KOLKATA, Jan. 29 -- How often have we heard a Bengali boast of the Bengali mind? Quite often, especially during addas.

But what exactly is the Bengali mind? Has it changed with age and time? How does it think when positioned among the elite or the marginalised? In his latest Bengali book, 'Bangalir Mon' (Mind of the Bengalis), Alapan Bandyopadhyay, chairman of the West Bengal Heritage Commission, chief adviser to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, offers an intrinsic reflection on the Bengali mind.

On Thursday, at the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair, Bandyopadhyay unveiled the book in the presence of legendary Bengali author Shirshendhu Mukhopadhyay, Prof Himabanta Bandyopadhyay, Prof Rusati Sen, author Pracheta Gupta, poet Srijato, and Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey and Apu Dey of Dey's Publication.

Beginning with the idea of the "mind of a hero", the author attempts to understand the Bengali psyche through three iconic literary figures including Devdas from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's work, Apu from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novels, and Debu Pandit from Tarasankar Bandopadhyay's writings. These characters, celebrated equally in literature and cinema, become lenses through which the Bengali mind is examined.

One of the most engaging chapters focuses on the Bengali bhadralok and Bandopadhyay's mother. Several other chapters explore the minds of the common man, the middle class, Dalits and women.

The book is, in fact, a collection of socio-historical and literary essays that Bandyopadhyay has written over the years for various newspapers. As he told Millennium Post: "I read history, sociology and the culture of Bengal. And naturally, in my reading and writing, Bengal remains at the centre, also because it connects closely with my practical vocation."

According to the author, who earlier wrote 'Amlar Mon' (Mind of the Bureaucrat), the Bengali mind has now become a subject of serious academic inquiry. "In the age of globalisation, identity has become a key concern.

Understanding the Bengali mind is increasingly seen as a worthwhile pursuit. I see my work as part of that endeavour," Bandopadhyay said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.