Book Review: Jungle Nama by Amitav Ghosh

My Rating:

4.5⭐

“Thousands of islands rise from the rivers’ rich silts,

Crowned with forests of mangrove, rising on stilts.

This is the Sundarban, where great rivers give birth;

To a vast jungle that joins Oceans and Earth.”

Jungle Nama by Amitav Ghosh marks the renowned author’s foray into verse. The story of Bon Bibi was featured as an integral part of the narrative in Amitav Ghosh’s novel, The Hungry Tide. The legend of Bon Bibi is an important part of the culture and folklore of the Sundarbans with shrines devoted to the deity found in pockets of the area.

Jungle Nama, is the author’s retelling of an episode from the legend of Bon Bibi, the goddess who protects the forests and all living creatures who seek her aid and her warrior brother Shah Jongoli . Dokkhin Rai is a demon–like creature , who assumes the avatar of a tiger in hunting humans who dare to trespass into his part of the forest. When Dhona, a greedy merchant enters the demon Dokkhin Rai’s territory to collect honey, timber and beeswax without seeking his permission, Dokhin Rai asks for a human sacrifice as penance. Dhona offers the life of the young lad Dukhey to appease the demon. What follows is the story of how Bon Bibi and her brother Shah Jongoli help Dukhey and teach the villains a lesson. While this is basically a story of good vs evil, there is also a deeper message of conservation of the forests and environmental protection.

The original source material , Bon Bibir Johurnama, is written in Bengali meter verse, ‘dwipodi –poyar’. Amitav Ghosh’s English translation is also rendered in poyar- like meter (couplets of twenty- four syllables).This slim volume also features stunning black and white illustrations by Salman Toor which perfectly complement the text. I had heard rave reviews of the audio narration of this book and was happy to pair my reading with the audiobook for an immersive experience. Ali Sethi’s narration is brilliant and the accompanying melodious score is captivating .

Listening to this short yet immensely entertaining audiobook transported me back to my childhood and fond memories of my late father (to whom I credit my love for books and reading) reading folk and fairy tales of Bengal (Thakurmar Jhuli) to me. I remember him voicing the characters and making the stories come alive with his narration – an experience we both enjoyed. If he were alive today, I am sure he would have loved Ali Sethi’s rendering of Amitav Ghosh’s Jungle Nama.

I’ll admit that The Hungry Tide was not my favorite Amitav Ghosh novel. But I loved the backdrop of the Sundarbans and the lore surrounding it. Jungle Nama is a commendable effort in bringing the folklore of the Sundarbans to a wider audience. I only wish it covered the complete tales of Bon Bibi and just not part of the story. This is a wonderful and entertaining read for both children and adults. I'm thrilled to add this to my personal collection.

My Rating for the book: 4/5

My rating for the audio: 5/5