BEHULA’S SARI

Behular Sari by Muhammad Nurul Huda, an outstanding poet of our time, is a poetic remake of the popular legend of Behula and Lakhindar that has pervaded the ethos of the people who have lived in the Delta for centuries. By his remarkable power of myth making, Huda turns this legend into a stunning sequence of lyrics that portrays a Behula taking the centre stage as an undying emblem of Bengali woman who performs in the heavens, pleases the gods and goddesses and is able to bring her husband back to life. The legendary Chandradhar becomes a symbol of human endurance and defiance against tyranny and finally emerges as the father figure of his race, the Bang. He uses different personae to speak out in their own situations, making even the Sari speak about its origin and its uses and blessings. In fact the title poem, ‘Behular Sari’, is a rare piece of poetry emanating its lyrical intensity which Huda himself has never equaled before.