By Our Staff Reporter
Rishikesh, 10 Oct: On 30 September, author Nandini Kapadia’s book, “India’s Spiritual Heroines”, was inaugurated with great fanfare by the Governor of Telangana, Dr Tamilsai Sounderajan, and the Union Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Meenakshi Lekhi. The book was released during the Zonal Sanskriti Mahotsav held in New Delhi’s Central Park in Connaught Place.
The book is a first of its kind anthology of biographies of India’s women spiritual icons from Vedic times till the Twenty-first Century. Included in the book are life stories of thirty-three female scholars, sages, mystics, ascetic, yoginis and Bhakti saints. Some of them are well-known like Mirabai, Akka Mahadevi, Anandamayi Ma and Sarada Devi. Interestingly, many unknown saints have been included as well such as Mayamma of Kanyakumari and Sadhvi Kamlesh Kumari who was born in Pakistan before Partition.
During the speech at the function, the author said, with the release of this book her desire to bring these remarkable women to the limelight had been fulfilled.
Interestingly, the foreword for the book is written by the eminent woman spiritual leader, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, and blessed by the president and spiritual head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Chidanand Saraswati.
During her acceptance speech at the launch, Nandini, while thanking Dr Tamilsai Sounderajan and Meenakshi Lekhi, commended the current government for honouring women and taking steps to empower them.
She said, “Navratri will be celebrated with great pomp and pageantry across the country. The nine days marked for the worship of Shakti is a time to connect with the Divine Mother, to invoke her blessings, protection and guidance. Surely, it is also an auspicious time to commemorate female spiritual icons of India who are an integral part of our glorious legacy. As we salute these emanations of Shakti, I present you India’s Spiritual Heroines which chronicles the lives and achievements of these exemplary women.”
“Why call them heroines, you may ask?” she added. “Well, the dictionary says, a heroine is a woman who is admired for her courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. The female seers, sages, mystics, and Bhakti saints who have been shaping our cultural and spiritual heritage since millenniums, are they not our spiritual heroines? Although we may not often hear about them, their contributions are deeply embedded in the spiritual fabric of this nation. Their life stories tell us of the tremendous courage they displayed in overcoming disadvantageous situations. Undaunted, they never compromised with their choices. They explored, expressed, and contributed philosophical and spiritual concepts of immense value but have remained virtually obscure.”
“As a seeker, I found their stories inspiring and elevating,” she asserted. “The vast trove of literature they have left behind, like bhajans, abhangas, vakhs, vachanas, they are an invaluable source of knowledge and inspiration for all of us. Through this book my desire to bring their lives to the limelight has been fulfilled. I stand here before you today and thank you for your time. I hope you will get and enjoy reading about the spiritual heroines of India.”
