Extracts from the book

Chapter 2 ~ Amma

Parukutty, whom her family had engaged to look after her, came in every morning and helped her roll her bedding and keep it on one end of the bench. Parukutty washed all the baby's things and swept the room clean. She drew water for Amma's bath from the well. Heated it in a cauldron on the earthen stove in the backyard. And when the water was hot enough, Parukutty led Amma to the bathroom at the back of the house. And after her bath, Amma would sit in her wicker chair with her long black hair hung out to dry behind her. Parukutty would light up the sambrani in a shallow bowl of coal and place it behind the chair, so that the aromatic fumes would mingle with the long tresses, driving the cold away and leaving Amma drowsy and her hair silky dry.

Padmavati by A Madhaviah; Translated from the original Tamil novel into English by Meenakshi Tyagarajan; published by Katha Publishers. Price Rs.250 ; Pp288.

About the author of the book : A.Madhaviah - born in 1872,he was a student of the legendary Rev. Miller of Christian College,Madras. He took his B A with high rank and was a teacher in that College. He became a Salt Inspector and travelled widely in S India. He wrote sixteen short and long works in Tamil and thirteen in English and rendered Othello in Tamil. Padmavati Charitram was published in two parts. Part I in 1898 and the next part in 1899. A third part started in 1924 could not be completed. He died in 1925 of heart attack,immediately after his speech to the Madras University's Senate on making Tamil as a compulsory subject in B A.