Mess-Hostel Ghatito E Bangali Jiban (Bengali Version)

• Edited By: Sujon Bandyopadhyay

• Publisher: Suprokash

• Language: Bengali

• Binding: Hardcover

About the Book:

• Mess-Hostel Ghatito E Bangali Jiban is an exploration of the diverse and unique experiences of life in messes, hostels, and boarding houses across Bengal, examining how they reflect the socio-cultural dynamics of different times and places.

• Each hostel or mess has its own story, and the book captures the eternal narrative of feeling homesick when leaving home for the first time and the longing for the hostel or mess as time goes on.

• The book covers various types of messes and hostels, highlighting their role in shaping the lives of students, workers, and residents, with deep insights into the cooperation, competition, and social interactions that define these spaces.

• The narrative takes the reader through the history of messes and hostels, from Shibnath Shastri’s mess to Bipinchandra Pal’s mess in old times, from the student hostels in Santiniketan to the women’s hostels in Dhaka during turbulent times, and even from Harrison Road in Kolkata to Gour Ukil’s mess in Garbeta.

• Spanning the 19th to the 21st centuries, the book includes stories from across Bengal, including the hostels and messes in places like Kolkata, Dhaka, and Baharampur.

• The book also delves into literary accounts of mess life, with references to famous writers such as Shibram, Sharatchandra, Jibanananda, Tarashankar, and the characters of Byomkesh, Sharadindu, and Ghanada, who have written about their experiences in messes.

• The discussion extends to the portrayal of mess life in Bengali cinema, bringing the theme into the realm of popular culture.

• The book concludes by discussing the evolution of communal living in messes and the shift towards larger communes, examining the social and cultural significance of these spaces in Bengali society.

This book is a detailed and comprehensive look at how messes and hostels have shaped Bengali society, culture, and literature, providing a valuable historical and social context for readers interested in understanding the everyday lives of Bengalis through the lens of communal living.