A symphony of words: The Poetic Essence of Alaka Sanyal
Reviewed by Dr Sonali Sahu
“For thousands of years, I roamed the paths of this earth,
From the oceans of Ceylon to the darkened night of Malaya,
Farther still, from the Ashoka forests of Vidisha,
And the vast seas of Malabar.
Life and death have been intertwined with my travels,
And amidst it all, I found respite—
Only for a moment, in the glance of Banalata Sen.” ( Banalata Sen, Jibanananda Das)
This stanza of Banalata Sen , a famous Bengali poem written by Jibanananda Das, one of the most celebrated modernist poets of Bengal evoke a sense of timelessness and weariness through his wanderings across mythical and historical lands. The journey symbolizes humanity’s endless quest for meaning and solace, which culminates momentarily in the serene presence of Banalata Sen. It is one of his most renowned works, cherished for its lyrical beauty and profound emotional depth. The poem reflects themes of love, longing, and the solace of human connection amidst the weariness of existence.
Sachi Routray, the eminent Gyanpith awardee and a pioneer in modern Odia literature, drew inspiration from Jibanananda Das’s iconic poem Banalata Sen. Following its evocative and lyrical style, Routray created the equally celebrated character of Alaka Sanyal , which became a significant part of his poetic legacy.
Inspired by the metaphorical beauty and timeless essence of Banalata Sen, Routray penned Alaka Sanyal to embody a similar concept of idealized beauty and tranquility. Like Das’s Banalata, Alaka Sanyal became a muse symbolizing solace amidst life’s chaos and a representation of the human longing for peace and connection.
“When I first saw you,
In the royal palace of Bedeha,
In the courtyard of an ancient memory,
Where dreams of history burned brightly,
You walked in slowly,
Hiding all the secrets of life within your eyes.” ( Alaka Sanyal, Sachi Routray)
The lines from Sachi Routray’s Alaka Sanyal evoke a sense of mysticism and emotional depth, blending personal memory with timeless, mythical imagery. The poet begins by recalling the first encounter with Alaka Sanyal in the royal palace of Bedeha, a place symbolizing both historical significance and ancient memories. The phrase “in the courtyard of an ancient memory” suggests that the moment is not merely a personal recollection but something universal, steeped in the weight of history. Routray’s use of “dreams of history burned brightly” creates a vivid image of past dreams or desires that have been preserved in the fabric of time. The slow and deliberate movement of Alaka Sanyal, who “walked in slowly,” enhances her aura of mystery and grace. The poet captures her as a figure holding profound truths, “hiding all the secrets of life within your eyes,” further elevating her to an almost divine status. The poem skillfully combines a sense of longing, awe, and reverence, making Alaka Sanyal not just a character but a symbol of eternal beauty and the mysteries of life. The emotional resonance is heightened through Routray’s ability to merge personal experience with the universal and the mythic.
The poem Alaka Sanyal was first published in February 1947 in Nababharat Patrika , a prestigious literary magazine. Later the same year, the poem marking its recognition in the modern Odia literary movement was also published in his celebrated poetry collection Pandulipi. This book further solidified his reputation as one of the leading figures of modern Odia literature. Routray adopted a free-flowing, lyrical style similar to Jibanananda Das, integrating rich imagery and metaphors. While Banalata Sen traversed historical and mythical landscapes, Alaka Sanyal focused on capturing the essence of modernity intertwined with timeless emotions. The poem established a new trend in Odia poetry, blending tradition with modernism and reflecting universal human sentiments.
Following the literary footsteps of Sachi Routray, renowned Odia poet and Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Awardee Shree Guruprasad Mohanty , also contributed to the immortalization of the character Alaka Sanyal. Guruprasad Mohanty, celebrated for his modernist approach to poetry, crafted his version of Alaka Sanyal , which was published in 1955 in Jhankar Patrika. In the same year, in the month of August, Guruprasad Mohanty’s poem Alaka Sanyal was published in the Nutan Kavita Collection alongside the works of Bhanuji Rao. Later, in 1970, it was included in his book Samudradarsan. Alaka Sanyal, introduced by Sachi Routray and later explored by Guruprasad Mohanty, transcended the realm of individual poetry to become a universal metaphor in Odia literature.
“I don’t know where Sachi Babu saw you, Alaka Sanyal,
Was it under a golden tiger blazing in the sky,
Or a fleeting deer leaping through twilight’s veil?
Or perhaps beneath the round yellow torch,
The luminous lantern of the moon?
Today, I see you, Alaka Sanyal,
As you gently wash the stain of tea,
With your inner garment, using warm water,
Then, you speak, your gaze lowered,
Resting upon the table in quiet thought.
You rise, move towards me,
And sit beside me, by the chair.”( Alaka Sanyal, Guruprasad Mohanty)
The lines from Guruprasad Mohanty’s “Alaka Sanyal” evoke an intimate, tender moment where the poet observes Alaka Sanyal in her most mundane yet poetic actions. The contrast between the celestial imagery of the earlier lines (the “golden tiger” and “luminous lantern of the moon”) and the grounded, everyday imagery of Alaka washing a tea stain and speaking with lowered eyes enhances the depth of the poem. This juxtaposition emphasizes the sacredness of ordinary life, suggesting that beauty and meaning can be found in the simplest of actions. The calm, contemplative tone, with Alaka’s movements described in a slow, deliberate manner, draws the reader into a moment of shared presence and connection.
Guruprasad Mohanty’s “Alaka Sanyal” and T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” share common themes of longing, existential questioning, and an exploration of inner emotions, though they approach these themes from different cultural contexts and literary traditions. A comparative analysis highlights both similarities and contrasts in how each poem reflects personal desire, disconnection, and the passage of time.
Following the trend established by Sachi Routray and Guruprasad Mohanty, Dr. Phani Mohanty, a renowned Kendriya Sahitya Akademi awardee, also contributed to the literary legacy of Alaka Sanyal. In 1973 his poem Alaka Sanyal was first published in Asantakali Patrika, a prominent literary magazine of Kolkata. Later in the same year, Dr. Mohanty published his own rendition of Alaka Sanyal in his poetry collection Manachitra. Dr. Phani Mohanty’s Alaka Sanyal in Manachitra further immortalizes the character, ensuring that Alaka continues to evolve as a symbol of timeless beauty, yet with deeper layers of human emotion and complexity. Like Routray and Mohanty, Dr. Mohanty helped expand the character beyond its mythical roots, portraying Alaka as a figure whose essence can be interpreted in multiple, often contrasting ways, reflecting both the cosmic and personal dimensions of human experience.
“You are my Chandrabati,
You are my Alaka Sanyal,
I dream of you, in light slumbers, in gentle brightness,
Suddenly, your meeting, woes and weals
A silent nod of your head,
Sachi Babu, you saw her
In the gardens of Bideha’s royal palace,
Where she was brought by the hands of Chitrarath, the celestial Gandharva,
Where your introduction was made,
In the ruins of Nalanda’s ancient temple.”
This stanza from Phani Mohanty’s “Alaka Sanyal” reflects a deep, almost reverential connection between the speaker and Alaka Sanyal, a figure who transcends both earthly and mythic realms. The line “You are my Chandrabati, You are my Alaka Sanyal” immediately establishes a dual identity for the character—one rooted in mythology and the other in personal reverence, blending the divine with the human. Chandrabati, an iconic figure in Odia literature, represents an ideal of feminine grace, while Alaka Sanyal is positioned as a mystical, almost unreachable figure.
The description of Sachi Babu’s encounter with Alaka in “the gardens of Bideha’s royal palace” and the celestial narrative of her arrival, “brought by the hands of Chitrarath, the celestial Gandharva,” lends Alaka a divine, otherworldly origin, elevating her from a mere mortal to a mythic figure, akin to the goddesses or celestial beings of classical literature. This also places Sachi Babu in the role of a seeker or witness to a larger cosmic play, a timeless encounter between the human and divine realms.
In Phani Mohanty’s Alaka Sanyal, the titular character emerges as an imagined figure of profound beauty and mystique, a construct of the poet’s longing and idealism. Alaka Sanyal is not just a woman but a symbol—an amalgamation of myth, reverence, and poetic imagination. Much like Shakespeare’s Dark Lady in his sonnets, Alaka Sanyal becomes a representation of human desires, complexities, and contradictions.
While Shakespeare’s Dark Lady is enigmatic, her allure lies in her unapologetic flaws and unorthodox beauty, challenging the conventional standards of Elizabethan ideals. Similarly, Mohanty’s Alaka Sanyal transcends physical boundaries, existing as both a divine presence and a mortal mystery. Where the Dark Lady is sensual, grounded in earthly connections, and evokes carnal emotions, Alaka Sanyal blends the celestial and the ethereal. Her introduction in the “gardens of Bideha’s royal palace,” her descent by the celestial Gandharva, and her association with ruins like Nalanda’s ancient temple weave a narrative that is deeply rooted in the Odia literary tradition of mysticism and grandeur.
For Dr. Mohanty, Alaka Sanyal is an imaginary muse, a dream-like presence that inspires and haunts his poetry. She is neither fully real nor entirely fictional, embodying the duality of the human experience—tangible yet elusive, personal yet universal. Just as Shakespeare used the Dark Lady to explore themes of love, obsession, and moral conflict, Mohanty employs Alaka Sanyal to traverse the intersections of mythology, spirituality, and human longing. Both figures highlight the poets’ struggles with desire and reverence, their muses representing an unattainable ideal that propels their creative energies. Ultimately, Alaka Sanyal serves as a timeless figure in Dr. Mohanty’s oeuvre, capturing the tension between the mortal and the divine, much like the Dark Lady’s role in Shakespeare’s sonnets. Both characters, while steeped in their respective cultural contexts, reflect universal themes of love, beauty, and the complexities of human emotions.
The portrayals of Alaka Sanyal by Sachi Routray, Guruprasad Mohanty, and Phani Mohanty differ significantly in tone, focus, and the mystique they assign to the character. The character of Alaka Sanyal is a fascinating study of how time, space, and the phases of the modern world influence literary imagination. Sachi Routray’s portrayal in 1947 reflects the romanticism and grandeur of the independence era. Placing Alaka in the mythical gardens of Bideha, Routray draws heavily from classical themes, imbuing her with celestial and timeless qualities. His Alaka Sanyal symbolizes an idealized, unreachable muse, rooted in the cultural renaissance of the time, where poetry sought to merge tradition with artistic vision.
In contrast, Guru Prasad Mohanty’s Alaka emerges in a modernist framework, shaped by post-independence realism and skepticism. His depiction of her as an ordinary woman strips away the layers of myth and divinity, reflecting the modern world’s disillusionment with idealism. Mohanty’s poetry bridges the gap between romanticism and realism, portraying Alaka as a tangible individual shaped by human experience.
Phani Mohanty’s Alaka belongs to the contemporary, post-modern era, where imagination reigns supreme. Free from temporal and spatial constraints, his Alaka is entirely fictitious, reflecting a world increasingly disconnected from traditional moorings. She symbolizes inner longing, serving as a muse that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, a product of individualism and introspection.
These depictions illustrate the evolution of Alaka Sanyal, shaped by changing literary trends and societal shifts. Routray’s romanticized myth, Mohanty’s grounded realism, and Phani Mohanty’s imaginative abstraction highlight the impact of time and space on their writing. Together, they show how Alaka Sanyal transcends the boundaries of eras, growing into a multi-dimensional figure embodying cultural and poetic transformation.
