Biksu ..

by Raj kumari

"Biksu had to go to a missionary boarding school at the age of twelve. A familiar world in the village with family and friends was left behind. Life at boarding school is different with new friends, norms and rituals. Full of different and strange experiences. There is a Gudmudiya Sir and there is a Father Johannes too. There wells and also an urge to bathe with its water without being seen. Something new happens everyday. It is a colourful story of the wonderful five years Biksu spent in the school. Biksu’s diary is like a window that takes us into his inner world through the bridge of fact and fiction. Rajkumari, an illustrator, conceptualized this book and gave it shape through Madhubani art. Thus, a book was created for your collection. Its language has also shaped its illustrations. As you read it, you will feel as if a very close friend of yours is telling you his very personal story with heartfelt words. It is so fresh that at times you feel a raw emotion that would gradually unfold in words by you, reader, through reflection. It is a beautiful duet of Rajkumari’s illustrations and Varun Grover’s dialogues."

Genres: Graphic Novels, Unfinished

136 pages, Hardcover

Reviews

[Romila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Biksu for three things -- the story, the language and the design.

Biksu is the story of a teenager that most (if not all) of us can identify with. I was at once 7, 14 and 17. The first pages of Biksu tore into my heart -- leaving home, staying at a hostel are things that are far too common in people of my generation.

Secondly, I loved the language. Having gotten married to someone who is from Bihar, the language is not alien to me. There is a certain sweetness to the way the characters in the book converse with each other. There have been far too many incidents of getting reminded of a friend who says "Ae ji" or "Na ji" with as much lucidity as Biksu and his friends do.

Thirdly, the artist in me marveled at the conception of each page, the clear design and the use of Madhubani print for illustrations. Moreover, snippets in each page followed their own path as opposed to the traditional top-to-bottom order -- a detail that made reading immense fun. I had listened to one of Raj Kumari's interviews where she had said that she learnt Madhubani for the purpose of the book, she was not trained in it and and merely picked it up when required. That she decided to do something and just did it is in itself an inspiration.

I read the book in a single sitting and read it all aloud. I would say I haven't had as much fun reading a book in quite some time.

[Shiv Gopal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biksu, as it claim, this book is for the age group of 12 years or older. Wonderful, expressive, well written graphic novel in the form of Madhubani Art with hand written hindi text. Just by looking at the book, it gives the feeling of oneness. The language of the book is folk language spoken in Jharkhand. My suggestion would be, while reading do not interpret words in your language. Read it as it is. Enjoy the folk language and the story as it is.

[Neeraj Pandey · Rating 5 out of 5]

खूब बड़ा हो जाना रे पेड़। आकास छूना। आज हम जा रहे हैं हियाँ से...

[Pallav Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just a book but a journey which will make u float, sink through our childhood memories. No matter how different our childhood incidents are but the basic layout and memories will be same . I am very lucky to have this journey.

[Muskaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"याद भी गजबे चीज है | चाहे अच्छा बात रहे कि बुरा घटना लेकिन बाद में उसका याद मीठे लगता है |"

Beautiful Madhubani and a lot of pages down the memory lane of St. Ignatius School, Gumla, Jharkhand.
Learned some new vocab too!
भकलोल, टंच, सुतना, सेंटप, बेसी....and more :)

[Sushmita Pati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally don’t write reviews because I am lazy. But I will make an exception for this book. Biksu is a very sensitively, painstakingly told story of a young boy growing up in a residential school run by Jesuits in Gumla, Jharkhand. It’s in many ways a story that could be read as an ordinary tale. But its ordinariness makes it beautiful. Biksu is a rural, underprivileged boy whose life in the school is in someways oblivious to pain. Their collective joy at playing with a real football for the first time is endearing and so is their adventure around trying to find water to bathe in Gumla, the year the region is going through a draught. Biksu’s joys, fears, struggles, ethical dilemmas are profoundly real and honest. The illustrations are beautiful. Raj Kumari has done an amazing job of using Madhubani art form to invent new language for the graphic novel art form. You can tell Biksu is a work of love. The drawings must have been painstaking. I am glad that they decided to use chhotanagpuri in the book because a huge part of Biksu is conveyed through the dialect. Formal Hindi would not even be a scratch on it. Since I grew up in that region, that dialect holds a special place in my heart. It sounds like my childhood.

[Amol Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really good graphic book by Ektara team. Its based on experiences of school boy Biksu. Biksu left his home for studying in Gumla town of Chhattisgarh. He studied in christian missionary school and stays in hostel there. I like Rajkumari's Madhubani art. Her art really creates life in story of Biksu. His imaginations feelings and thoughts can experience by readers also.

[Nikhilesh Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic. Palpable. Innocent. if you can read Devnagri script, this is a must-read. Pages splashed with Madhubani art all across, a custom-designed font that takes makes it come alive and a story that would feel like your own.

[Sarvochya Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

अरे! मजे आ गया ई किताब पढ़ के तो। राजकुमारी जी एतना खूबसूरत ढंग से लिखी है की पढ़िएगा तो हवा में उड़ने में उड़ने लगियेगा।

[Ankit · Rating 4 out of 5]

बारह साल की उम्र में बिक्सू को अपने घर से दूर एक मिशनरी बोर्डिंग स्कूल में भेज दिया गया। एक तरफ थी पीछे छूटे घर, गाँव और परिवार की याद और दूसरी तरफ नयी दुनिया, दोस्त और बोर्डिंग स्कूल के विचित्र अनुभव। दुःख, सुख और रोज़ नयी सीख के बीच पाँच साल का सफर। जीवन के सबसे सुंदर समय की रंग-बिरंगी कहानी।

“ प्रेम एक सुंदर तितली है जिसे अगर पकड़ना चाहो तो वो उड़ जाती हैं "
“ लेकिन चुप चाप मनन करो तो अपने आप तुम्हारे कंधे पर आकर बैठ जाती हैं। "

💌💫🎉

[Purushottam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Feeling nostalgic. Madhubani art and Chhotanagpuria hindi is too good.

[Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diary of a young village boy who moves to an English medium city school. Emotional and funny.

[Rabhya · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5*
Sometimes, when the most unexpected things turn out to be so good, that level of satisfaction is different.
I am so bad with reading Hindi, the whole book being in Chota Nagpuri, which makes the reading experience even more difficult for me. Yet, I really enjoyed and cherished this book. I loved the journey of Biksu, how grounded he is and his surroundings are.
I am so glad that I read this book, it truly touched my heart ❤️

[Abhilasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different book, in bhojpuri. A fun read.

[Sukadeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very very beautiful book. The graphics in Madhubani style and the very simple language of narration is something that sets this book at a completely different league.

[Rahul Rastogi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing and grounded story.

[Ulhas Vairagkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so much that I am definitely going to reread it. I am already wondering are there more books like these? If you are reading this, please suggest me similar books

[Aditya Pandya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a kind of book / graphical novel that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.
The image, the childhood memories… everything will emerge into your self.