INDIA

“The Land of Prayer”

INDIA

- occupies the greater part of South Asia. It is made up of 28 states and eight union territories,
and its national capital is New Delhi, built in the 20th century just south of the historic hub of
Old Delhi to serve as India’s administrative center.

- its capital is the New Delhi.

- rich cultural heritage with diverse religions, languages, and traditions.

- rapidly growing economy with a focus on technology and services.

- a democratic nation with a federal system of government. India is a federal democracy which
means that the country is governed by a system where power is divided between central
government and state governments. Each level of governments has its own responsibilities and
authorities, ensuring a balance of power and protecting the interests of different regions.

- known for its cuisine, music, dance, and literature.

DIVERSE PEOPLE OF INDIA

India is home to a vast array of people with different languages, cultures, religions, and ethnic
backgrounds.

MAJOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS

Hinduism - the most widely practiced religion in India, with a rich tapestry of beliefs, traditions,
and deities.

Islam - a significant minority religion, particularly prevalent in northern and western India.

Christianity - a growing Christian community, with a history dating back to the early days of
Christianity.

Sikhism – a distinct religion with a strong emphasis on equality, justice, and service to humanity.
Buddhism - originating in India, Buddhism has spread to other parts of the world but remains a
significant religion in certain regions of the country.

Jainism - an ancient religion that emphasizes non-violence, vegetarianism, and spiritual purity.

MAJOR LANGUAGES

Hindi - the official language of India, spoken by a significant portion of the population.

English - widely used as a second language, especially in business, education, and government.

Regional Languages - India is home to numerous regional languages, including Bengali, Tamil,
Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, and Kannada.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Indo-Aryan - the largest ethnic group, forming the majority of the population.

Dravidian - another major ethnic group, primarily concentrated in southern India.

Austroasiatic - smaller ethnic groups found in northeastern India.

Tibeto-Burman - another smaller group, primarily located in the Himalayan region.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

 Ancient Period – witnessed the flourishing of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the
earliest urban civilizations. Known for its advanced city planning, sanitation systems, and
craftsmanship. This civilization laid the foundation for India’s cultural and intellectual
development. The Vedic period is characterized by the arrival of the Indo-Aryan
migrants, introduced the Sanskrit language, and the Vedic texts. Mauryan Empire was
marked by the spread of Buddhism and the development of a vast network of roads and
irrigation systems. The Gupta Empire, often hailed as “Golden Age of India”, witnessed
significant advancements in science, mathematics, and literature.
 Medieval Period – was marked by the arrival of the Islam invaders and the
establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. It was also a time of
significant political, social, and cultural transformation. This era witnessed the rise
and fall of numerous
 regional kingdoms, the flourishing of diverse religious traditions, and the development
of unique artistic and literary expressions.
 Modern Period – was characterized by the arrival of the European colonial powers,
particularly the British East India Company. British rule led to significant economic and
social changes, but also exploitation and resentment among the Indian population. The
Indian independence movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawarhal Nehru,
cultivated in the country’s independence from British rule in 1947.

HINDU LITERATURE

- it is one of the oldest and richest literary traditions in the world, dating back thousands of
years. It refers to the body of literary works produced by Hindu culture.

- is a vast and diverse body of texts that spans centuries and encompasses various genres,
including epics, religious scriptures, philosophy, poetry, and drama.

- it is also known as Sanskrit literature because most of the pieces are written in Sanskrit

- talks about wisdom, religion, worship and social norms, themes that were treated throughout
the writings

- the first manifestations of Hindu literature are known from the emergence of the Vedas.

Some Authors in Hindu Literature

Valmiki – author of Ramayana.

Kalidasa – writer of religious and devotional literature, author of the Sanskrit play Sakuntala.

Chanakya – was a renowned Indian philosopher, statesman, and economist who lived during 4th
century BCE. He is best known for his treatise on statecraft and political strategy, Arthashastra.

R.K Narayan – he stood out for writing fiction and non-fiction books. His first novel is Swam and
Friends.

Rabindranath Tagore – a novel prize-winning poet, novelist, and playwright. His works explores
themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
Indian poetry is known for its use of rich imagery, metaphor, and symbolism to convey complex
emotions and ideas. Themes such as love, longing, nature, and spirituality are common in
Indian poetry.

Examples of Hindu poetry:

 Where the mind is without fear and the head is held

high; Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead
habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action—
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

1. Written before India gained its independence, this poem represents Rabindranath Tagore’s
vision of a new and awakened India. The first nine lines of the poem presents a number of
statements beginning with “Where”. These statements describe a place which Tagore is hoping
India will be after independence. In the last two lines of the poem, he then makes a plea to his
Father, for his country to wake up into “that heaven of freedom.” Rabindranath Tagore is a
towering figure in world literature and the most famous modern Indian poet.

Author: Rabindranath Tagore (born May 7, 1861, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India—died August 7,
1941, Calcutta) was a Bengali poet, short-story writer, song composer, playwright.

 A year from amorousness: it passes

slowly. So thought a Yaksha by his master
sent,
for scanting duty, to the Rámagiry
to mope in penance groves as
banishment by rivers Sítá's bathing there
made holy.
 Áshádha's ending on the mountain found
him weakened, gold ring slipping from his wrist.
And mixed his pleasure as a cloud came down
so playfully to hug the summit mist,
as elephants in heat will butt the ground.

In tears withheld he took his fall from grace,

from wealth attending on the King of Kings.
The otherworld that brimmed in cloudy air
was still discomfort when far longing brings
a breath to hold him to that neck's
embrace.
With now the rainy month stood close at hand,
to fresh Kutaja blooms he adds his plea
and asks most courteously the cloud bring news
of welfare to his loved-one — words that she
revived to hear of him, will understand.

The poem talks about a yaksha (nature spirit) who has been exiled to Central India for
neglecting his duties. While pining for his wife on a mountain peak, he sees a cloud and he tries
to convince it to deliver a message to his beloved. He does so by describing to the cloud the
many beautiful sights it will see on its northward course to the Himalayan city of Alaka, where
his wife awaits his return.

Author: Kalidasa is widely regarded as the greatest Indian poet of all time.

 What do you sell O ye merchants

? Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.
What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice.
What do you call , O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?

Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do you cry, O ye

fruitmen? Citron, pomegranate,
and plum. What do you play ,O
musicians? Cithar, sarangi and
drum.
what do you chant, O
magicians? Spells for aeons to
come.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls

With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed.
Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
To perfume the sleep of the dead
The poem has a conversational tone. It is set in the form of questions and answers between the
vendors and buyers in the market. It contains a rhythm and a beat, and the sequence of the
phrases “What do you” and “O ye” marks the rhyme scheme of the poem.

Author: Sarojini Naidu, who is known as The Nightingale of India and this is her most famous
poet.

Vedas - meaning “knowledge,” were written in Vedic Sanskrit between 1500 and 500 BCE in the
northwestern region the Indian Subcontinent. - transmitted orally during the course of
numerous subsequent generations before finally being archived in written form. - believed the
collection was completed by the end of the 2nd millennium BCE (Before Common Era).

Four Indo-Aryan Vedas:

- the Rig Veda contains hymns about their mythology; -

- the Sama Veda consists mainly of hymns about religious rituals;

- the Yajur Veda contains instructions for religious rituals; is divided into the White and Black
halves and contains prose commentaries on how religious and sacrifices should be performed.

- the Atharva Veda consists of spells against enemies, sorcerers, and diseases. (Depending on
the source consulted, these are spelled, for example, either Rig Veda or Rigveda.)

Vedic region - Although the focus of the Vedas is on the message rather than the messengers,
such as Buddha or Jesus Christ in their respective religions, the Vedic religion still held gods in
high regard. Vedic Religion The Aryan pantheon of gods is described in great detail in the Rig
Veda. However, the religious practices and deities are not uniformly consistent in these sacred
texts, probably because the Aryans themselves were not a homogenous group.

According to the hymns of the Rig Veda, the most important deities were:

Agni, the god of Fire, intermediary between the gods and humans.

Indra, the god of Rain, Heaven and War, protector of the Aryans against their enemies.

Surya, the God of sun

Vayu, the god of Wind and divine messenger of God.

Prthivi, the goddess of Earth.

The Epics of India

The Silappathikaram

A young merchant Kovalan’s marriage to the virtuous Kannaki (Kannagi), his love for the
courtesan Matavi, and his consequent ruin and exile in Maturai, where he is unjustly executed
after trying to sell his wife’s anklet to a wicked goldsmith who had stolen the queen’s anklet
and charged Kovalan with the theft. The widow Kannaki comes to Maturai, proves Kovalan’s
innocence, then tears off one breast and throws it at the kingdom of Maturai, which goes up in
flames. Such is the power of a faithful wife. The third book deals with a king’s expedition to
bring Himalayan stone for an image of Kannaki, now a goddess of chastity.

Author: ILANGO ADIGAL, the venerable ascetic prince"), also spelled Ilango Adigal or
Ilangovadigal Ilan kovadigal was a monk and a poet, sometimes identified as a Chera prince. He
is traditionally credited as the author of Cilappatikaram, one of the Five Great Epics of Ancient
Tamil literature.

Characters:

 Kovalan (Kovalan) - Protagonist, young merchant –

 Kannaki (Kannagi) - Kovalan's wife, virtuous and faithful - Traits:
 Matavi - Courtesan, Kovalan's love

interest Kundalakesi

Lived a wealthy business man. He had a daughter called Patthirai. She was born with golden
spoon. Her life is luxurious because of her father. She became a very beautiful lady. Once she
was standing near the window watching outside. There was some soldiers dragging a thief. As
Love has no eyes or brain to think, the most beautiful Patthirai fell in love with the thief.
Immediately, she informed her wish to the father. Her father went to the king and asked to
release the thief. King was shocked. When asked for reason, the business man replied that his
daughter wants to
marry that thief. King warned the business man that Patthirai is a young girl and the thief is a
very dangerous man with bad character. Business man said that Patthirai will change the thief’s
character with her love for him. Business man paid a lot of money to release the thief. The
thief’s name is Sathuvan Kaalan. Marriage happened in an expensive manner. The couple
started the life happily and had best moments. Once out of playfulness, Patthirai called
Sathuvan as thief. Sathuvan kept this in mind for a very long time and decided to revenge his
wife. Once Sathuvan asked Pathirai to dress up beautifully with all jewelry and go for a walk
with him. They both went for a walk. On the edge of the cliff, Sathuvan revealed his plan to kill
Pathirai. Pathirai being a very smart woman, asked Sathuvan her final wish. She said she wants
to go around him 3 times and get his blessings one last time. Sathuvan was amazed at his wife’s
love for him and granted her wish. Pathirai went on 2 rounds around him and on the 3rd round
pushed him from back from the edge of the cliff. She felt disappointed and stayed at the cliff for
some time and walked like a wanderer. She shaved all her hair for her safety and went in search
of wisdom. Her hair grew like a spring after she shaved. That’s why the literature is called
“Kundalakesi”. Kundala means curly and Kesi means hair of feminine gender. She argued about
wisdom in so many places while wandering. Finally Lord Buddha accepted her as his disciple.
Pathirai became calm and attained self realization. This literature was added under Buddhism
category as Pathirai was accepted by Lord Buddha.

Author: NATHAKUTHANAAR, likely sometime in the 10th-century.

Characters:

 Patthirai (Kundalakesi) -Protagonist, wealthy businessman's daughter

 Sathuvan Kaalan - Thief, Patthirai's husband
 Wealthy Businessman - Patthirai's father
 King - Ruler of the land, Warns businessman about Sathuvan's character

Indian drama - refers to the theatrical tradition and performances that originated in India. It
includes classical, folk and modern [Link] earliest forms of Indian drama can be traced back
to the Rigveda (1500-1200 BCE), which contains hymns in dialogue format. These hymns were
part of ritualistic ceremonies and are believed to have inspired early dramatic forms.
Drama during this period was likely more performative and connected to religious rituals rather
than structured theater as we know it today.

3 MAJOR PHASES

1. Classical Drama - based on sanskrit texts and flourished from around 200 CE to 1100 CE.
Sanskrit plays were sophisticated and philosophical often connected to mythology, epics and
religious texts. The major dramatists of this era include Kalidasa, Bhasa, Sudraka and
Bhavabhuti.

Kalidasa, often regarded as the greatest classical Sanskrit poet and playwright, lived during the
Gupta period (4th-5th century CE), which is considered a golden age of Indian culture and arts.

Shakuntala

Shakuntala is the daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the celestial nymph Menaka. However,
she is abandoned as a baby and raised by the wise sage Kanva in his forest hermitage.
Shakuntala grows up to be a beautiful, innocent, and kind-hearted young woman.

One day, King Dushyanta visits the forest while hunting and meets Shakuntala. They fall deeply
in love, and the king marries her in a secret Gandharva marriage (a marriage by mutual consent,
without formal rituals). Before returning to his kingdom, Dushyanta gives Shakuntala a ring as a
token of their love, promising to send for her soon.

After Dushyanta leaves, Shakuntala, lost in thoughts of her husband, unknowingly offends the
hot-tempered sage Durvasa, who comes to visit the hermitage. Durvasa curses her, saying that
the person she is thinking about (King Dushyanta) will forget her. Shakuntala’s friends beg for
mercy, so Durvasa softens the curse, saying that Dushyanta will remember her again when he
sees the ring she wears.

Time passes, and Shakuntala, now pregnant, goes to the king’s palace with hopes of joining
him. However, when she arrives, Dushyanta, under the curse, does not recognize her and
rejects her. Heartbroken, Shakuntala loses the ring while crossing a river, leaving her with no
proof of their marriage. Devastated, she retreats to the forest, where she gives birth to their
son, Bharata.
Later, a fisherman finds the lost ring and brings it to the king. Upon seeing the ring, Dushyanta’s
memory of Shakuntala returns, and he is filled with guilt and sorrow. He immediately sets out
to find her.

After a long separation, Dushyanta and Shakuntala are finally reunited, and he meets their son,
Bharata, who later becomes a great king. The story ends with their reunion, forgiveness, and
the fulfillment of their love.

Characters in the story

Shakuntala: A kind, innocent, and beautiful young woman raised in a hermitage. She falls in
love with King Dushyanta and marries him.

King Dushyanta: A noble and powerful king who falls in love with Shakuntala.

Sage Durvasa: A quick-tempered sage who curses Shakuntala after she unintentionally ignores
him, causing Dushyanta to forget her.

Kanva: Shakuntala’s foster father and a wise sage. He blesses her marriage and cares deeply for
her.

Priyamvada and Anusuya: Shakuntala’s close friends at the hermitage. They support and
comfort her, especially during the difficult time caused by the curse.

Themes

-Love

-Separation and Reunion

-Fate and Destiny

Folk Drama

-refers to traditional, rural forms of dramatic performances that are rooted in a region’s cultural
practices and collective imagination. These dramas are often performed in the open, involve
simple settings, and are steeped in local myths, legends, and folklore.
Nautanki and Tamasha: Folk theatre forms in North India.

Yatra: A form of performance popular in Bengal.

Modern Drama

- influenced by British theater during colonial times, including the works of playwrights like
Rabindranath Tagore and Vijay Tendulkar.

Pioneers of Modern Drama

Rabindranath Tagore: Nobel laureate Tagore is one of India’s greatest dramatists, contributing
to both Indian literature and drama. His works, such as The Post Office and Red Oleanders,
explored human emotions, spirituality, and social injustice.

Vijay Tendulkar: Known for his realistic portrayal of social issues, Tendulkar’s plays such as
Ghashiram Kotwal and Sakharam Binder delved into the complexities of power, oppression, and
morality.

THE GREATEST EPIC OF INDIA

THE LONGEST EPIC IN THE WORLD

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other is the
Ramayana. It is attributed to the sage Vyasa and is considered the longest epic poem ever
written, with over 100,000 shlokas (couplets), roughly ten times the length of Homer’s Iliad and
Odyssey combined. It narrates the story of the Kuru dynasty, focusing on the rivalry between
two groups of cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, which ultimately leads to the great
battle of Kurukshetra.

Mahabharata is a sacred epic poem that tells about the struggles faced between two groups of
cousins to gain supreme power. One of them was the Kauravas (hundred sons of King
Dhritarashtra), and the other group was the Pandavas (five sons of Pandu). These two rival
families opposed each other in a war to gain possession of their ancestral Bharata kingdom and
also the capital, Hastinapur. The story begins with Pandu, as the king, who was skilled in
warfare and archery. His cousin-brother, Dhritarashtra, was the eldest, and was barred from
being the king because he was blind. When the political and social affairs of the kingdom were
running smoothly under the power of Pandu, he decided to hand over the state affairs to his
blind brother Dhritarashtra and retreated into the forest with his two wives for some time.
When they returned, Pandu and his wife Madri were not alive. Kunti, Pandu's other wife
returned to the kingdom with her five sons called the Pandavas. The sons were fathered by five
gods since a curse prevented Pandu from being a father. On the other hand, King Dhritarashtra
had 100 sons called the Kauravas, and were considered human incarnations of demons,
according to the text. The Kauravas were jealous and treated their cousins (the Pandavas)
brutally. Yudhisthira, the eldest of the Pandavas was the next king to the throne since he was
older than Duryodhana. Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas did not approve of this
decision. Hostility and enmity started developing among the cousins which compelled the
Pandavas to leave the kingdom. During their first exile, the Kauravas conspired and plotted a
plan to kill the Pandavas by setting up fire in a mansion made with highly flammable materials.
Although this plan failed, the Kauravas were desperate to destroy the Pandavas.

The Pandavas was tricked by Duryodhana's uncle, Shakuni in a gambling game of dice, called
Chaturanga. Yudhisthira was invited to play and failed the game miserably by losing his
possessions and kingdom. Therefore, the Kauravas viciously took advantage of the Pandavas
and sent them on exile for 12 years. This event prompted the war between the Pandavas and
the Kauravas. When the Pandavas returned from their exile to the kingdom, Duryodhan (the
eldest son of the Kauravas) refused to restore the kingdom to his cousins (the Pandavas) and
was ready to battle for it. Although the Pandavas requested a peace treaty, the Kauravas
disagreed with all their requests. This gives rise to the battle of Kurukshetra, where the cousins
fight each other. Many kingdoms were allied with the Pandavas and with the Kauravas in this
battle. After 18 gruesome days of slaughter, the Pandavas survived, and won the battle, but had
lost their near and dear ones too. After the war, Yudhishthira was tested when he reached the
gates of Heaven. He was asked to choose between blissful eternity in Heaven, without his
brothers, or join his
brothers in hell. Unaware of the fact that his brothers were already in Heaven, it was a trick to
test the character of Yudhisthira. He chose to stay with his brothers, wherever they were.

THE STORY OF THE SAINT

The Story of a Saint A.M. Rosenthal Pochempelli lay baking in the sun of South India | on April
18, 1951. Like thousands of other villages in the Telengana district, it was sick with hunger,
angry with landlessness, ready for Communists. But on that day in Pochempelli, a saint was
born-at the age of 56-and the strangest economic movement of modern times began. The
movement was based on the simple idea that the peasant must have land, his own land, to live
in. And that those who had more than enough should, just because it was right, give to those
who had none. Its essential ingredient called "love." Since that day, thousands of Indians have
sat on the ground listening to a frail, little man with a pale goatee, slipping spectacles, and a
faraway look. When he finished his message, they signed over part of their precious land for
him to give to others. What's more, thousands who have never even seen this man have sent
him slips of paper, legal in the courts, stating "I give to Vinoba this much of my land." It all
began in April of 1951 when Vinoba was walking through Telengana to attend a conference of
the followers of Gandhi, now three years dead. At the time, Telengana, which is in the state of
Hyderabad, was the center of Communist activity. The Communists already ruled many of the
vil- lages. They ruled by terror and through the despair of the hungry farmers, and the still
greater despair of the wandering or rent-gouged landless. Untouchables, these latter used to be
called until Gandhi renamed them Harijans, children of God. Everywhere Vinoba went, the
villagers who saw in him a discipline of the great Gandhi came to him. They told him that they
were beginning to think- Why not communism? Vinoba talked peace and work to them, nonvio-
lence to the marauding communist band. But he had no real answers as he and the peasants
and the Com- munists knew. On the
eighteenth, he entered the villages of Po- chempelli, a place much like all the villages of India.
He held a prayer meeting under the trees. In the group squatting before him were many
Harijans. "We have no land," said one of their leaders. "The government is not helping us. The
Communists say they will give us land." More in despair than out of any other motives, Vinoba
said to the other villagers, "What will you do for the families of the Harijans?" In the group was
a man, wealthy by the standards of Telengana. His name was Ram Chandra and he be- longed
to the caste of the Reddis, not highborn but hardworking and powerful. Like everybody else, he
was worried about the Communists and the fact that some landlords had thought it the best
part of bravery to fall in with them. That day, when Vinoba asked what was to be done for the
landless Harijans, the answer came quite sim- ply to Chandra. Suddenly he was on his feet,
offering his own land. Vinoba looked at Ram, shook his head slightly, and said he did not believe
him. Ram Chandra asked for a scrap of paper. On it he wrote a sentence signing away fifty
hectares. Vinoba, a man who almost never displayed emo- tion, clapped his hands with joy. For
in that moment of elation he had decided what Ram Chandra would do, others would do, and
that this would be the mis- sion of his life. "A man does not find it difficult to part with mon-
ey," he said later, "but to give away land in charity is like sharing one's body with others." That
was the beginning of the Bhoodan land-gift movement. For fifty days, Vinoba walked through
the rest of Hyderabad, talking and thinking out the idea. And during that time six thousand
hectares were given to him. The Communist threat to Hyderabad is now dead. Vinoba did not
kill it himself. Indian troops, new leg- islation, abolition of some of the rent-collecting mid-
dlemen who had been riding the back of peasants- all helped make Hyderabad a place where
men could walk without fear. But few will deny that Bhoodan took the edge off the bitterness in
the unhappy state. After Hyderabad, the big men of the government in New Delhi acclaimed
Bhoodan. Gifts came in from all over the country, from places where Bhave had never set foot.
There were attempts to tie up Bhoodan with a political party, with other organizations. But
Bhave turned away from them and started walking again, through Bihar into Bengal, into Orissa
and Andura. Everywhere, people waited for him and cried, "Victory to Saint Vinoba," and
everywhere, Vinoba prayed and talked. The man whom India is calling the new Gandhi was
born on September 11, 1895, the son of a Brahmin family in Baharashtra, in Western India. He
was of the highest caste. From his earliest
years, Vinoba knew his way was the way of asceticism. Like most Hindus, he is a vegetarian. A
friend said of him, "He ate books." When he was sixteen, Vinoba left his family to seek a life of
study, self-denial, and striving for under- standing. While at the university in the Holy City of
Benares, his road met the road of Mahatma Gandhi. For about twenty years, Vinoba studied
and prayed and followed Gandhi. Once he asked for a year's leave of absence and spent it
studying to train mind and scavenging in the villages to train his soul. In 1940, he was chosen by
Gandhi to offer him- self for arrest as a protest against British edicts barring public speeches
and assemblies. He spent most of the next five years in jail. After independence came to India,
Vinoba took no part in the political life of the country. When Gan- dhi died by an assassin's
hand, many looked to Vinoba for renewal of the spiritual light they felt had gone out of their
lives. But others considered him only a pale reflection of the Mahatma. Now, of course, millions
speak of him as the new Gandhi, though it is a comparison that does not fit all details. Gandhi,
essentially, was a political leader. Vinoba is a man of religion. Gandhi moved men to mass
action. Vinoba moves them to individual action. There probably never has been a national
move- ment conducted with more simple disciples than Bhoodan. The leader and the men and
women who follow him rise about three-twenty in the morning. Outside the village hut that
Vinoba has been using for the night, his disciples gather for prayer. An hour later, without a
word of command or direction, Vinoba sets off briskly down the road. The disciples fall in
behind. For the first half hour or so, nobody approaches the leader. This is time for silent
thinking. (Every moment of Vinoba's day is rationed a pocket watch is one of the few gadgets
he permits himself.) When the sun comes up, there is a pause for Vino- ba's morning bowl of
curds. Curds and milk, and once in a while some lemon juice, are all he eats. For a long time, he
refused any medicine but now he takes malaria- suppressives. He has that unsaintly malady,
ulcers, but generally his physical condition is good. Along the road, peasants try to touch their
fore- heads to his sandals in the ancient Indian gesture of filial piety. He keeps walking until he
comes to the village for the day, where a hut has been prepared for him and a shed made clean
for his followers. When evening brings some faint relief from the merciless sun, a portable
public address system is set up-incongruously modern in a village where men lived as they did a
thousand years ago and Vinoba sits under a tree and begins his prayer meeting. Not long ago,
speaking of the meaning of Bhoodan, Vinoba told his listeners:
"The life of India must be built on the villages. For centuries her people have let others, living
far away in the cities, think and rule for them. Now, since independence, the power is theirs,
but they must feel it and experience it themselves." Bhoodan is a step toward the realization of
the independence of the village. Thus if there are five hundred people in the vil- lage, there will
be one thousand hands and one thousand feet and five hundred brains. But there will be one
heart." In almost every village, a land is given to Bhoodan. A majarajah gave fifty thousand
hectares: rival maharajah, fifty thousand and one half. The poor give most. One peasant gave
Vinoba one- fortieth of his lone acre. Vinoba accepted, but he deeded it back to the peasant
and told him to give ins produce to the poor. Those who think Bhooban is a lot of foolishnes
point out that about thirty percent of the land given is bad land. Vinoba admits this. He says,
however, thar almost any land can be used for communal buildings or goat pasture, if not for
farming. The Communists, who dare not to attack Bhoodan openly, try to undermine it as a
reform supported by the big landowners in an effort to save their necks from the rope of
peasants. Economists, objecting to Vinoba's way, contend that to give all the landless in Indian
land, would require about eighty years and take two-fifths of the sown area of the country.
Because of the swift increase in population, in one hundred eighty years there will be more
than twice as many landless as there are today, so Bhoodan will be farther from its goal than
when it started. Figures in India, as in other countries, are what you make them. Vinoba says
that India has three hundred million acres of cultivable land and sixty million farm families. Split
the land among the families and you get five acres to the family which is more than sixty
percent of what the people have now. When the population goes up, the new land will be
found, land now undeveloped. In New Delhi once, Vinoba mentioned some of the objections to
Bhoodan and then turned away from them. It happened, he reminded his listeners, that Lord
Vishnu, the Hindu Lord of Preservation, came to earth in the forms of the gods of Rama and
Krishna. "Nobody can resolve all the world affairs," he said. "We had Rama and we had Krishna.
They did what they could for the world. But there was no end to problems. One can only do
one's work.

The Nose Jewel

The story “The Nose-Jewel” written by C. Rajagopalachari, revolves around the greedy nature of
human beings and its consequences. In the story, we have Ramayya and his wife, who often fall
into an ugly fight due to the lack of luxury. Ramayya is not rich, but he manages to earn enough
money to run his house and support his family.

Their house is built of tiled roofs, on which two sparrows had built a nest. The male-sparrow
wanted to help Ramayya after noticing their awful fights. However, the female-sparrow
rejected the idea of interrupting in other’s personal lives and advised the male sparrow that
they both should mind their own business.

A Diamond Nose Pin

One day the male-sparrow spotted a diamond nose pin in a muck-heap. He picked it up to offer
it to his female sparrow. Instead of getting delighted, the female sparrow showed no interest in
the ring and informed him that it was of no use to her. So, she asked him to bring some food for
their baby birds, which was much more important than the ring.

The male-sparrow dropped the diamond stud on the floor and flew off in forage of the food.
While sweeping the house floor, Ramayya wife discovered the ring and instead of investigating
about the ring and its owner, she cheerfully wore it.

Ramayya was not delighted to see his wife wearing a ring, which doesn’t belong to her. He was
indagated and asked her that they would go and deliver it to the village magistrate. However,
his wife was upset on the thought of detaching herself with the ring.

Diamond Belonged to their Neighbor

It was soon learned that the diamond nose jewel, actually belonged to Meenakshi Ammal’s
daughter, who was a neighbour of Ramayya. Meenakshi’s daughter left the ring in her
bathroom, and she suspected her housemaid, Kuppayi, for the theft of the ring. Meenakshi
consoled her daughter not to inform about the lost stud to her father, Ramanatham.

But Ramanatham and the entire village were aware of the incident. Everyone suspected the
maid servant for stealing the diamond ring. The police reached Kuppayi’s residence and after
investigating, they found nothing. In this way, the police extended their investigation to other
places and neighbouring houses.
Severe Fever

Meanwhile, Rammaya’s wife caught a severe fever and was bedridden. She hid the diamond
ring in a box. The two birds observed everything and discussed among themselves that “we
should never be greedy for what belongs to others”.

The female sparrow blamed the male sparrow for causing the distress in the village. But
according to the Male sparrow, it was the greed of Ramayya’s wife, which was actually the main
cause of their distress.

The two birds then decided that they would never mind any one’s business and then they flew
off in search of their food. Nobody in the village bothered to suspect Ramayya wife for the theft
of the ring Ramayya and his wife were never suspected, but they spent their lives with a never-
ending terror of getting caught
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