Aranyak (Bengali: আরণ্যক /aɾonːok/, literally "forest-grown, of the forest"[1]) composed between 1937 and 1939 and published in 1939, is a Bengali-language novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay,[2][3] based on his years in northern Bihar, mainly in the districts of Purnea and Bhagalpur.
From 1924 to 1930, Bandopadhyay worked in the villages of Azamabad, Fulkia, Lobtulia and Baihar in the state of Bihar as an agent for the estate of Khilat Chandra Ghosh, overseeing land clearances by deforestation and administering to local tenants.
His experience left him with a lasting impression of the beauty of the area and of the poverty of its people, including peasants, impoverished Brahmins, migrant laborers and adivasis, all of whom appear in the novel.
On 12 February 1928 he wrote in his personal diary (Smritir Lekha): I shall write something about the lives around this jungle.
The poverty, simplicity of these people, this virile, active life, the picture of this dense forest in the pitch darkness of this evening — all of this.
After studying as a university student in Calcutta, Satyacharan accepts a job offer to manage a wealthy landowner's estate in Bhagalpur district in Bihar.
Initially his urban lifestyle leaves him alienated and unprepared for an isolated existence in the jungle, but gradually he is hypnotized by the environment, including the simple lives of its inhabitants.
He finds himself increasingly drawn to the peace of the forest while making return trips to the city.
But Satyacharan is an estate manager and his job was to reclaim the forest land and distribute to the people for more revenue earnings.
Age old gigantic trees as well as plants and herbs of rare species are being destroyed to make way for human encroachment.
He is a mere audience of the daily mystery drama that is played in the stage of the jungle every day.
Extremely poor, very harmless, shy, religious man — who spends the entire day in worship, reading holy books etc.
He got two bighas of land courtesy of Satyacharan but could not deforest it in two years time — he had to lead his life eating grains of Chinese grass only.
When a short boy named Dhaturia came to perform dance here his age was not more than twelve or thirteen.
In the Southern parts there was a famine due to drought, hence the people of those lands went out to perform dances.
Dhaturia came along with such a party — he was only paid with meals, that too only as meager as Chinese grass grains with salt, and at most some jungle vegetables.
Dhaotal Sahu lives in the village of Naogachia; his occupation is to lend money on interest.
Matuknath Pnaare is a descendant of an educated Brahmin family, who used to teach in a tol or a small primary school in his village.
Once the school closed down, he wandered in search of a job and landed in the office of Satyacharan one day.
Manchi is a young Gangota (aq tribe caste) girl, unfortunately married to an old Sardar, Naxedi.
We find much to our exclaim that on his return Satya thinks If I could marry Bhanumati and build a happy nest for us.. Bhanu would speak out of some imaginative giant, and I would be her listener Rasbehari is one of the most cruel zamindars who ruled poor tribes by his weapon and manpower.
Aranyak has been translated into Sinhala language by Chintha Lakshmi Sinhaarachchi (චින්තා ලක්ෂ්මී සිංහආරච්චි) as Aranakata Pem Banda (අරණකට පෙම් බැඳ).