Mama-Bhagne Pahar, standing tall on the red clay of Dubrajpur, is not only a natural landmark, it is a living monument of Bengali literature, cinema and folk tradition. This hill, which has lost its charm due to neglect and carelessness for many years, has now seen a new ray of hope. The initiative to include Mama-Bhagne Pahar along with the ancestral home of renowned writer Shailjanand Mukherjee in the ‘Shaktipith Tourism Circuit’ proposed in the state budget has given rise to new expectations among tourism lovers and culture-minded people. The memories of Bengali cinema are closely linked with this hill.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray was looking for a rough, barren landscape for his film ‘Abhiyaan’ – where the solitude of nature would become a symbol of the inner restlessness and loneliness of man. In the film based on Tarashankar Banerjee’s novel, the rugged rocks, dry desert, and red soil of Mama-Bhagne Pahar became a visible manifestation of the mental tension of Soumitra Chatterjee’s character Narsingh. The mountain captured on screen is still a special attraction for film lovers.
Not only in cinema, this mountain also has an unmistakable presence in Satyajit Ray’s literature. In his Feluda story ‘Robertson’s Ruby’, the folklore surrounding Mama-Bhagne Pahar and its mysterious stone has brought another dimension to the story. That combination of reality and imagination still intrigues readers.
Another pride of Dubrajpur is Shailjanand Mukherjee. His contribution as a writer and film director is an invaluable asset to Bengali culture. The plan to include his native home in this tourism circuit is undoubtedly an important step for literature lovers. During the Left era, the well-maintained park built around Mamagbhagne Hill to boost tourism in the area gradually lost its beauty due to lack of maintenance. Now, leaving that past behind, the idea of renovation, beautification and building a new tourism infrastructure has come to the fore. According to Dubrajpur MLA Anup Saha, if the district’s Shakti Peethas with Mama-Bhagne Hill, Shailjanand’s house and the surrounding historical places are linked together, a unique cultural and tourism tour will be created. If that dream comes true, this red-clad hill will once again regain its rightful place on the tourism map of Bengal in the light of literature, cinema and history.