The fact that Siddhartha has been translated several times is an indication that the publishers have successfully cashed in on selling Hesse in India. For example, the marketing strategy is visible on the cover of all four Marathi versions, which have an image of Gautama Buddha. Religion and philosophy play a significant role in the lives of people in India. In Indian philosophy, Buddha represents peace, balance, and enlightenment. He is often connected with finding the meaning of life and as a self-help, and not exclusively by the followers of Buddhism. An image of Buddha suggests a way of life. An image of Buddha offers insights and gives hope to people to help them overcome their difficulties. This high recognition value of the image of Gautama Buddha is monetized by all four Marathi versions.
The novel does not speak about Gautama Buddha, the Enlightened One, but about the main character of the novel, Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian brahmin who gives up a life of privilege to seek spiritual fulfillment. The novel illustrates a sense of oneness and journey through body, mind, and spirit. The cover for Tadphale’s book shows Gautama Buddha’s sculpted face imprinted on a leaf, with the title of the book in the lower half.
1http://surl.li/ptiyc. Sardeshmukh’s book has three translated texts in one hardbound volume, namely
Siddhartha,
The Journey to the East,
and
Narcissus and Goldmund.
2http://surl.li/ptizp. The cover shows a line drawing of the Buddha holding what resembles the sun in his left hand and a flower (that appears to be a lotus) in the right. There is also a halo in yellow behind him. He is dressed in a blue robe and his body is also colored in the same shade of blue. A man wearing a yellow Buddhist drape is also to be seen in the forefront, with a small bluish bird perching on his shoulder. Thus, yellow, blue, brown, and orange are balanced in the cover design. The man in yellow robes is significantly smaller than Gautama Buddha who is in the background. This is symbolic of the level of spiritual attainment of the two. The man is walking away from Gautama Buddha signifying he is choosing his own path. The bird on his shoulder represents the knowledge that he has gained from his brief interaction with Gautama Buddha. The name Hermann Hesse appears on the top half, followed by the translator’s name and the titles of the three texts in the lower half. The background of the book is white with red and orange tones in the top right corner. The cover of Raut’s translation shows an illustration of a sculpture of the Buddha, with the background made up of an enlarged image of a lotus.
3http://surl.li/ptjby. The title appears at the top and the translator’s name in small font size at the bottom. Soman and Vaidya’s publisher has preferred a cover in overwhelming shades of orange, with a silhouette of Buddha sitting under a tree.
4http://surl.li/ptjck. This could be attributed to creative marketing by the publishers because “Gautama Buddha” sells. However, it could also be seen as an interpretation that Siddhartha and his journey symbolize the path that needs to be taken to attain Enlightenment. Gautama Buddha is revered, among others, by people belonging to the marginalized groups of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Many of them have rejected Hinduism and have converted to Buddhism. Gautama Buddha is worshipped not only by Buddhists, but he is also venerated and celebrated by non-Buddhists in India. There is a sense of attraction and admiration towards Gautama Buddha and acceptance of Buddhist principles. One finds solace in Buddha’s teachings. All these are factors that target readers due to the strong imagery of Buddha on the cover.