Ghanada

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Ghanda smoking from a hookah while the four other tenants watch. From a single panel illustration by Goutam Ray in Duniyar Ghanada, 1976

Ghanada (Bengali: ঘনাদা), also often spelled as Ghonada is a fictional character in Bengali literature created by Premendra Mitra primarily for childen and teenagers. The main characters are Shibu, Shishir, Gour, and the narrator who all live in a shared mess at 72, Banamali Naskar Lane in Kolkata, West Bengal. Staying on a room on the highest floor is Ghanashyam, respectfully referred to as Ghanada, a tenant older than the other four with a penchant for telling tall-tales. Banwari and Rambhuj, the two servants complete the list of recurring characters in Ghanada's world. Stories featuring Ghanada sometimes have the theme of the four junior characters trying to get the better of Ghanada, but often failing. Other stories feature Ghanada telling tales to the four, which they take to be serious.

A notable feature of the Ghanada stories is that though they are tall tales, they are amazingly accurate in the deatils of history, geography, physics, chemistry, zoology and other subjects. It is obvious that while Ghanada himself has not been involved in any of the adventures he claims to have taken part in, he is certainly a very learned man with an exceptional gift for storytelling.

Some of the finest Ghanada stories are:

1)Mosha (Mosquito): The first Ghanada story published. Here, Ghanada describes how he thwarted the plans of a megalomaniacal Japanese scientist hiding in Sakhalin, who was trying to conquer the world with the help of the genetically altered mosquitoes he has created.

2)Kach (Glass): Ghanada takes on Nazi Germany. His courage and bluff prevents the Nazis from manufacturing an atom bomb, which they were planning to drop on Britain. It is both humorous and thrilling to read how a piece of glass helps Ghanada in his quest.

3)Mach (Fish): Ghanada recalls the hair-raising adventure when, while trying to protect a scientist friend from the cannibal tribes of Africa, he himself is captured by those savage people. Using his presence of mind and the friendly signal of a fish, he is able to save not only his own life but also his friend's.

4)Tupi (Cap): Ghanada's experience of witnessing, and his failed but gallant attempt of capture an yeti, the fabled monster of the Tibetan hills.

5)Hash (Duck): The story of how Ghanada saved an invaluable scientific discovery from falling into the hands of a crook. Another memorable adventure in Tibet.

6)Ghanadake vote din (Vote for Ghanada): The younger boarders of the apartment Ghanada stays in plan a trick to make a fool of him by staging a drama that the local municipality has decided to select Ghanada as the candidate for the upcoming election. Ghanada, however, manages to turn the table on them by slipping out of the trap with yet another tall tale of his mission to find the El-Dorado.