. Due to these incidents in his life, he is considered an outcast by the both Hindu and Muslim communities.

Based on these life experiences, Lalu then learns and amalgamates the teachings of various religions and preaches a universal path that does not subscribe to any traditionally defined beliefs. He is revered as Lalan Fakir and attracts a huge number of followers.

About Sunil Gangopadhyay

Sunil Gangopadhyay was a famous Bengali writer. Other books by this author include Atmaprakash, Chaya Darshon, Madhu Kahini, Anno Jiboner Shad, and Kaydata Shikhe Nebe. He wrote novels, poems, and children’s adventure stories.

Sunil Gangopadhyay was born in Faridpur, which is now in Bangladesh. He studied at the University of Calcutta and earned a Master’s in Bengali. He started a poetry magazine Krittibas in 1953 that encouraged young poets. Gangopadhyay then began writing for Ananda Bazar Group’s publications. Many of his novels have been adapted into movies, and two of them have been directed by Satyajit Ray.