Our Santiniketan

A brief, evocative memoir from one of Indias greatest writers. Like a dazzling feather that has fluttered down from some unknown place. . . . How long will the feather keep its colours, waiting? The feather stands for memories of childhood. Memories dont wait. In Our Sanitikentan, the late Mahasweta Devi, one of Indias most celebrated writers, vividly narrates her days as a schoolgirl in the 1930s. As the aging author struggles to recapture vignettes of her childhood, these reminiscences bring to the written page not only her individual sensibility but an entire ethos. Santiniketan is home to the school and university founded by the foremost literary and cultural icon of India, Rabindranath Tagore. In these pages, a forgotten Santiniketan, seen through the innocent eyes of a young girl, comes to lifethe place, its people, flora and fauna, along with its educational environment, culture of free creative expression, vision of harmonious coexistence between natural and human worlds, and the towering presence of Tagore himself. Alongside, we get a glimpse of the private Mahaswetaher inner life, family and associates, and the early experiences that shaped her personality. A nostalgic journey to a bygone era, harking back to its simple yet profound valuesso distant today and so urgent yet againOur Santiniketan is an invaluable addition to Devis rich oeuvre available in English translation.