Draft:Patamanjari

Patamanjari

First edition cover
Author	Avik Sarkar
Original title	পটমঞ্জরী
Language	Bengali
Genre	Historical fiction
Publisher	Patra Bharati
Publication date	2023
Publication place	India
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	276
ISBN	9789394913011
Preceded by	Mahadebi
Followed by	Raybaghini

Patamanjari is a 2023 historical novel written in Bengali by Indian author Avik Sarkar. It was published by Patra Bharati Publications and marks one of Sarkar’s most ambitious works in historical fiction.

The novel is set in 8th century Bengal, following the death of King Shashanka, a time of widespread anarchy, famine, and political chaos. Amidst this turbulence, a clandestine alliance of Shaiva ascetics, Sahajiya mystics, tribal warriors, and commoners form a resistance to restore order. Central to this movement is the rise of Raja Gopal, who becomes the first elected king of Bengal and founder of the Pal dynasty. Woven with elements of Tantra, spiritual prophecy, and revolutionary fervor, Patamanjari explores the spiritual and political rebirth of Bengal through the lens of myth, memory, and insurgency.

Plot

The story begins in a dark period of Bengal’s history — a time referred to as the age of Matsyanyaya, when anarchy reigned, and the strong preyed on the weak. Following the death of Emperor Shashanka, Bengal splintered into numerous petty kingdoms, with local chieftains declaring themselves rulers. Justice collapsed. The poor were crushed under heavy taxation. Farmers lost their lands to temple donations driven by the corrupt elite. Women were kidnapped and raped. Even children died of hunger. The empire’s heart — once rich in trade, art, and agriculture — had decayed into lawlessness, superstition, and tyranny.

Amidst this chaos, a young girl — bloodied and half-dead — floats down the violent river Meghand. She is rescued by Mahayogi Matsyendranath and the tribal warrior Shabarvajra, both of whom are waiting by divine instruction for a destined sign — a chosen one who would one day become the savior of Bengal. This violated girl, unknown and abused, becomes that sign. Matsyendranath entrusts her to the dark-skinned, fierce warrior woman Kali — Shabarvajra's adopted daughter — to train her not merely to survive, but to rise as a weapon of justice.

Parallelly, the narrative shifts to Tibet, where a Bengali monk travels through the snow with his loyal disciple Kamalabuddhi. They carry stolen scrolls and secret weapons from the wrathful Bon priests of Tibet. These priests, patrons of dark rituals and black magic, are symbolic of the decaying sects that once occupied parts of Bengal too. The monk’s mission is to return to his homeland with the antidote to the spiritual decay — not just philosophically but literally, through mystical poisons and cures, spells, and divine weapons. But he is pursued by assassins of the Bon order. Kamalabuddhi is murdered in a brutal ambush in the snow. The monk is saved at the last moment by the arrival of Padmasambhava — the young, mystical prince of Uddiyana — a warrior-saint with near-superhuman abilities who defeats the assassins in a swift and otherworldly battle. This encounter marks the beginning of Padmasambhava's path toward becoming a messiah-like figure across regions and timelines.

Back in Bengal, Gopal, the son of a nobleman, grows up witnessing the rape of justice and the decline of his homeland. He is intelligent, moral, and burdened by the suffering around him. A tragic incident involving his closest friend — a farmer named Subuddhi — drives him over the edge. Subuddhi, stripped of his land by a local temple under royal orders, commits suicide along with his entire family. Gopal, unable to bear the corruption of religion used for personal gain, begins to question everything: the kings, the gods, the rituals, and the structure of society itself.

At the same time, a terrifying conspiracy is underway. A lustful, foreign queen — of Tibetan origin — is installed as puppet monarch of Bengal by a cunning sorcerer named Prakashchandra. He is aided by corrupt ministers and a network of spies. The queen is a symbolic figure of decay — her reign marked by debauchery, ritual sacrifices, forced conversions, and widespread persecution. The common people, especially the Buddhist Sahajiya monks and Shaiva ascetics, are driven underground. Villages are razed, shrines looted, and knowledge systems dismantled.

But out of this darkness rises a resistance. The oppressed monks and hermits unite with tribal warriors, farmers, and even former palace insiders. Gopal is at the center of this resistance — not by ambition, but by inevitability. He is joined by Shabarvajra, Kali, Padmasambhava, the mystic rebel Dayitavishnu, and other larger-than-life characters like Jayanta and Luipa. Each of them brings something different — spiritual power, military strategy, political influence, or folk wisdom. Their meetings are intense, full of fire and ideological debates. But they are bound by a shared vision: to restore justice, dethrone the false queen, and reestablish dharma.

The novel’s latter half unfolds like a thriller. Padmasambhava returns from Tibet carrying with him the secrets of Tantra, healing, and divine warfare. The girl rescued from the river, now trained and transformed, becomes the symbolic Durga in this narrative — not as a goddess, but as a warrior forged from suffering. Battles rage across the plains. Betrayals happen from within the palace. Characters fall, and some turn coat. But Gopal, with quiet conviction, earns the trust of all.

Eventually, a great war is fought. The queen’s forces are defeated with the help of the people. In a rare and unprecedented moment in Bengal’s history, the people themselves — monks, tribesmen, villagers, artisans — unite and elect Gopal as their king. He becomes the founder of the Pala Empire. His kingship is not divine, not inherited, but earned through justice, wisdom, and love of his people. This moment — a democratically chosen king — becomes the spiritual climax of the novel.

And yet, Potmanjari is not merely about Gopal. It is a tapestry of intersecting destinies. The tantric lore of Matsyendranath, the political wisdom of Padmasambhava, the anguish of betrayed monks, the fire of Kali, and the madness of rulers all converge to form an epic where history, myth, and revolution blur. The novel repeatedly asks what it means to be righteous, whether divinity lies in power or in compassion, and whether myth can become the engine for justice.

Reception

Patamanjari received widespread acclaim from both readers and critics for its bold attempt to reconstruct a largely forgotten chapter of Bengali history. Set during the chaotic post-Shashanka period known as the "Matsyanyaya" era, the novel has been praised for blending historical research with rich fantasy storytelling.

Critics noted that the novel powerfully visualizes the socio-political collapse of Bengal and the rise of Gopaldeb, the first elected king and founder of the Pala dynasty. The intricate portrayal of tantric traditions, Buddhist metaphysics, and royal conspiracies against the backdrop of 8th-century Bengal and Tibet has been lauded for its narrative depth.

One reviewer wrote that the novel is “unputdownable,” with a compelling narrative arc divided into three acts—historical buildup, sociopolitical planning, and a climactic tantric rebellion. The prose has been appreciated for conjuring vivid landscapes and multidimensional characters without relying on illustrations. Despite being fantasy-driven, the novel has generated renewed interest in a neglected period of Bengal's history.

However, some reviewers pointed out shortcomings, such as unclear motivations for the antagonists and the lack of annotations, character glossaries, or historical maps that could assist readers unfamiliar with the context. Still, many acknowledged the book’s rare success in creating a believable mytho-historical world.

A particularly in-depth review on Goodreads noted: "Avik Sarkar has attempted to breathe life into the grey pages of forgotten history… Even though this is a historical fantasy, it is grounded in powerful human emotion, resistance, betrayal, and the awakening of a civilization."

Overall, Potmanjari is recognized as a landmark work in Bengali historical fantasy fiction, distinguished by its ambition, narrative power, and thematic relevance to both history and modern socio-political consciousness.

External links

• Patra Bharati – Patamanjari product page – Official listing for the hardcover edition (ISBN 978‑93‑94913‑01‑1, 276 pages)
• Goodreads – Potmanjari by Avik Sarkar

References

Category:Bengali-language novels Category:Historical fantasy novels Category:Novels set in ancient India Category:Indian historical novels