Originally written in Rajasthani, the novel, Baikunthi by Deokishan Rajpurohi is the debut translated work of Sanghmitra Rathore, paints a vivid and arresting picture of Rajasthani folk cultur BAIKUNTHI (A Review) By M. A. Rathore e and traditional performance during a death ceremonial Baikunthi, a journey to heaven, in a strikingly different culture from the rest of the country. It provides a minute description of the twelve days of mourning and condolences by the family of the departed soul; ultimately awakening the uselessness of the pomp and show of the procession at the end of the story when the protagonist dies. The conflict created by the fellow mourners and the reality faced by the protagonist propels this riveting tale.
The son of a billionaire Seth, the neo-conventional protagonist from the novel, Baikunthi,Bhanwarsa was informed that his father's Fortuner car was bumped into a turbo and all the passengers were saved except the owner of the car, Khemji Seth, he prepares a Baikunthi, a death procession and organizes meals for the community for twelve days of condolences. People come around the village community and perform all the traditional obituaries and ceremonies related to it.
In an impressive and lively manner, the novelist portrays the procession of Baikunthi so well that the reader feels himself as a fellow mourner, performing all the activities along with the grief-stricken family, relatives, and friends. The minute detail of the cremation with incense burner is smelt into the nostrils of the readers. In the North Western part of Rajasthan where opium eating at such procession is an essential requisite, the protagonist denies the use of such drugs but he has to accept it before the authority of village Panch, members. He has been surrounded by such a circumstance that he has to perform all the activities prevalent in the society which causes him some two and a half lakh rupees and more.
As soon as he performs all the activities he realizes at the end that the procession was futile and he decides that he is not going to use such a procession in the future on his death. A change was taking place in society and he was the precursor of the new ways of dealing with such spendthrift processions. He tries to draw out the unemployment in the village by providing several tasks of collecting gums, Kers, Shangri, dry vegetables, and other forest produce. He makes the best use of bringing out of the vice-gripped society.
He gets remarried his sister, Kamli, and paves the way for the remarriage of widows in the village. He expresses his deep concerns whenever there is drought; building water tanks for animals as well as for human beings. He changes the face of the village by planting several trees, making it more captivating than ever before. He abolishes dowry and performs his son, Leeladhar's marriage at one rupee and coconut just to perform the tradition.
The funeral procession as well as the marriage procession of Bhanwarsa's son has been described as lively and picturesque. Baikunthi keeps the Indian tradition alive for future generations in the print where modern people are living away from such traditions. It is on account of the novelist as well as the translator the credit goes to both the eminent personalities that they have provided the rich traditional heritage.
Publisher: Rajasthani Granthagar
Author: Deokishan Rajpurohit
Translator: Sanghmitra Rathore
Price: Rs. 125
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