Exploring Ghost Stories: A Tribute to Tagore

Hello IWSG Family,

I’m happy to be back after not being able to attend the virtual IWSG meet in September. October is a wonderful month in India, filled with festivities, family gatherings, delicious treats, busy markets and businesses. In addition to this, there are various deadlines for writing submissions, with the majority of them occurring in October. Personally, I find this rush exhilarating, and I believe that I am at my most productive when life becomes overwhelmingly busy.

Halloween definitely is a favourite with the writing community, and spooky and festive is a great combination. I’m excited to share with you that the WEP (Write Edit Publish) is making a comeback this month and we have a special theme in store. We will be celebrating all things eerie, mysterious, and supernatural—in short, Halloween! The posting dates for this month’s WEP event are from October 1- 16. For more details and to join us, please visit the website.

And now, over to this month’s IWSG question – Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What’s your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

I was first introduced to the captivating horror tales of the incomparable Edgar Allan Poe in school. Another writer whose chilling gothic stories were part of our curriculum was Nathaniel Hawthorne. However, as time went on, my interests shifted towards Indian horror stories. The truth is that horror is deeply woven into the fabric of Indian folklore. While growing up, I primarily delved into Ruskin Bond’s collection of short horror stories, which were set in the hills. Much later, I lost interest in this genre. But if I have to pick my favourite in horror, it would be Rabindranath Tagore’s Monihara (The Lost Jewels). Tagore, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, penned this masterpiece in 1901. Later on, Satyajit Ray adapted it into a film.

Monihara is a tale about a married couple who have contrasting perspectives on life and its priorities. Unfortunately, this contradiction leads them to their downfall. Monimalika, who cannot conceive even after ten years of marriage, develops an obsession for jewels. She constantly imagines her relatives and in-laws talking ill about her behind her back, which saddens her deeply. To find solace, she turns to her collection of jewels. Her husband, Phanibhushan, loves her deeply but despite his best efforts, he cannot win her heart. A devastating fire in his factory leaves him bankrupt. Monimalika becomes fearful that he may try to compensate for his losses by selling her precious jewels. However, Phanibhushan has no such intentions. He travels to the city and raises money. He even purchases a gold necklace for Monimalika. Meanwhile, she flees to her parents’ house, taking her jewels with her. She seeks help from her cousin, who ruthlessly murders her during their journey. Phanibhushan is devastated when he returns home, only to soon discover that Monimalika’s ghost has returned to claim the gold necklace. Tagore, a brilliant storyteller, depicts human avarice and greed through his characters. The chilling last scene, as well as the eerie setting throughout the story, is very impactful.

Have you explored Indian horror? Which is your favourite ghost story? Let me know in the comments below.

The awesome co-hosts for the  October 2 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre! Thank you for co-hosting.