The trunk of Ganesha - Jayant Mahapatra

 

Jayanta Mahapatra is a major Indian English poet. He is the first Indian poet to win the Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry. He is the author of such popular poems as Indian Summer and Hunger, which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature. Jayanta Mahapatra was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in India in 2009.

“The Trunk of Ganesha” is a story written by Jayanta Mahapatra. The story is of one skilled idol maker named Govinda. He makes idol of all gods and goddesses. He is a married man and his wife’s name is Sulochana. He has three sons but only the youngest one Ranju was interested in making idols and he was learning this art.

Govinda is a skilled idol maker. He had learned this skill from his father who had learned from his father. He was living with his wife Sulochana and three sons. Two of his sons were not interested in idol making but his younger son Ranju was learning this skill from his father. Govinda was happy about that.

Govinda was the best idol maker in his valley and so Sulochana was proud of her husband. But now one strange thing has started happening. Govinda was working on the idol of lord Ganesha but could not complete it because for some reason its trunk was breaking every time. He finishes it at day but when night passes, in the morning they find the trunk broken. They couldn't find out why? Govinda starts to think about possible reasons. He thinks about clay, its weight but all was right. Then he thinks that God must have been angry with him. He has been making idols eye-catching. He had started making figures of goddesses slim. He thought because of this God maybe was angry with him. He also thinks about price. He may be taking more cost for his idols.

And one day he determines to find out the truth behind this mystery. He and his son decided to hide themselves in a corner of the room where the idol of Ganesha is. After finishing the idol, they hide themselves. They wait for so long but nothing has happened. Ranju falls asleep. Suddenly Govinda sees one dark shadow in the window. It moves and jumps on the trunk of Ganesha. It was a cat who at night used to slide over Ganesha's trunk and break it. Govinda feels great relief.

So, the story ends in witty way.