Sonali Sokal by Dr. Soumya Bhattacharya [Hardcover]

On one hand, the trio of Curzon, Fraser, and Rigley were secretly plotting the partition of Bengal, while on the other hand, Bengal, and indeed India, seemed to be awakening with new vigor—sometimes through the idealistic teachings of the poet-philosopher Rabindranath Tagore at Brahmacharya Ashram, sometimes through the revolutionary efforts of people like Nivedita, Okakura, Aurobindo, and Barindra. After Swami Vivekananda’s death, Nivedita, having severed all ties with the Ramakrishna Mission, threw herself into the cause of nationalism. In England, she propagated the glory of ancient Vedanta philosophy. Scientists like Jagadish Chandra, Prafulla Chandra, and Upendrakishore were setting new examples in the pure and applied sciences. Physicist Jagadish Chandra was gradually moving into the realm of plant biology. Gandhi, after failing to establish himself in Bombay, returned to South Africa to dive into various movements. Bengal’s “Joan of Arc,” Sarala Ghoshal, was busy with various inspiring activities. After enduring the sorrow of losing one close person after another, Rabindranath Tagore remained steadfast, continuing to create new songs in rhythm, write novels like Noukadubi that captured the popular imagination, and craft intellectual essays like Swadeshi Samaj. Inspired by the Japanese artists Taikan and Hishida, Abanindranath was revolutionizing the world of painting. It was during this time that the Russo-Japanese War began, and the bravery of the Asian country Japan was inspiring the masses of the East.

From a distance, and sometimes up close, a young man named Premankur Atharthi, just entering adolescence, witnessed this historic period. For the first time in his life, love blossomed in his heart. Sonali Sokal, the second part of the novel following Noya Alo, is a monumental work by Soumya Bhattacharya on the Bengali Renaissance. It concludes with the passing of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, the pioneering figure of the 19th century.