For generations of Bengali readers, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s Chander Pahar has been a cherished read. It has entertained people from children to adults. Readers got a taste of Africa, without even visiting the continent. They realised that courage and curiosity can take even an ordinary person far beyond. Through Shankar’s (main protagonist) journey, Bibhutibhushan showed how dreams can grow from small rooms and reach distant mountains.
For Jyotishko Biswas, that dream never left. As a child, he read Chander Pahar with wonder. As he grew older, that wonder turned into a passion. Travel became a way of life. Mountains, long roads, and physical hardship slowly shaped who he is today. A year later, when Jyotishko stood in the heart of Africa and looked at the Rwenzori Mountains, the world he once imagined through words, felt a lot closer and more real.
Advertisement
Out of that experience came Du Chakay Chander Pahar (Chander Pahar on two wheels).
Advertisement
Du Chakay Chander Pahar from Ribhu Chowdhury tells the story of Jyotishko, who cycled across Africa. He passed through landscapes that had once existed for him only in the storybooks. While on his bicycle, he explored the place that reminded him of the world of Shankar. Jyotishko said, “Through this book I wanted to inspire others and share my journey. For me, it was a shift from fiction to reality.”
The book does not attempt to recreate Chander Pahar. Jyotishko never set out to become a modern Shankar. Instead, the story evolved naturally, guided by experience, instead of imitation. The road shaped his sentences. Fatigue, loneliness and quiet moments of connection found their way into the pages.
There was no single moment in Africa that compelled him to write. What mattered the most was the act of continuing. Jyotishko reflects: “There is no turning point. It is about not giving up. It is about showing that anyone can do anything. The journey itself mattered more than the destination.”
His Africa was very different from the common images. He added: “Africa on the internet is commercial. Africa in fiction is romantic and dramatic at the same time. The Africa I cycled was asking me to let go of comfort and move into unfamiliar terrain. It took a lot of effort to shift. Everything is different now.”
Writing the book changed how he viewed the journey. What had been a physical challenge gradually became something deeper. He says, “It is a journey of a lifetime. Translating it into words helped me to understand that the road did not end when I stopped cycling.”
When asked about what he hopes readers, especially young Bengalis, take away from his book, Jyotishki pauses and reflects: “You need to read the book. It is hard to explain what is there and what is not. You will find everything.” Some journeys, like Jyotishko’s in Africa, are meant to be walked, felt, and slowly understood.
Advertisement
