Professor Shonku's Date with History

One of the most beloved characters created by the master storyteller Satyajit Ray was Professor Shonku, a genius scientist and inventor of eccentric gadgets working from his laboratory in Giridih (now in Jharkhand). In this story, Shonku and two of his German colleagues invent the Compudium, a device to communicate with souls of the departed. What follows are some surprising results that celebrate the spirit of human imagination and scientific invention. Read on ...

- Satyajit Ray

12 SEPTEMBER

What a delightful day! After one-and a-half years of relentless hard work, we have finally finished all our work on our device. Though the entire idea was mine, I’m using the word ‘we’ because by no means could I have accomplished this task on my own. My Giridih laboratory cannot provide the necessary material to build this machine. Therefore, right at the initial stage, I had written a letter to my German friend, Wilhelm Crole, who in turn wrote to the well-known Psychic Research Institute in Munich, Germany. Thanks to Crole’s recommendation, we received a grant in financial aid from the institute and it became possible for two Germans and one Indian scientist to create this machine in Munich.

The second German is a young fellow, one Rudolph Heine. He has an insatiable curiosity about spiritualism. Now, let me say a few words about the machine we invented. We have called it Compudium. That is, computerized medium. Those who connect with departed souls in a séance often take the help of a medium, an individual through whom the spirit communicates with this world with ease. Spiritual mediums possess a special quality. I have come in contact with many mediums in my country and have studied them carefully. There is something special about them. They are sensitive, sharp, emotional and always preoccupied or absorbed. They often suffer from indispositions and many die young.