Kapalkundala (1866) is a novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Set in
Dariapur, Contai, Kapalkundala was Chatterjee's second novel.
Recognized as a pioneering work of Bengali literature with universal
romantic themes, Kapalkundala has been adapted several times for film
and television, most recently for a popular Indian Bengali soap opera of
the same name. On his way home to Saptagram from a pilgrimage to
Gangasagar, Nabakumar encounters a Tantric sage in the forest. After
exchanging their greetings, the sage captures the young gentleman in
order to sacrifice him to the goddess Shamshaan Kali. Rescued by the
sage's foster daughter, the beautiful Kapalkundala, Nabakumar marries
her the next day. Despite their happiness, the past refuses to let them
live in peace. As the sage plots his revenge, Nabakumar's first wife,
who left him after converting to Islam, has returned seeking
forgiveness. As doubt begins to penetrate their bond, Nabakumar and
Kapalkundala lose sight of the only thing that matters: each other.
Tragic and timeless, Kapalkundala is a brilliant romance from a
legendary figure in Bengali literature. With a beautifully designed
cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bankim
Chandra Chatterjee's Kapalkundala is a classic of Bengali literature
and utopian science fiction reimagined for modern readers.
