Jhinder Bandi by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay

The small independent kingdom of Jhind in Central India. After the death of King Bhaskar Singh, a conflict over the throne began between his two sons, Shankar and Udit. Just before the coronation, Shankar Singh mysteriously disappeared. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, a Bengali boy named Gourishankar Roy bore an uncanny resemblance to Shankar Singh. Some old royal officials of Jhind decided to crown him as Shankar Singh and place him on the throne. The coronation was completed, and an alliance with the princess of a neighboring kingdom, Kasturi, was settled. But why would Udit Singh easily accept this? Shankar Singh wasn’t missing; he was actually imprisoned. But where is he kept? Will Shankar Singh be freed? Can Gourishankar keep his true identity a secret? Furthermore, why does a common Bengali boy have such a striking resemblance to a prince of a small independent state in Central India?

"Jhinder Bondi" is a timeless tale filled with romance and intrigue, revolving around the intriguing resolution of a long-standing mystery concerning the succession to the throne of Jhind. Though the story is inspired by foreign sources, Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay brilliantly transforms the setting and characters, making them entirely Indian through his extraordinary skill. Since its first publication, this novel has remained immensely popular.