Interactive map of the Journey of the Gun Merchant in 'Gun Island' by Amitav Ghosh

In 'Gun Island,' Amitav Ghosh intricately unfolds the tale of the Gun Merchant intertwined with the Manasa Devi folklore. The Gun Merchant adamantly denies being a devotee of Manasa Devi. Driven away by snakes and haunted by droughts, famines, storms, and assorted calamities, he seeks refuge overseas, eventually finding solace in a land untouched by serpents—Gun Island or Bondukdwip.

The novel skillfully weaves the Gun Merchant's journey, providing a vivid portrayal of the challenges he faces, including droughts, famines, storms, and calamities. Ghosh uses this narrative to delve into the themes of climate change and migration. Dinanath Dutta, a rare book and Asian antiquities dealer with a background in Bengali folklore research, follows a similar trajectory. As he embarks on his journey, Dinanath encounters storms, and calamities, and even encounters poisonous creatures like serpents and spiders, seemingly sent by Manasa Devi. The parallels between the Gun Merchant and Dinanath's experiences underscore the profound exploration of climate change and migration within the novel. This interactive map tries to trace the journey of the Gun Merchant.