Hesse finally thought that genuine India consisted of its philosophy, asceticism, and profound life reflection. Hesse’s tour left him both awestruck and dissatisfied since the author could not locate the idealised picture of India on his travels to Indonesia and Sri Lanka (which, in Hesse’s perspective, were part of India). He was left bedridden by a terrible stomach disease after seeing the Indonesian islands and had to abandon his intentions to go to southern India. Hesse embarked on his tour in 1911 to see Java, Bali, and Sri Lanka, followed by a trip to southern India and a return voyage to Europe. In addition to learning Malayalam, the Protestant Christian missionary also authored a lexicon and a treatise on Malayalam grammar. His mother was born in Kerala, South India, during one of Hermann Gundert’s trips there. Despite his strict Protestant upbringing in Calw, Baden-Württemberg, in southern Germany, India appeared to be a natural choice for him. In 1911, when he journeyed to India, Hermann Hesse was on a spiritual search, much like his protagonist Siddhartha.

This was founded on German Romanticism and ancient India of the ‘Vedas’ and Romantic Hinduism.

Hermann Hesse, like them, had a romantic view of ancient, spiritual India. Hesse’s fable about the Brahmin child seeking redemption was based on a common conception of India held by Indologists or Western academics studying India at the time. Inspired by Buddha, who gave up his kingdom, Siddhartha abandons his lavish lifestyle and embarks on a quest with his closest friend Govinda to discover the purpose of life.

Even though the scriptures provide answers about the soul and its immortality, Siddhartha is eager to encounter individuals who embody this reality. Siddhartha, the protagonist, is born into an affluent family of Brahmins or Hindu priests. Hermann Hesse’s story takes place in 6th-century Kapilavastu (now in Nepal), the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha. This allegorical novel, set in sixth-century India around the time of the Buddha, follows a young man on his search for enlightenment.The novel “Siddhartha” is about the spiritual path of a young man named after the Buddha. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work. Enriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary.

Siddhartha hesse