The Ghat of The Only World Summary and Analysis: 2022

The Ghat of the Only World, written by Amitava Ghosh, speaks of friendship and fulfillment of a promise made in it. The story is a tribute to the Kashmiri poet, Agha Shahid Ali, who made Ghosh promise that he would write about him after his death before he succumbed to a brain tumor. Ghosh has fulfilled his commitment to his friend in this story.

The Ghat of The Only World Summary

The story centers around the life, likes, and dislikes of the Kashmiri poet. This story celebrates his life and is inclusive of the period he got diagnosed with the tumor. This is a sneak peek into his life. His unabashed, unconditional love for Kashmir is evident in each of the sentences in the story. The story makes us aware of the poet’s interest and passion for music, art, literature, food, and similar things. Despite Shahid and Ghosh being friends for a short period, the former left an everlasting mark on the mind and heart of the latter. Shahid is an extravagant character throughout the story, and his love for Kashmir is explicit throughout the story. He strongly believed that politics and religion must be distinct from each other.

Ghosh talks about Shahid as a child and expresses a desire to his parents to have a small Hindu temple in his room. Consequently, his mother got him the Hindu idols and small items that led him to transform a part of his house into a Hindu temple. There a beautiful conglomeration and confluence of both Hinduism and Islam in his house.

Several aspects of Ali have been reflected in the story. He loved food, and during the final stages of the tumor, he used to enjoy his food and talk about it. He was never very serious about the ailment and never gave up before cancer. Till his last day, the man was full of life.

The author and the Kashmiri poet were not childhood friends, but they left a mark in each other’s life and created an impact. The author kept the promise he made to a friend he had for a very short while. He successfully managed to draw out the beauty of Shahid’s life and bring his bittersweet memories before the readers. The pathos underlining every line of the story oozes charm, which is magical, almost as magical as the Kashmir valleys.

The Ghat of The Only World Analysis

The Ghat of the Only World has been beautifully written by Amitava Ghosh and is about the Kashmiri poet Shahid Ali, who was extraordinarily talented and succumbed to a brain tumor. After he was diagnosed, he knew how little a time he had and celebrated every moment of life. Despite being friends with the writer for a short period, he carved a beautiful image of his home and spoke about the political problems in Kashmir. 

Shahid opined that religions and politics must be separate and that the negativity around Kashmir is making it lose its charm. He made a little Hindu temple in his room.

He craved food and cuisines and thoroughly enjoyed it till his last stage of cancer. He was present at every party and never took the ailment too seriously. He lived life well and did not give up before the disease.

During his last stage, too, he was always laughing, enjoying food and poetry. He was not giving up before the disease. The author promised to write about him after his death and gave life to his memories in The Ghat of the Only World.

The Ghat of The Only World Character Sketch

Shahid Ali was a rather young man, diagnosed with a brain tumor and had little over a year left. He was intellectual and honest in his opinions. He had a lyrical voice, and despite his deathbed, he profoundly explained his predicament of being unable to see and knowing that his death is near.

The man had a magical persona and could make ordinary things extravagant. Despite depressing times, he managed to stay happy and spread laughter. He had a deep passion for food, clothes, and culture. He was very interested in Kashmir politics and did not want politics and religion to be connected.

 The Ghat of The Only World Theme

The story is based on fulfilling a promise to a dear friend. Before Shahid Ali passed away, he made the author promise that he would write about him after his death. The story is set around the Kashmiri poet’s likes, dislikes, and the way in which he celebrated every moment of life after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Ghat of The Only World Analysis Key Points

The story shows how committed a man could be to friendship. The author fulfilled a promise to his friend and wrote about him, his culture, lifestyle, and his paradise. This story is a celebration of Shahid Ali and his life. His spirit of joy and celebration of life could not be reckoned with by the deadly disease, and this story keeps him alive.