Jaya – An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
The Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa is a sprawling epic that has spawned many an interpretation and philosophical debate. It is centered on the concept of Dharma – interpreted variously as ethic, duty, the path of righteousness and the natural law.
At the heart of the story is the futile rivalry between the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas, that leads to a great war which the Pandavas win. It begins with the recounting of the ancestry of the two warring factions and ends with Yudhishtira, the eldest Pandava ascending to heaven, only to find his arch rival Duryodhana already there.
Devdutt Pattanaik, a renowned name in the field of Indian Mythology, takes on the onus of demystifying the grand epic, delving into its intricate plots and sub-plots. Pattanaik titles his book Jaya – the original name of the epic that we now know as Mahabharata. He narrates the story succinctly and dwells on the fascinating interconnectedness of events and characters, the layers, paradoxes and symbolisms. Pattanaik’s enthusiasm is infectious – he includes folklore, interpretations and cross-references in other texts – and his accompanying illustrations are exquisite.
The pivotal chapter on the game of dice, for instance, begins with the envious Duryodhana returning from Yudhishtira’s coronation. His uncle, Shakuni devises a plot to overthrow the Pandavas with loaded dice. We see the heady lure of a gamble that dulls Yudhishtira’s intellect enough to pawn away his wealth, his kingdom, his brothers and finally, Draupadi, their wife. When Draupadi is publicly disrobed by the Kauravas, Dhritharashtra, the father of the Kauravas intervenes and offers her boons by which she frees her husbands. Sadly, Yudhishtira squanders away this too and the Pandavas are exiled for 13 years. In the footnotes of this chapter, we learn that Draupadi is worshipped in parts of India as a goddess and there are rituals enacted by men representing the Pandavas, seeking her forgiveness.
While Pattanaik’s Jaya loosely follows the chronology of the original epic, the author invests time in dwelling on significances. There are stories within stories, curses and blessings that change destinies, and repercussions across timelines and beyond lifetimes. In this retelling, Pattanaik chooses to reiterate that the theme of the Mahabharata is conveyed in the character arc of Yudhishtira who first chases Vijaya (victory over others) but finally realises Jaya (mastery over self).
An edited version appeared in Culturama’s April 2011 Issue.
Also read an interview with Devdutt Pattanaik here.
Eating India – Exploring a Nation’s Cuisine by Chitrita Banerji
A few years ago, on a wintry morning in Boston, Chitrita Banerji received a wedding invitation from India that opened the floodgates of remembered taste. Banerji set out to discover Indian cuisine beyond the generic.
Banerji, being a non-resident Indian food writer, is ably poised between cultural affinity and physical distance with regard to India. This enables her to look beyond recipes, at nuances in the history and folklore surrounding Indian cuisine.
After a momentous visit back to Kolkata, the city of her childhood, Banerji comes across itinerant labourers eating greasy Chinese noodles instead of Khichuri, the traditional pottageon Sher Shah Suri’s famed Grand Trunk Road. In Benares, she meets a self-appointed guide who leads her through the street food of a city that thrives on the business of death. At the langar (communal refectory) in Amritsar’s Golden Temple, where the rich and poor are bonded by piety, Banerji partakes of a humble meal that includes machine-made chapathis. She travels to relish delicacies from the three seats of Muslim-style cooking in India and also studies the lesser-known cuisine of indigenous tribals. There are also some engrossing chapters that delve into the culinary histories of communities like the Anglo Indians, the Parsis, the East Indians of Bombay and the Jews of Cochin.
This book is part-memoir, part-travelogue exploring the cultural synthesis that is Indian cuisine. However, it is also personal history at its best – Banerji derives as much pleasure in reliving flavour as in discovering it.
(An edited version appeared in Culturama’s June 2010 Issue.)
A Life Lived King Size
Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur : Life and Legend, R.P. Singh & Kanwar Rajpal Singh, Roli, 212 Pages
A simpler synopsis would refer to this book as a chronicle of the life and times of Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur. But given the aura surrounding the dashing ruler, that would not suffice.
Born to Sawai Singh, the Thakur of Isarda, Mor Mukut Singh was adopted by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II. Mor Mukut Singh was renamed Sawai Man Singh II and proclaimed heir apparent to the throne of Jaipur. He was the maharaja of Jaipur from the year 1931 until 1958 when it merged with independent India.
Sawai Man Singh II was simultaneously betrothed to two princesses, married them individually in 1924 and 1932 and later, fell in love with Gayatri Devi, the princess of Cooch Behar and considered at one time by Vogue magazine as one of the ten most beautiful women in the world. Their romance has been touted as the stuff of legends, with Jai (after ‘Jaipur’), proposing to her when she was merely 13 years of age. They married in 1940.
Jai was a unique blend of western and Indian values, and his ability to be in step with the times ensured a relatively less turbulent transition into post-independent India. Besides being considered one of the most progressive of the Indian rulers, he is attributed credit for the infrastructural development of Jaipur, a key factor in the decision leading to the choice of Jaipur as the capital of Rajasthan. He was sworn in as the Rajpramukh of Rajputana in 1949. He was also India’s ambassador to Spain for a brief period.
Jai’s passion for polo is perhaps best described in his son’s foreword, ‘…established a record by winning all the tournaments in which he played. In 1957, his team topped up the Victory Crown by winning the World Gold Cup Championship in Deauville, France.”
The suave Jai died at Cirenster, England on June 24, 1970, true to his dream – to die “…in a polo field, in the midst of a chukka, with my friends around me, my pony under me, my polo stick in hand, and my boots on.”
The book is structured chronologically and begins with a foreword by Brig. Sawai Bhawani Singh, the present ruler of Jaipur and Jai’s son. It then moves to the events surrounding the adoption of Mor Mukut Singh. It goes on to give a snapshot of the life of a Maharaja, along with the customs, the protocols and the duties that are an essential part of the responsibility. The photographs in the book trace Jai over the years, with his family, visiting dignitaries and with his polo team. There is a postscript describing the period just after Jai’s death and a section on the History of the Kachhwahas.
However, the core of the book is essentially the insight it provides into one ruler’s transition into post-independent India. The politics and policies of that time including the abolition of privy purses, is described in detail in the later chapters.
(an edited version published on February 12, 2006 in dna.sunday, Mumbai)
Wild About India – Aline Dobbie
“Just compare 9/11 and the Tsunami. One was a man-made disaster and the loss of life was around 3000. The other was a natural disaster and the loss of life was more like 300,000. Just goes to prove how much more powerful nature can be !” says writer, Aline Dobbie.
Or should we say Aline Dobbie, lover of nature, history, culture and all things Indian, who also writes?
Last week, on invitation from the Government of India, and Tamil Nadu State Tourism Development Corporation, Aline was in Chennai to research her latest book on travelling in India. Her books are aimed at the world traveller, who can get an understanding of soul of the country, including the various issues that plague it. These issues, are presented in her books, in the perspective it deserves – with understanding and insight. However, she does make her point, wherever appropriate. As she says about pollution and tourism, “Imagine landing in India and the first thing you see outside the airport, is litter!”
So, what makes this grandmother with the sparkling eyes, set out of her home in Scotland, to travel through the length and breadth of India? And not just once!
Many will be surprised to note that Aline’s father, Lt.Col.Frank Rose was in the IX Jat Regiment of the Indian Army and considered a hero for his courage in rescuing his men from Singapore, when it fell to the Japanese. India is Aline’s place of birth, and she grew up in a household where Hindi and Urdu were freely spoken. At the age of 16, she left India to return to Edinburgh. After 35 years of varied experiences, including facing hostilities as part of the Opposition in South Africa in the late seventies, Aline came back to visit India.
“My three books have titles based on the three animal emblems of India, the peacock, the tiger and the elephant. My first book was called India: The Peacock’s Call, and took a long time to get published, finally coming out in 2002.”
Her second book was dedicated to the tiger and titled India: The Tiger’s Roar. She says, “My latest book, the third in the trilogy, will be dedicated to children who lost their lives in and those who were left orphans by the Tsunami. It’s almost as though a whole generation was wiped out in the areas affected.”
Aline recounts one incident during this trip that was almost spiritual in nature. “I wanted to photograph elephants for the book, in their complete festive finery. But no matter where I went, it just didn’t happen. In a little village en route to Trivandrum, we passed about 8-10 elephants completely adorned in temple festival finery. Needless to say, I have a possible cover picture for my book!”
Aline Dobbie hopes to complete her latest book, by the time she’s back in India in November this year.
