Thakumar Jhuli Classic Collection Of Folklores From Bengal

Thakumar Jhuli (English: Grandmother’s Bag [of tales])  is a classic collection of folk and fairy tales from Bengal. The author Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder collected these Bengali folktales and published them in Thakurmar Jhuli in 1907. Since then, it has become iconic in Bengali children’s literature. The Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, wrote the introduction of the book. 

Certain characters and stories like Lalkamol-Nilkamol, the man-eating demoness, Buddhu-Bhutum, Kironmala, Sheyal Pandit and Byangoma-Byangomi, have gained legendary status. Since the original publication, hundreds of editions of this book have been published.

The author, Dakshinaranjan, was a child of a well-to-do family. The key to the story is found in his family sources. He listened to these fairytales told by his mother as well as his aunt. Later, his aunt, Rajlakkhi Debi, gave him the duty of visiting the villages in their zamindari. He used to travel and listened to Bengali folktales and fairytales narrated by the village elders. He recorded this material with a phonograph. Back home, he listened to the recording over and over again. Just as he listened to the pronunciation, he also arranged the story in the same way. In this way, the manuscript of Grandma’s bag was prepared.

However, no publisher was initially interested in publishing the book. So, he had to set up a press to self-publish the book. At this juncture, one day, the famous professor-researcher Dinesh Chandra Sen appeared at his house. Impressed by the manuscript, he arranged for it to be published by the famous publishing house of that time, Bhattacharya and Sons. Within a week, three thousand copies were sold. 

However, this is not the only collection of folktales by Majumdar. His other three books are Thakurdadar Jhuli (1909), Thandidir Thole (1909), and Dadamoshayer Thole (1913).

There are 17 stories and poems in the Thakumar Jhuli collection. The book has four distinct categories. Tales of adventures (Dudher Sagar), Tales of demons (Roop Tarashi), Animals and Humorous tales (Chang Bang), and the poems explaining the ritual of putting the children to sleep at the end of the stories (Aam Sandesh). 

The author has not included real events in the writings of children. He did not mention any specific country or place. All the stories of the book have started with One. One king, one prince, and thus the words frame the beginning of a magical journey full of excitement for young minds. 

First published in 1907, for more than a hundred years, the book remains one of the best-loved collections of children’s stories with characters such as fairies, demons, princes, and princesses. Over the years, the book has found tremendous response amongst the adults as well.

All the tales are expressed in a manner that relates to a specific culture and time. Thereby woven and made into a pattern that relates to the culture of the region. Although certain changes over a century make some of the characters and the situations seem out of place and out-of-date, the familiarity of incidents, locations, and problems and the problem-solving methods often relate to the modern world.

The characters Neelkamol and Laalkamol speak about supporting the good against evil and acting in unison with your siblings and dear ones in times of danger. Kironmala talks about the bravery needed to defend and save loved ones. Kalavati Rajkanya speaks about allegiance towards one’s parents. Kakonmala Kanchonmala shows how one should be true to his promise made to friends. Sheyal Pandit articulates the need to be clever enough to survive in a world of shrewd tricksters.

Also Read: Khirer Putul – The Bengali Folklore For Children

The stories remain popular in various media channels – be it the digitized version or the printed publication.

Readapting the fairy tale classic has captivated Bengali homes for centuries. Many serial and movies inspired by Thakumar Jhuli are presented to audiences.

The cartoon representation of the stories is available on youtube. One can buy the book online from Flipkart and Amazon. Stories from Thakumar Jhuli are streaming on Disney+Hotstar.