Lotus Pond
₹210.00
Author: K Tara Bhat, Translator: Geetha Sreenivasan
Lotus Pond explores women’s plight beyond the emotional level; it is evident that the author is immensely intrigued by the feminist ideals.
The novel potently depicts how each woman is restrained by her own body; she is compelled to safeguard it at all costs. This becomes her inescapable destiny. It is ironical that the elite colony- Garden view, shares this helplessness with the neighbouring slums. Whether it is the attack on the composure of a rich woman- Krupa, or the inhuman exploitation of poor Chami’s infant, the common source of torment remains- patriarchal cruelty.
The entity which reigns supreme in the Garden View colony is money- a weapon wielded by men. In the grand houses of the colony, there are all the commodities that money can buy; still, the grandeur of these houses is incomplete, empty; devoid of sounds of joy. The residents think no more of love and compassion. Hence, they receive only these- a wealth which fails to bring love and contentment. Ayesha, who endures in this environment like a shadow, is a witness to this hypocritical way of life.
Tara Bhat gained prominence with her first novel Avyakta and continued to make valuable contribution to the Kannada literary world with her second endeavour- Lotus Pond.
Interested customers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
Also available on![]() |
Category: | Works in Fiction |
---|
Author | |
---|---|
Format |
Related products
-
Caught in the World of Binaries: Selected Poems of K S Nisar Ahmed
Author: K S Nisar Ahmed Editors: C N Ramachandran, M S Raghunath
Professor K S Nisar Ahmed (b 1936) is a geologist by profession and a major writer in Kannada. His first collection of poems, Manasu Gandhi Bazar (My Mind is like Gandhi Bazar) was published in 1960, and since then he has published poetry (15 collections), prose (five collections), and translations from Shakespeare and Neruda. He has been honoured with many awards, including ‘Padmashri’, Honorary D Litt (Kuvempu University), and Pampa Prashasti (Karnataka Government). Living between two languages and two cultures, Prof. Nisar has successfully achieved the balance necessary for the tight-rope walking as a poet. He believes that, “Only when you understand another religion (or culture or language), you really understand your own religion (or culture or language).” The present volume of 100 selected poems exhibits the multifaceted poetry of Nisar that reflects his creative pluralism. The 13 translators of the poems in this volume include A K Ramanujan, V K Gokak and Tejaswini Niranjana.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
-
Saga of the Uprooted
Author: Ranga Hari, Translator: Saratchandra Shenoi
This English translation of Visthapanachi Katha, a Konkani Khanda Kavya, depicts the saga of the migration of the Konkani community from Goa to a land far away from home. This collection of poems encapsulates the reign of a colonial power over the region of Goa that began with the entry of the Portuguese in the 16th century. It illustrates the displacement of the Konkani people and their resurgence at Cochin port. The poems describe the transformation of Goa – both culturally and topographically – and the people of Goa who were plundered, displaced, uprooted, and were forced to strip off their culture and identity. The poet is unfolding the tale of his very own ancestors by tracing out these events and graphically portraying the plight of the Konkani people. Saratchandra Shenoi, the author of this English translation, is a multilingual translator and a Sahitya Akademi Award winning (Antarnad – 1999) Konkani poet based in Kochi. He has over twenty books to his credit which include collections of poetry, works of fiction and non-fiction, translations, edited anthologies and language guides. Ranga Hari is the author of the Konkani original text titled Visthapanachi Katha. He has written more than twenty-five books in different languages, and was associated with Bharatiya Sikshan Mandal and Vidya Bharati.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
-
Sangita Lokadrishti
Author: Sumangala
ತಂದೆ-ಮಗಳ ಸುರಬಹಾರಿನ ಸಂಗೀತಬಂಧದ ಚಿತ್ರಣದಿಂದ ಆರಂಭಗೊಳ್ಳುವ ಈ ಕಿರುಕೃತಿಯು ಸಾಗರ ವೀಣೆ ರೂಪುಗೊಳಿಸಿದ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ತಂದೆ-ಮಗಳ ಸಂಗೀತಬಂಧದ ಚಿತ್ರಣದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮುಕ್ತಾಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಲ್ವರು ಸಂಗೀತಗಾರರ ಬದುಕಿನ ಕೆಲವು ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳು, ಸಂಗೀತಪಯಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ಸಾಗಿದ ಹಾದಿ, ಕಠಿಣ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳು, ಅವರ ಸಾಂಗೀತಿಕ ಮನೋಧರ್ಮ, ರಾಗರೂಪದ ಕುರಿತ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಅಂಶಗಳ ಸ್ಥೂಲ ಚಿತ್ರಣವಿದೆ.
ಸುರಬಹಾರಿನ ದಂತಕಥೆಯೆಂದೇ ಹೇಳಬಹುದಾದ ವಿದುಷಿ ಅನ್ನಪೂರ್ಣಾ ದೇವಿಯವರ ಖಾಸಗಿ ಬದುಕು, ಏಕಾಂತ ನಿಗೂಢವೆನ್ನಿಸುವ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಮೈಹರ್ ಘರಾನೆಯ ಸ್ವರಸಂಪತ್ತನ್ನು ಶಿಷ್ಯರಿಗೆ ಧಾರೆಯೆರೆದು ಕಲಿಸುತ್ತ, ಹಲವರನ್ನು ಮೇರು ಕಲಾವಿದರಾಗಿ ರೂಪುಗೊಳಿಸಿದ ಬಗೆಯೂ ಅನನ್ಯ. ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿತ್ರಿಸಿದ ಇನ್ನುಳಿದ ಮೂವರು ಸಂಗೀತಗಾರರು ನಮ್ಮ ನೆರೆಯ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಸಂಗೀತ ಪರಂಪರೆಯನ್ನು ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಸಮೃದ್ಧಗೊಳಿಸಿದವರು.
“ಏ ದಯ್ಯಾ… ಕಹಾಂ ಗಯೇ ವೇ ಲೋಗ್… ಬ್ರಿಜ ಕೆ ಬಸಯ್ಯಾ…”
ಮನುಷ್ಯರ ನಡುವೆ ಹತ್ತುಹಲವು ಬಗೆಯ ದ್ವೇಷದ ಗೋಡೆಗಳು ಎದ್ದು ನಿಂತಿರುವ ಇಂದಿನ ದಿನಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಿನ್ನತೆಗಳಿದ್ದರೂ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಸಂವಾದ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಆ ಜನರನ್ನು, ಆ ಕಾಲಘಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ಮತ್ತೆ ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಬಹುಶಃ ಇಂತಹ ಸಂಗೀತಗಾರರ ಕೊರಳೊಳಗಿನ, ಬೆರಳೊಳಗಿನ ಸ್ವರಗಳೇ ನಮ್ಮ ಕೈಹಿಡಿದು ಮುನ್ನಡೆಸಬೇಕಿದೆ.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
-
Pot of Butter and other short stories
Author: Sunanda Belgaumkar Translator: Sa Usha, Vaijayanti Suryanarayana
Pot of Butter and other Short Stories is a collection of nine short stories, originally composed by Sunanda Belgaumkar in Kannada, handpicked and translated from her collections – Kajjaya and Koduvudenu Kombudenu. The bulk of her literary work including the stories in this book are inspired by the experiences in her early life, in the rustic and robust atmosphere of Dharwad. Her stories are predominantly semiautobiographical, laced with a liberal dose of artistic freedom.
This collection weaves together her writings on the underprivileged and marginalized as seen from the comfort of her palatial home, but rendered with compassion and empathy. Often, we find her narrative infused with self-directed questions such as, “What if I was in her shoes? ” or “Could that have been me? ” These stories are reflections on human nature, suffering, and destiny. There is hope, there is despair. There is love, there is longing. There is defeat, and there is triumph. In her stories, an oft-recurring metaphor for picking up one’s life after loss is a scorching summer followed by a torrential downpour and subsequently a plant springing to life.
As a translation, this book attempts to introduce Sunanda Belgaumkar’s literary and artistic creations to the non-Kannada reader, retaining as much of the indigenous elements of the original writings as possible. In doing so, it seeks to preserve the cultural climate of North Karnataka as it was around fifty years ago.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
-
Swapnasaraswatha
Author: Gopalakrishna Pai Translator: Sumathi Shenoy, M R Rakshith, Savita Sastri
Swapna Saraswatha is the saga of migration of a community called Saraswaths in the west coast of India, extending from Goa to the south of Mangalore. It captures the dominance of a colonial power over the region that began with the entry of the Portuguese about four hundred years ago. The novel is a graphic description of the displacement of this strongly-rooted community which saw its resurrection in a new area. In the course of its narrative, the novel traces the gradual changes in the structure of the family that moved from a closely knit joint family of the bygone era to the nuclear family. It also deals with the factors that are responsible for the change in value systems of individuals in the wake of such paradigm shifts. With its vast canvas, it remarkably weaves fiction with myth and history, peppered with cultural details and linguistic nuances. The narration in Swapna Saraswatha progresses in the form of an epic detailing the story of nine generations spread over a period of two hundred and fifty years from 1510 to about 1760. It encompasses more than a hundred and fifty characters which include Hindus, Muslims, Christians, chieftains, traders, farmers, priests and black magicians, and covers a range of themes spread across folk tales, legends, armies, myths and a sprinkling of history.
-
The Zoo In My Backyard
Author: Usha Rajagopalan
What can you expect in a family of quirky adults, hyperactive children, and an assortment of pets? The author and her siblings shared their childhood with Kesavan, the incorrigibly curious black monkey; Judie, the nimble giant squirrel; Mini, the shy mouse deer that strayed; Psitta, the cackling parakeet; Devil, the runaway hound and many more creatures great and small. The adventures of the children and antics of their pets, together with the adults in the family make for a whole lot of fun and laughter ? not just in the backyard but indoors as well.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
-
Chomasya Dakka
Author: Shivarama Karanth Translator: Ananthapadmanabha Shastri
Set in the coastal Karavali region of Karnataka, Chomasya Dakka is the story of Coma, a Dalit bonded-laborer. Set in the pre-independent India, Comasya Dakka tells a poignant tale of dalit lives, and the suppression of their fundamental rights and identity through the character of Coma. Denied the right to even till and cultivate their own land due to their caste and identity, Coma and his children work as bonded-labourers for their landlord, Sankappayya. The plot of the novel follows the lives of Coma and his children and the tragedies that befall them. The original work in Kannada, Comana Dudi, was adapted into a well-acclaimed, national award-winning film in the year 1975. Directed by B V Karanth, it won the Swarna Kamal, Indias National Award for the Best Film in the year 1976.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
-
Two Plays – The Sahyadri Saga and The World of Swayamvara
Author: Akshara K V Translator: Jayanth Kodkani
These two plays negotiate with the real problems of contemporary India. If Sahyadri Kanda is about the ripples caused in the life of the people in a village on the Western Coast which will soon have a nuclear plant, Swayamvaraloka, is an allegorical narrative set in a small village that extends to include the larger contemporary world. Both the plays dwell on the seeming binaries of village-city, success-failure, modern-traditional while examining the nature of human relationships in the changing world. These plays also reflect an ambition to elevate the real experience to a mythical level. While most playwrights attempt to echo contemporary concerns by reinterpreting history and mythology, for these plays, the epics, their grandeur, the struggle, the wars are not episodes that happen in kingdoms and palaces and battlefields, they are also that which takes place in the microworld of one’s consciousness. Each character in these plays find their own dharma, yet it offers no model for the reader, and remains only a pointer to the complex process of finding it.
Also available on
eBook available on