Category: Books
blog address: https://www.anandapub.in/book-details/3464
blog details: Abel Van den Bergh, a young Dutchman, travels all the way from Amsterdam to Kolkata as part of a student exchange programme. Abel's trip from far-off Amsterdam to Kolkata is very important to him, since no one in his family had ever been to India. His grandmother had told him stories about India, especially about the holy Ganges and a woman who was referred to as Mother Phoolmati. Abel was in his growing up years back then. For Abel, India was the homeland of Mother Phoolmati, a deity-like person in his eyes. Abel and his family could not determine how Phoolmati looked, because of their best efforts, because they had no picture of her. There was an interesting way in which Abel's family history was entwined with Phoolmati ma and her traditions.
The plot gradually centres around the mysterious character of Phoolmati mai and the reader is left with numerous questions about Phoolmati's close relationship to the Van den Bergh family in Amsterdam, despite her native place being Calcutta. What unites Phoolmati and Abel Van den Bergh, despite the centuries that separate them and their intrinsic differences? Why does Abel so often call a poor lady from a far-off hamlet in Bihar, his virtual goddess? Three different locations and eras are represented in the story. The first takes place in modern-day Kolkata (Calcutta), while the second explores the history of the Van den Bergh family in Dutch Guyana during the period when slavery was abolished and the Indian indenture system was implemented. The third location is in Dopohari, an Indian hamlet in West Bihar, that was governed by the British throughout the 1800s.
A multitude of characters spanning the three eras add to the depth of the story. Emily, the Dutch Guyana-born daughter of Aldert Boegard, plays a crucial role. Her presence plays a significant role in the story's development, giving Abel Van den Bergh the opportunity to go farther and learn more about Phoolmati in Kolkata.
Krishnendu Mukherjee’s Phoolmati is interwoven with mystical and romantic themes throughout. Abel's altruistic friendship and love for Rosy, aka Mitali, span several eras, while Emily's undying love for Marcas is depicted on the other. These tales illustrate how love has the capacity to transform.
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keywords: bengali literature
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