Ghanada


Ghanashyam Das alias Ghanada, the protagonist of the Ghanada series of science fiction novels written in Bengali, is a fictional character created by Premendra Mitra in 1945. In the novels, the character fights evil and stands against international terrorism. The far-fetched stories take place in multiple international locations, and across a historical timeline. He is depicted regularly outwitting his fellow boarders of the mess-bari at 72, Banamali Naskar Lane, Kolkata. Ghanada was a personification of Premendra Mitra's anti-fascist humanistic ideologies and moral universe. His stories were notably accurate from a historical, geographical and scientific standpoint.

First appearance

Ghanada's first appearance was in a story titled Mosha, published in the Puja annual Alpana in 1945 published by , Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Ghanada was engaged by a company in Sakhalin to collect amber sometime during 1939, and in due course, he landed up to a scientific laboratory set by Mr Nishimara, an entomologist, in search of a Chinese labourer who went missing. It was later revealed that Mr. Nishamara was genetically converting the mosquitos into deadly agents of biological warfare. When the lone, genetically engineered mosquito landed on the face of Mr. Nishimara and sealed his fate by stinging him, Ghanada slapped Nishmara to kill the mosquito and eliminated a severe threat towards humanity. He declared he never intended to kill another mosquito ever after in his lifetime.

Characterization

Ghanada

The character of Ghanashyam Das alias Ghanada was outlined as a bachelor, dark-complexioned male with a tall, boney and skeletal structure, aged "anywhere between thirty-five to fifty-five", as described by the author himself in Mosha- the first story of the Ghanada series. He stayed in the third-floor attic of a shared apartment called "Mess-bari" at 72, Banamali Naskar Lane, Calcutta, West Bengal, India, along with other boarders, who called him Ghanada, while Ghana is the shortened form of his name Ghanasyam, and the term "da" is a suffix added to the name of an elder male in Bengal to convey reverence and affection. Though he was rarely found engaged in any activity or work other than telling fantastic tales to the boarders of the apartment, sitting in his armchair and cadging cigarettes from his fellow boarders, his tall tales engaged him with most of the major events that had happened in the world for last two hundred years and there was no place on earth which he didn't visit.
Premendra Mitra, the creator, described Ghanada in an interview by A K Ganguly published in SPAN in 1974, as below:

Location/place of story telling

All the stories were told in a north Calcutta quintessential boarding house located at 72, Banamali Naskar Lane. It was a time, after the second world war, when single working men flocked together renting boarding houses all across the city, called Mess Bari, which had been part and parcel of nineteenth and twentieth century Calcutta's checkered past. The ground floor was designated for dining and the kitchen, the first floor housed all rooms for the boarders, and a common room. The second floor consisted of the roof terrace and a single small cabin, which in Bengali is known as Chile Kotha. Ghanada stayed in the second floor attic.

Why did Ghana-da come for?

After forty years of publication of the first Ghanada story, the author revealed when and how Ghanada appeared for the first time in the story Ghanada Elen in 1985 upon the requested by the fans of Ghanada.
"It was the early days of this mess-bari many years ago, when the four friends just occupied this house and were trying to settle down, a strange person, whose age could be anywhere between thirty-five to fifty-five, with a thin and lanky structure like an axe having a deep baritone voice and carrying a small canvas bag, approached them for help.
He needed accommodation to get a confirmed postal address because seven years ago while he was working as an expert in guns, he promised Bob Kenneth, a licensed hunter in Uganda, that if his help was ever needed Bob should put an advertisement in the Times magazine with a symbol of Jerboa.
After keeping a keen eye for the last seven years, at last he saw the most awaited advertisement in the Times at the Imperial Library of Calcutta, while spending a few days in the city. He sent a letter to Bob asking for details in reply to the advertisement letting him know about this house in particular at 72 Banamali Naskar Lane as his address for receiving communication. Now he should wait here only for a few days till the reply comes from Bob.
He himself had chosen a dilapidated rooftop attic room on the second floor and assured that he could manage with the broken bed which he already cleaned up, just for a few days.
''The young four friends eagerly agreed to extend all the help to this distressed man, only in lieu of the magical opportunity of listening from him the exceptionally impressive, surprising, and awe-inspiring story involving Jerboa, and implored upon him to stay as long as the reply reaches him. The strange man settled in the attic with his canvas bag. The canvas bag had long gone but the reply from Bob Kenneth never reached in all these years. The man in distress, Ghanada, the fantastic teller of incredible tall tales, settled in the mess-bari rent-free for years to come."''

Other characters

The stories are broadly classified into two varieties:
;Science-based stories
The science-based stories were generally told in the common room of 72, Banamali Naskar Lane in front of the charmed boarders who consisted of four permanent young men - Shibu, Shishir, Gaur, and Sudhir, with some other members who appeared occasionally.
The character of Ghanada is believed to be based on Sri Bimal Ghosh, an acquaintance of Premendra Mitra whom he used to call "TenDa". He was a co-boarder during Mitra's stay in a boarding house house at Gobinda Ghoshal Lane of Bhabanipur in his early years. The other four main characters were also believed to be based on real persons.
  • Shibu was Shibram Chakraborty, the writer
  • Shishir was Sisir Mitra, producer and actor in Bengali movies, co-founder of Basumitra Chitra Pratisthan
  • Gaur was Gauranga Prasad Basu, co-founder of Basumitra Chitra Pratisthan
  • Sudhir was the author of the stories of Ghanada in the first person, and it was the nickname of Premendra Mitra himself.
  • Bipin appeared only in Mosha.
  • Bapi Datta appeared in Hnas and Suto, and so on.
There were two very important and essential characters without whom the Ghanada stories would have been incomplete. They were Banoary, the cook, and Rambhuj, the attendant. Some other staff of the mess-bari were also mentioned in various stories from time to time, such as Uddab, the water provider, and Lachhmania, the cleaner.
;History based stories
The history-based stories were told in a completely different environment and the audience was also different. Almost every evening five persons, or at least four out of them, used to gather at a seating arrangement around a tree in Rabindra Sarobar by the side of a lake and discuss various matters ranging from health, imperialism, market rate to Vedanta, philosophy, etc. These five men were -
  • Ramsharan Babu, whose belly was as big as a round pot
  • Shibapada Babu, whose head was as smooth as a marble
  • Harisadhan Babu, whose hair was as white as Saccharum spontaneum
  • Bhabataran Babu, who was as obese as an elephant
  • and Ghanashyam Babu, who was as slender and disproportionate as a camel.

    Works

Short stories

Year of publicationShort storyTitle in EnglishPlaces and timeGhanada's engagement at the time of the storyScientific baseCollection
1945MoshaThe MosquitoSakhalin Island
5 August 1939		Collecting AmberGenetic engineering and biological warfare using mosquitoGhanadar Galpo
1947NuriThe PebbleMikiu Island, New Hebrides, now VanautuSandalwood businessVolcanic activities in the South Pacific OceanGhanadar Galpo
1948GhoriThe ClockApia harbor, Samoa
17 September 1937		Espionage for the Allies under cover of Import Export businessGhanada neutralized the time bomb mechanism encased in clocksAwditiyo Ghanada
1948PokaThe InsectRiga, Latvia
22 December 1931
Alodia by the Al El Arab river, South Sudan		Doing morning walk in the snowGenetic engineering and biological warfare using locustGhanadar Galpo
1949MachhThe FishBelgian Congo, Africa
23 September 1929		Ghanada was collecting specimen for a French zooHe predicted earthquake observing the agitation of cat fishGhanadar Galpo
1949ChhoriThe StickAntarcticaGhanada was looking for ambergris in AntarcticaHe picked up a diamond from the base of a mountain top lake in Antarctica, and a volcano explodedGhanadar Galpo
1950Robinson Crusoe Meye ChhilenRobinson Crusoe was a Woman---Premendra Mitrar Sreshtho Galpo
1950KaanchGlassCity of Lobito, in the province of Benguela
1 September 1939		Ghanada was exploring for UraniumHe foiled a Nazi plot to retrieve Uranium from AfricaGhanadar Galpo
1952TupiThe CapKhumbu glacier, Nepal and M. EverestGhanadas encounter with a Yeti, the Abominable Snowman near Mt. EverestHe found some fungus, similar to the Caterpillar fungus, scientifically known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis, also known as Yarsagumba or Keeda Jadi, which kept him warm and breathing while crossing over Mt. EverestGhanadar Galpo
1952LattuThe TopDyke lake, Labrador, Canada
January, 1948		Ghanada collaborated with the British AirforceGhanada flew a UFOGhanadar Galpo
1953DadaBrotherBerlin; Sometime after 2 September 1945Ghanada's search for a supercomputer with AI that was deviced to control the human raceHe destroyed itAwdwitiyo Ghanada
1954PhutoThe HoleCape Chelyuskin, RussiaGhanada was vising his friend Dr. Minoski's radio telescope labHe travelled to Mars and came back using a Wormhole in Space-TimeAwdwitiyo Ghanada
1955DnaatThe Tooth---Awdwitiyo Ghanada
1957HnashThe DuckGurla Mandhata, China
17 July 1935		Ghanada was exploring the Kailash and Manas Sarovar areas in HimalayasHe retrieved a map showing a lake containing deuterium oxide in high altitude HimalayasAwdwitiyo Ghanada
1958SutoThread---Awdwitiyo Ghanada
1959ShishiThe Phial---Abar Ghanada
1960DhilThe Pebble---Abar Ghanada
1961KnechoThe Worm---Ghanadake Vote Din
1962ChhataThe Umbrella---Ghanada Nityonotun
1963ChhnuchThe Needle---Abar Ghanada
1963MachhiThe Fly---Ghanadake Vote Din
1964Ghanadake Vote DinVote for Ghanada---Ghanadake Vote Din
1964Ghanada Kulfi Khan naGhanada doesn't eat Ice cream---Ghanada Nityonotun
1964JawlWaterJohannesburg, South AfricaGhanada posed as a native illiterate laborerHe highlighted the significance of Karakul sheep, commonly known as Swakara sheepGhanada Nityonotun
1965ChowkhThe Eyes---Ghanada Nityonotun
1966BhashaLanguage---Ghanadar Juri Nei
1967TelOil---Ghanadar Juri Nei
1968MatiSoil---Ghanadar Juri Nei
1968DhuloDustBells Cay, BahamasGhanaDa was looking for Strombus gigasHe neutralized a tornadoJnar Naam Ghanada
1969MaapMeasure---Ghanadar Juri Nei
1969KadaMud---Jnar Naam Ghanada
1969NaachDanceBeni river basin, BoliviaGhanaDa was traveling by train from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Puerto SuárezHe decoded the round and waggle dance of the honeybees conveying distance and direction relative to the sunJnar Naam Ghanada
1970MuloRadishOymyakon, Sakha Republic, RussiaExploring the habitat of Reindeer in SiberiaExtracted Eleuthero with the help of Siberian minkJnar Naam Ghanada
1970TawlHeavy WaterMacDonnell Ranges, AustraliaGhanaDa was earching for mega-heavy waterTsar Bomba, Soviet thermonuclear bomb that was detonated in a test over Novaya Zemlya island in the Arctic Ocean on 30 October 1961, utilized heavy isotopes of hydrogen as thermonuclear fuel, which are components of heavy water.Jnar Naam Ghanada
1970Ghanadar DhonurbhangoGhanada's bow-breaking---Duniyar Ghanada
1971KnataThe Thorn---Duniyar Ghanada
1972BhelaThe Raft---Ghanadar Chingri Brittanto
1973Berajaale GhanadaGhanada in kiddle---Ghanadar Phnu
1973Prithibi Barlona KyanoWhy the Earth didn't Expand---Duniyar Ghanada
1974GaanThe Song---Duniyar Ghanada
1974Shanti Porbe GhanadaGhanada in the Peace episode---Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij
1975Keechak bodhe GhanadaGhanada in the killing of Keechak---Duniyar Ghanada
1975Bharat Judhhe PnipreAnts in the Great Indian war---Ghanadar Phnu
1975Gul-e Ghanada---Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij
1975Timi Taran Ghanada / Ghanadar Hij Bij BijWhale rescuer Ghanada---Ghanadar Hij Bij Bij
1976Khandobdaahe GhanadaGhanada at Khandob-burning---Ghanadar Phnu
1977Kurukkhetre GhanadaGhanada at Kurukshetra---Ghanadar Phnu
1978Ghanadar PhnuGhanada's Puff---Ghanadar Phnu
1980Jayadrath bodhe GhanadaGhanada at the Killing of Jayadrath---Ghanadar Chingri Brittanto
1982Ghanadar Chithipatro o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-ShGhanada's letters and Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1982Parashare GhanadayGhanada vs Parashar---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1983Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh o GhanadaMau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh and Ghanada---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1983Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh theke RasomalaiMau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh to Rasomalai---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1983Ghanadar Shalyo SomacharGhanada's Surgery---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1983Atharo noy, UnishIt's Nineteen, not Eighteen---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1984Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh - Ekbachon na BahubachonIs Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh - Singular or Plural?---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1984Ghanada PhirlenGhanada Returns---Ghanada o Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh
1985Ghanadar BaghGhanada's Tiger---Awgronthito
1985Ghanada ElenGhanada Arrives---Ghanadar Chingri Brittanto
1985Kalo phuto Sada phutoBlackhole white-hole---Awgronthito
1986Halley-r BechalHalley's Wild Behaviour---Ghanadar Chingri Brittanto
1986Ghanadar Chingri BrittantoGhanada's Shrimp Tale---Ghanadar Chingri Brittanto
1987Mau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh bonam GhanadaMau-Ka-Sha-Bi-Sh vs. Ghanada---Awgronthito