Q. Write a note on the characters in The Garden of Solitude by Siddhartha Gigoo.

 The Characters in The Garden of Solitude

Sridar’s Ancestral Family (Kashmiri Pandits)

Poshkuj (Sridar’s Great-Grandmother)

Poshkuj, Mahanandju’s mother, is a foundational figure in Sridar’s ancestral memory. She died in 1981 at ninety, laughing with a fishbone stuck in her throat during the Gada Bhata festival.

Her childhood was spent in Pampore, where her father was a saffron merchant. Poshkuj’s daughter-in-law, Gowri, often narrated her brave encounter with a lion, a story that became a family legend and is mentioned in Sridar’s book, “The Book of Ancestors.”

Her pet name at home was Dhana, as Mahanandju recalled in his final moments.

Michael Bawm (Gulabju) (Sridar’s Great-Grandfather)

Poshkuj’s husband and Mahanandju’s father was originally named Gulabju. He mysteriously disappeared for eighteen years, returning as “Michael Bawm” after traveling abroad and establishing the Kashmir Vedic Society.

An erudite man, he had studied Sanskrit and taught the Vedas. Sridar later unraveled his self-imposed exile through letters, learning he left not out of desperation but adventure.

Michael Bawm represents a seeker of knowledge and an enlightened soul who dared to explore beyond narrow-mindedness. Sridar, as a writer, seeks to find his great-grandfather’s lost book.

Mahanandju (Sridar’s Grandfather)

The only son of Poshkuj and Michael Bawm, he is Sridar’s beloved grandfather. Mahanandju is characterized by his simplicity, discipline, and virtue.

He was a well-known practitioner of traditional medicine, often called ‘Doctor Sahib’ by his neighbors, having learned the art from his father, Gulabju.

Despite being a Pandit, he was a man of great devotion and faith, highly esteemed by both Pandit and Muslim communities due to his friendships with local leaders.

Mahanandju experiences a prophetic dream about an agitation and rebellion in Kashmir, foretelling the forced departure of Pandits.

In his later years, he has Alzheimer’s, losing his memory and ability to distinguish reality from dreams, a condition exacerbated by the trauma of migration. He dies holding a pack of cards, a peaceful end to his suffering.

Gowri (Sridar’s Grandmother)

Mahanandju’s wife and Sridar’s grandmother, she took charge of the household after Poshkuj’s death. She continued the family tradition of storytelling, particularly fond of narrating Poshkuj’s brave encounter with a lion.

Gowri is depicted as an anxious and superstitious woman, especially as the situation in Kashmir deteriorates. She struggles with the decision to leave her home, mourning the loss of their renovated house.

She initially dismisses Mahanandju’s prophetic dream but ultimately accepts the inevitability of their departure.

Lasa (Sridar’s Father)

Mahanandju’s son and Sridar’s father, he worked as a school teacher in Srinagar. Initially, Lasa tries to remain optimistic about the situation in Kashmir.

He believes in the long-standing coexistence between Pandits and Muslims despite rising tensions.

He is a close friend of Ali, a Muslim bookseller. Lasa eventually comes to terms with the necessity of leaving Kashmir due to the increasing violence and threats.

Lasa sells his ancestral house in Srinagar after the family migrates. He tries to cope with the challenges of exile, including his father’s deteriorating health, and learns to play the violin, seeking solace in music.

Lasa represents the generation that had to make the painful decision to abandon their homeland.

Sridar (Protagonist)

Lasa’s son and the great-grandson of Michael Bawm and Poshkuj, Sridar is the central figure through whose experiences and reflections the story of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus unfolds.

As a child, he was interested in books and writing, aspiring to be a writer. He is deeply affected by the political turmoil and the forced migration of his community.

His personal journey is intertwined with his search for identity and understanding of his family’s past and the collective trauma of his people.

He writes “The Book of Ancestors” to document the stories and memories of his community, especially for the lost and forgotten.

Sridar travels to Ladakh, Delhi, and the USA, confronting the meaning of “home” and “exile.” His return to his old house in Srinagar fifteen years later is a tragic moment, revealing profound changes but also enduring traces of the past.

He ultimately dedicates his life to preserving the stories of his ancestors and community.

Abdul Gani’s Family (Muslim Neighbors)

Abdul Gani

Mahanandju’s long-time Muslim friend and neighbor, who works as a gravedigger, is in a family profession. Abdul Gani is initially a confidant of Mahanandju and even seeks his help in gaining exclusive rights to grave-digging within the Muslim community after a family dispute.

He is present in Mahanandju’s prophetic dream about the Kashmir rebellion. Abdul Gani later loses both his sons to the conflict, which deeply devastates him and his wife.

Despite the changing political climate, he maintains a bond with Lasa’s family, even offering advice and comfort during their migration.

Shaha

Abdul Gani’s wife and Gowri’s friend, she shares winnowing rice and gossiping with Gowri from their respective windows. Shaha is deeply impacted by the loss of her sons, turning into a silent and frail woman.

Basharat

Abdul Gani’s elder son is a shy boy who disappears to join the Kashmir Liberation Front and undergoes weapons training across the border, dying while crossing back.

His death contributes to the collective trauma of the neighborhood.

Mukhtiar

Abdul Gani’s younger son and Sridar’s schoolmate, he is killed in crossfire while pelting stones at an army convoy, further adding to the family’s grief and the community’s loss.

Ali’s Family (Muslim Friend)

Ali

Lasa’s very close and long-time friend owns a bookshop and often walks and discusses politics with Lasa. Ali is aware of the growing sentiment for ‘Azadi’ among Muslims and the implications for Pandits.

He is subtly sympathetic to the freedom movement and later gets shot in the leg. Ali’s letter to Lasa, sent years after the exodus, describes the changed and violent Kashmir.

It also described the loss experienced by Muslims and their longing for the Pandits to return, acknowledging that Kashmir “lost its soul” without them.

Qazi

Ali’s brother meets Lasa in Delhi, bringing news of their old neighborhood in Srinagar and the hardships faced by Muslims there due to the ongoing conflict.

Qazi reveals the tragic story of his nephew, Nissar, who became a militant and is now in jail. Qazi’s conversations with Lasa highlight the shared suffering and the conflict from a Muslim perspective.

Nissar

Qazi’s nephew is enticed into the freedom movement, undergoes training in Pakistan, and is later arrested and jailed for hurling grenades. His story reflects the devastating impact of the conflict on young Muslim men and their families.

Gulakhar’s Family (Ironsmith Neighbors)

Gulakhar

The local ironsmith, father of Nusrat and Tota, lives in abject poverty and hides his wretched condition from neighbors. After Tota’s death and Nusrat’s marriage, he sells his dilapidated house.

Nusrat

Gulakhar’s younger daughter and Tota’s sister, she is Sridar’s first love interest, described as beautiful with a captivating smile. Sridar’s adolescent dreams revolve around her. She marries a carpenter and leaves her old home.

Tota Maecz

Gulakhar’s eldest daughter and Nusrat’s sister, she was born with a mental disability and is known for her hystérical laughter.

Tragically, she is hit by a stray bullet and dies during crossfire in the street. Her laughter is a recurring, poignant memory for Sridar.

Triloki Nath’s Family (Migrants from Camp)

Bab (Triloki Nath’s Father)

An old migrant, ninety-two years old, originally from Magam, he lives in a one-room tenement in the camp. Bab suffers from memory loss and dementia, often confusing the present with the past.

Despite his condition, he retains some vivid memories of his childhood in Kashmir, his family’s prosperity, and his Muslim neighbors, and holds onto the hope of returning home.

Sridar’s conversations with him contribute to “The Book of Ancestors,” highlighting the fragility of memory and the importance of preserving personal histories.

Haer

Bab’s wife fondly remembers their Muslim neighbors and their emotional departure from Kashmir.

Triloki Nath

Bab’s youngest son worked in his father’s walnut orchard in Kashmir. He is the one caring for his élderly parents in the camp, reflecting the generational burden and the challenges of displacement.

Sridar’s Friends and Acquaintances

Pamposh

Sridar’s friend from the migrant camp school in Jammu, his family was the only Pandit family in their village in Kashmir, forced to flee under horrific circumstances.

Pamposh vividly describes the squalid and dehumanizing conditions of the migrant camp, the loss of dignity, and the constant struggle for survival.

He represents the deep scars of displacement and the feeling of having lost one’s identity and belonging.

His words and experiences profoundly impact Sridar, motivating him to write “The Book of Ancestors.” Pamposh and his family later disappear from the camp, their fate unknown.

Dina Nath

An old migrant whose family was impoverished before migration, he also suffers from memory loss and delusions, often talking about Sheikh Abdullah or desiring to die in his old house in Kashmir.

His name on the ration card provides the family with monetary relief. His story, like Bab’s, exemplifies the mental and emotional toll of migration and the longing for home.

Rahul and Anil

Sridar’s childhood friends and classmates from Srinagar shared common fears as boys, like India losing to Pakistan in cricket.

Rahul dreams of becoming an actor in Bombay, a dream he achieves, becoming a famous movie star. Anil sadly dies battling a virus years after leaving Kashmir.

Their stories reflect different paths taken by Kashmiri Pandit youth after the exodus.

Tulmul

Sridar’s close friend in Jammu, who studies science, is supportive of Sridar’s literary pursuits. They share deep conversations about life, love, and suffering.

Tulmul’s father worked for the Military Engineering Services, which helped them during a mistaken military interrogation.

Rosie

Sridar and Tulmul’s friend in Jammu, daughter of an Army Colonel, she is idealistic, rebellious, and openly discusses love and life with Sridar. She eventually moves to Jammu when her father is transferred.

Lenin

Sridar’s colleague and friend in Delhi, originally from Kerala, he introduces Sridar to filmmaking and is passionate about cinema and literature.

He later becomes a renowned filmmaker, focusing on themes of migration.

Walrus

Sridar’s classmate in Delhi, known for his moustache, he is a sculptor and shows interest in Tantra philosophy.

He shares his own family’s experience of homelessness due to floods, creating a connection of shared suffering with Sridar.

Shabeer Ahmad

A Kashmiri Muslim classmate of Sridar in Delhi, initially pro-Pakistan, he turns pro-independence after his brother’s death, blaming Indian security forces.

He dreams of an independent Kashmir where Muslims and Pandits live in harmony. He provides a different perspective on the conflict and the ideal future of Kashmir.

Ramesh

Sridar’s friend from the university cafeteria in Delhi is philosophical and finds life meaningless, but enjoys simple pleasures. He supports Sridar’s writing.

Raghav

A fourteen-year-old boy in Allahabad who offers to be Sridar’s guide is knowledgeable about history and local places, reflecting the resourcefulness of children in difficult circumstances.

He plays the flute and introduces Sridar to his violinist brother, who teaches at a school for children with mental disabilities. His questions about Sridar’s “river near his house” highlight Sridar’s homelessness.

Dr. Rupesh Zadoo

A Kashmiri Pandit doctor in Denver who is a columnist and a member of Panun Kashmir in the USA, he strongly advocates for a separate homeland for Kashmiri Pandits and the preservation of their culture and identity in exile.

His mother’s deep anger and pain over her brother’s killing by militants further emphasize the community’s suffering. He encourages Sridar to write for their community newsletter.

Nagraj

A migrant writer and part-time theatre actor in Delhi, his father, Dwarka Nath, was a poet and writer who ran a troupe of traditional street performers (Bhands) in Kashmir.

Nagraj seeks to revive the Bhand Pather performances to tell the “real stories” of his community and express suppressed voices.

He believes the current peace in Kashmir is an illusion and expresses the enduring betrayal felt by the ordinary people.

He tragically lost both his parents in exile, his father succumbing to guilt and depression after deserting his troupe.

Faud

Sridar’s Muslim classmate from school in Srinagar left Kashmir to study in the USA and returned to complete a project.

He writes and directs a play about waiting for a friend who never returns, symbolizing the loss and unresolved feelings in Kashmir.

Faud, like Sridar, now feels like a “tourist” in his own homeland due to the profound changes.

Gowhar

Nagraj’s friend and classmate, who became a journalist and later started an English daily, “Free Kashmir.” He expresses a cynical view of the “freedom movement,” believing it to be manipulated by greed and corruption.

Gowhar shares a powerful anecdote about the moral dilemmas faced by journalists in conflict zones. He believes that real stories, especially those of suffering, will never die.