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Bakshi, Byomkesh. Byomkesh Bakshi was created by the Indian author Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (Baroda) and appeared in thirty-five novellas from 1932 to 1970, beginning with “Pather Kanta” (Basumati, 1932).

Byomkesh Bakshi is a Bengali private detective, influenced by Sherlock Holmes, although Bakshi describes himself as a satyanneshi (truth-seeker). Bakshi is smart, young, educated, observant, and is a bhadrolok (gentleman). With the help of his obtuse Watson, the writer Ajit Bandyopadhyay, Bakshi solves a variety of murders in Calcutta and across India. Bakshi discovers his cases while reading the local newspaper, and is Bengali enough to prefer the dhoti kurta to the traditional p.i.’s trenchcoat. Bakshi is Hindu and a patriot, but uses English items like electric fans and telephones. In Byomkesh o Baroda Bakshi meets Baroda and helps debunk a supposed ghost.

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