| Script :
Debrani Mitra
Illustrator : Souren
Roy
ISBN : 81-7508-302-6
Vol. No : 720
Bankim Chandra Chatterji
was only twenty-eight years old when he wrote his second novel – Kapala
Kundala.
It is said that when Bankim
Chandra lived in Kanthi, on the coast of south-west Bengal, a kapalik (a
Tantric worshipper of Kali or Shiva) frequently visited him.
The mystery surrounding the
kapalik made a deep impression on Bankim. He conceived the idea of writing
a novel about a girl brought up by a kapalik in complete isolation from
the civilised world.
The name Kapala Kundala was
taken from the Sanskrit play Malati-Madhava. In the play, kapala is the
associate of the evil kapalik, Aghora Ghanta. She is as heinous as her
mentor. Though our heroine was also brought up by an evil kapalik, she
is full of human affection and kindness.
While presenting this fascinating
romance, certain events and characters have been omitted and the story
has been modified to make it suitable for children.
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