The Many Worlds of Sarala Devi: A Diary & The Tagores and Sartorial Style: A Photo Essay

Synopsis

This charming book The Many Worlds of Sarala Devi and The Tagores and Sartorial Styles, as the titles suggest, contain two separate but related writings on the Tagores. The Tagores were a pre-eminent family which became synonymous with the cultural regeneration of India, specifically of Bengal, in the nineteenth century. The first writing is a sensitive translation of Sarala Devis memoirs from the Bengali, Jeevaner Jharapata, by Sukhendu Ray. It is the first autobiography written by a nationalist woman leader of India. Sarala Devi was Rabindranath Tagores niece and had an unusual life. The translation unfolds, among other things, what it was like to grow up in a big affluent house Jorasanko, that had more than 116 inmates and a dozen cooks! The second writing by Malavika Karlekar is a photo essay, creatively conceived, visually reflecting the social and cultural trends of the times, through styles of dress, jewellery and accoutrements. The modern style of wearing a sari was introduced by Jnanadanandini Devi, a member of the Tagore family. The introduction by the well-known historian, Bharati Ray, very perceptively captures the larger context of family, marriage, womens education and politics of the time which touched Sarala Devis life. She points out that if memoirs are a kind of social history then womens diaries record social influences not found in official accounts and are therefore, a rich source of documentation.

Book details

Author:

Sukhendu Ray, Malavika Karlekar, Bharati Ray

ISBN:

9781351586481

Related ISBNs:

9781315100562, 9781138295711, 9781138295711, 9781032652955, 9781138295711, 9781315100562

Publisher:

Taylor and Francis

Pages:

224

Reading age:

Not specified

Includes images:

No

Date of addition:

2020-03-21

Usage restrictions:

Copyright

Copyright date:

2017

Copyright by:

N/A 

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Categories:

Biographies and Memoirs, Nonfiction