Mira And The Mahatma

A Brilliantly Woven Narrative, With Facts As The Warp And Imagination As The Weft . . . Kakar'S Is A Marvellous Effort To Peel Away The Layers Surrounding Gandhi'-Hindu It Is 1925 And India'S Struggle For Independence Is In Disarray, Impeded By Factionalism Among Its Leaders And Rising Incidents Of Communal Disharmony Across The Country. Meanwhile, Having Withdrawn Himself From Active Politics, Bapu-Mahatma Gandhi-Is In The Sabarmati Ashram In Gujarat, Immersed In The Creation Of An Ideal Community That Is Dedicated To The Highest Standards Of Self-Discipline, Tolerance And Austerity. Into This World Comes Madeleine Slade, The Daughter Of A British Admiral, Who Has Set Her Heart On Becoming Bapu'S Greatest Disciple. Bapu Embraces Her Into The Fold And, As She Becomes An Indispensable Part Of The Ashram And His Life, Renames Her Mira After Mirabai, The Legendary Devotee Of Krishna. But It Is Not Long Before Mira'S All-Consuming Desire To Serve Bapu Transforms Into A Desperate Need To Be Close To Him At All Times And Clashes Head-On With The Exacting Moral And Spiritual Codes He Has Laid Down For Himself And Those Around Him. And As The Self-Doubting Mahatma, Seeking To Distance Himself From Mira Yet Loath To Let Go Of Her Love, Wrestles With His Inner Phantoms, Mira'S Life Begins To Take Another Dramatic Turn . . .

It Is 1925 And India'S Struggle For Independence Is In Disarray, Impeded By Factionalism Among Its Leaders And Rising Incidents Of Communal Disharmony Across The Country. Meanwhile, Having Withdrawn Himself From Active Politics, The Mahatma Is In The Sabarmati Ashram In Gujarat, Immersed In What He Considers The Most Important Undertaking Of His Life: The Creation Of An Ideal Community That Is Dedicated To The Highest Standards Of Self-Discipline, Tolerance And Austerity. Into This World Comes Madeline Slade, The Daughter Of A British Admiral, Who Has Set Her Heart On Being Bapu'S Greatest Disciple. Thus Begins An Extraordinary Association Between Two Individuals Driven By Distinct Passions. For Gandhi, True Spirituality Lies In `Self-Rule' A Mastery Of The Self That Liberates The Being From All Forms Of Craving, Physical And Emotional And Total Dedication To Practical Work In Service Of Society; Mira, As Gandhi Renames Madeline, Believes That The Path To Ultimate Truth And Perfection Is Complete Surrender To The Human Embodiment Of The Eternal Spirit, And This She Perceives In Gandhi Himself. It Is Not Long Before Mira'S All-Consuming Desire To Serve Bapu Translates Into A Desperate Need To Be Close To Him At All Times And Clashes Head On With The Exacting Moral And Spiritual Codes He Has Laid Down For Himself And Those Around Him. And As The Self-Doubting Mahatma, Seeking To Distance Himself From Mira Yet Loath To Let Go Of Her Love, Wrestles With His Inner Phantoms, Mira'S Life Begins To Take Another Dramatic Turn... In His Bold, Fictionalized Exploration Of This Complex And Tumultuous Relationship, Sudhir Kakar Displays Once Again His Skill At Handling Delicate Material With Remarkable Sensitivity, Instinctive Empathy And High Imagination.

Gandhi’s relationship with women has proved irresistibly fascinating to many, but it is surprising how little scholarly work has been undertaken on his attitudes to and relationships with women. Going Native details Gandhi’s relationship with Western women, including those who inspired him, worked with him, supported him in his political activities in South Africa, or helped shape his international image. Of particular note are those women who ‘went native’ to live with Gandhi as close friends and disciples, those who were drawn to him because of a shared interest in celibacy, those who came seeking a spiritual master, or came because of mental confusion. Some joined him because they were fixated on his person rather than because of an interest in his social programme. Through these fascinating women, we get a different insight into Gandhi, who encouraged them to come and then was often captivated, and at times exasperated, by them.

Fictionalized work explores the complex relationship between Mira Behn, 1892-1982 and Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.

This book is about Madeleine Slade (1892-1982) and Catherine Mary Heilemann (1901-1982), two English associates of Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869-1948), known in India as Mira Behn and Sarala Behn. The odysseys of these women present a counternarrative to the forces of imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and globalized development. The book examines their extraordinary journey to India to work with Gandhi and their roles in India’s independence movement, their spiritual strivings, their independent work in the Himalayas, and most importantly, their contribution to the evolution of Gandhian philosophy of socio-economic reconstruction and environmental conservation in the present Indian state of Uttarakhand. The author shows that these women developed ideas and practices that drew from an extensive intellectual terrain that cannot be limited to Gandhi’s work. She delineates directions in which Gandhian thought and experiments in rural development work and visions of a new society evolved through the lives, activism, and written contributions of these two women. Their thought and practice generated a new cultural consciousness on sustainability that had a key influence in environmental debates in India and beyond and were responsible for two of the most important environmental movements of India and the world: the Chipko Movement or the movement against commercial green felling of trees by hugging them, and the protest against the Tehri high dam on the Bhagirathi River. To this day, their teachings and philosophies constitute a useful and significant contribution to the search for and implementation of global ideas of ecological conservation and human development.

This collection of letters between Mahatma Gandhi and his close associate Mira Behn (real name Madeline Slade) provides a rare glimpse into the personal and political thoughts of one of the most revered figures in Indian history. With insight and passion, Gandhi and Mira discuss matters ranging from their shared commitment to non-violent resistance to the day-to-day struggles of life in India. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Ved Mehta's brilliant Mahatma Gandhi and his Apostles provides an unparalleled portrait of the man who lead India out of its colonial past and into its modern form. Travelling all over India and the rest of the world, Mehta gives a nuanced and complex, yet vividly alive, portrait of Gandhi and of those men and women who were inspired by his actions.

This is a new release of the original 1960 edition.