''Shirishko Phool'' ( ne, शिरीषको फूल; translated into English as ''Blue Mimosa''), published in 1964, is a

Nepali language Nepali (; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official, and most widely spoken, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a '' lingua franca''. Nepali has official status in the Indian st ...

novel by

Parijat ''Nyctanthes arbor-tristis'', also known as the Night-flowering jasmine or Parijat (Parvati chi phula), is a species of ''Nyctanthes'' native to South Asia and Southeast Asia.Flora of Pakistan''Nyctanthes arbor-tristis''/ref>AgroForestry Tre ...

. It was the author's first and most successful novel. It was awarded the

Madan Puraskar The Madan Puraskar ( ne, मदन पुरस्कार) is a literary honor in Nepal which Madan Puraskar Guthi confers annually for an outstanding book in the Nepali language published within the calendar year. It is considered the most pre ...

in 1965.

Background

Born in an affluent family in

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Ne ...

, Parijat moved to Kathmandu and pursued her studies in English literature. According to her, having studied many French, Russian and Indian novels in particular, she found herself very disappointed with Nepali novels. Therefore, despite having started out as a poet, she resolved to produce an exceptional Nepali language novel. She wrote four novels while she was studying for her I.A. and B.A. degrees, all of which she burned off. Then, she became bed-ridden with illness for three years, and wrote her fifth novel ''Shirishko Phool'' in that period'','' which she chose to publish.

Shankar Lamichhane Shankar Lamichhane ( ne, शङ्कर लामिछाने; 1928 – 1976) was a Nepalese essayist and short–story writer. He is best known for his Madan Puraskar–winning essay collection '' Abstract Chintan Pyaj''. Early life He ...

, a prominent writer and litterateur wrote the foreword for the novel.

Synopsis

Suyog meets Sakambari and her two sisters through Shivaraj. Suyog is a lonely middle-aged man and sees the three sisters with eyes of lust. He views Mujura as the quintessential woman with all the feminine virtues and the most logical choice for a wife. However, he is drawn towards Sakambari who is a rebellious personality who does not adhere to the traditional expectations of how a woman should act or dress. He finds his philosophies strongly at odds with Sakambari's and their acquaintance leads him to reevaluate his past life and actions. He comes to accept his acts such as the rape of three women he committed during the war, which he had previously rationalised as acceptable under the peril of immediate death both he and his victims were under at the time, as criminal. Suyog finds himself unable to continue without love or redemption. Reasoning that either Bari will accept him and he will have happiness or she will hurt or kill him for the transgression giving him redemption, Suyog gets hold of her and kisses her. However, Bari simply looks deeply into him and strides off, vanishing into the house. Suyog is left distraught and confused. Months after the incident, he finds out that Sakambari has died.

Characters

* Suyog Bir Singh, a middle-aged

Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India. The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...

veteran who fought in Burma during the Second World War. * Sakambari, often nicknamed Bari, a strong young woman whom Suyog falls in love with. *Shivaraj, Suyog's drinking companion and Sakambari's brother. *Mujura, Sakambari's older sister *Sanu, Sakambari's younger sister

Major themes and style

Themes of atheism, melancholy, and pessimism can be observed. Some parallels from Hindu mythology can also be drawn. For its progressive and critical content, it is also hailed as trailblazer for progression in Nepali literature. The narrator is a veteran. The entire story is narrated by the veteran. He changes his views toward the war-crimes throughout the novel. First, he dismisses them, but slowly he recognizes and condemns them. The development of the novel traces two years. The changes in season and Mimosa tree are emphasized on the novel. The season mirrors his personal situation and development.

Reception

''Shirishko Phool'' was awarded the

for best fiction for the year 1965. Parijat was the first woman to win the Madan Puraskar.

Translations and adaptations

''Shirishko Phool'' was translated into English by Sondra Zeidenstein with the help of Tankavilash Bharya in 1972. The novel was adapted into a Nepali language feature film of the same name by Japanese director Toshiaki Ito. The novel was adapted into a play by Theatre Mall, Kirtipur in 2022. The play was directed by Anjan Pradip, conceptualized by Kedar Shrestha, and dramatized by ''Chautho Aayam'' group.

References

1964 novels Nepali-language books Madan Puraskar-winning works 20th-century Nepalese novels {{Nepali literature, state=collapsed Cultural depictions of Nepalese women 20th-century Nepalese books 1964 Nepalese novels Novels set in Nepal Nepali-language novels Nepalese novels Nepalese novels adapted into plays Novels set in Kathmandu