Valley of Words litt fest: Swallowing the Sun comes in for deep analysis
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 25 Oct: A very interesting discussion was held between the author Laxmi Murdeshwar Puri and the discussant Manoj Barthwal on the award winning book, ‘Swallowing the Sun‘ in the English fiction category at the current Valley of Words Literature and Arts Festival on the opening day of the two day Valley of Words Literature & Arts Festival at Hotel Madhuban here on Saturday.
To begin the discussion, Manoj Barthwal quoted great Sanskrit poet Kalidas. He also noted that the book has been set between 1918 and 1949. Against this national backdrop, Puri weaves a personal coming-of-age narrative that explores the intersections of gender, identity and social transformation during the formative years of modern India.
He also mentioned that this was the debut book of fiction by the author who has been a distinguished diplomat and has served as ambassador of India to several countries and also noted that though the book is the first work of fiction by the author, it is so well written and it clearly reminds the readers that the author is a very well read person.
Laxmi Puri said that though, she was among the youngest IFS (Indian Foreign Service) women officers, she has ventured rather late into the world of literature.
She shared that the novel traces the journey of Malati, a young woman from a village in Maharashtra, as she and her companions Kamala and Chandra navigate education, romance and the larger currents of India’s freedom movement.
Speaking during the discussion, Puri said the book, though not autobiographical, draws deeply from her parents’ generation and their experiences of the pre- and post-Independence eras. She said that it is not a biography or autobiography but still very much inspired by her parents. It is the story of achieving the impossible as it embodies the spirit of daring and self-realisation symbolised by the medieval Marathi saint-poet Muktabai’s abhang, whose line “the ant flies into the sky, she swallows the sun” inspired the title.
Puri further asserted that the book can’t be categorised into any particular genre or generation as it dwells into several genres and for this reason, has attained popularity across generations. It relates to women empowerment but also a love story.
Barthwal noted that the book fuses historical details with emotional depth. He also reminded that the book liberally uses Marathi, Hindi words and rhythms and cadences. Puri responded that though she was mostly brought up in Delhi, her parents conversed in poetic Marathi and that her father used to recite Marathi poetry and lyrics to her. Puri said her background in international diplomacy and her years with the United Nations shaped her understanding of gender, equality and freedom, ideas that run through the novel’s narrative. Her years in global service made her more aware of how women’s empowerment, choice and identity are central to both personal and national liberation, she observed.
