About a year ago, I was introduced to the rich regional literature of Dakshina Kannada (South Canara). It gave me an insight into the cultural practices and beliefs. While reading the feminist literature of the Western world, I always wondered if we really had such stories in our regional literature. To my surprise, I stumbled upon Shivarama Karanth’s A Shrine For Sarasamma.

When I first started reading it, I was completely unaware of the celebrated author’s writing style and his punch of irony. Toward’s the end, I was hit by the presence of an unevolved reality of subtle patriarchy. This post is written to celebrate and highlight the regional feminist Indian Literature from Dakshina Kannada.

Kota Shivarama Karanth was a revolutionary and the ultimate renaissance man from Coastal Karnataka. His artistic sense, impactful stories and creative genius gave him the title of Rabindranath Tagore of Karnataka. Apart from his literary achievements, he was a pioneer in transforming Yakshagana (ancient dance-drama form) to suit the modern audience. Although these tales might be of another time, they are rooted in Kannada culture and have become the mirror to the society.

Summary:

A Shrine for Sarasamma is the chronicle of a little village Moodambylu in Dakshina Karnataka. This fictional village is the home to the shrine of Mahasati Saraswatiyamma, which over the years turned into Masti Sarasamma. Sarasamma was known to be a pious woman who performed the act of Sati (Sati is a historical Hindu practice in which a widow sacrifices herself by sitting atop her deceased husband’s funeral pyre).

Her story of greatness went to nearby towns and a shrine dedicated to her arose. Within no time, the small shrine drew in a large number of pilgrims from near and far regions. They came to pray in this shrine when irrevocable cracks appeared in their married life. They would apply Kumkum (vermillion) to the deity and float a coconut unobserved by anyone in the nearby pond. The novel is centred around the shrine, the lives of those who prayed and Sarasamma herself. At the climax, the story takes a sharp turn towards irony and one is left wondering at the impeccable observation of the author!

Character Sketch:

Sunalini:

One of the first educated woman from her village, Sunalini had passed the matriculation exam. She was well-versed in English and loved reading the English newspaper. Unfortunately, she was ridiculed by her husband and mother-in-law. She was bitterly lonely and yearned for some sort of improvement in familial ties.

Bhagirathi:

Married to Hiranya, Bhagirathi was a woman of character. During the initial days of her marriage, her father-in-law Venkatramanaiah had spoken disrespectfully about her to his son. On overhearing this conversation, Bhagirathi returned to her father’s place, demanding respect and the right to be treated like a human. Her character was tarnished by the neighbours and her father-in-law.

Hiranya:

Son of the arrogant Venkatramanaiah, Hiranya was brought up with strict discipline. When his wife Bhagirathi defied the Societal construct and left home demanding respect, his eyes were opened. Two years since the separation, the timid boy went to the Masti Shrine to pray for his marriage. He eventually joined Bhagirathi against the conformist ideals of the village.

Chandraiah:

Among several characters, Chandraiah seemed to be an observer. He was a revolutionary and tried to help those women whose married life was in shambles. A man of great empathy, he befriended the ghost, Belyakka. Most of the thought-provoking statements made on the hypocrisy of people came from him. His discovery of the reality of the Shrine leaves one in shock.

Belyakka:

A rumour ran in the village that a beautiful ghost was spotted loitering around Sarasamma’s shrine. This instilled a bug of curiosity in Chandraiah. He went on the hunt for the supposed ghost and asked many townsfolk for their experience with the supernatural. Belyakka finally paid him a visit and asked for his friendship in return. Towards the end of the book, Belyakka revealed her truth and the reality of the Shrine. She was the woman who was pushed into the pyre and was later celebrated as a Mahasati. Her husband caused her great torment when he was alive and continued controlling her subtle body after death.

The so called Shrine which was known to strengthen one’s marriage was built on the foundation of deceit and pain.

What a paradox!

The devotees prayed to Sarasamma whose life was an unfortunate struggle. Instead of working on their relationship, the townsfolk found it convenient to abdicate their responsibility to Sarasamma. Though written in 1937, the feministic principles and reflection of society’s hypocrisy still holds true!

The book was translated to English by DA Shankar and published by Manipal University Press. You can find the book here.

If you are interested in learning more about Shivarama Karanth’s life, please read the book, Growing up Karanth. Written by his children Ullas Karanth, Malvika Kapur and Kshama Rau, the book is a detailed biography of Karanth’s life from the eyes of his family.