Russia's love affair with Jaipur
As the title Dialogues With The Past: Ethno History of a Rajput Princely State,' suggests, the book explores the social and political scenario of the erstwhile princely state Jaipur, which was earlier called Dhundhar. Ask her whether she faced any struggle while writing the book, and Elena says, "Not at all. It's been 40 years since I have been coming to the Pink City. I've never faced any problem traveling and living here, and this place is very close to my heart.
"Mujhe har gali aur mohalla yaad hai. Yahan ke log sab apne se lagte hain," claims the writer in a firang accent. And why not, the lady is well-versed in Hindi and a bit of Marwari. A research scholar from the Institute of Oriental Studies Moscow, Elena came to Jaipur in 1973 for a cultural exchange programme. Her stay in the city for one year Masters Course at Rajasthan University made her fall in love with the city. "My father was a diplomat posted in New Delhi.
Though I never lived here, the stories he shared with me made me completely fall in love with Jaipur even before I physically came here," she adds. During her stay, she extensively travelled the state for her research project on Meera Bai, the famous poetess and devotee of Lord Krishna. Her love affair with Rajasthan took a turn and she decided to write a book on Jaipur. "I was planning to pen down the book, but due to something or the other, it took so many years, and finally, I am done with it," informs the writer, who now plans to come up with an English translation of the book which will be launched during the Jaipur Lit Fest 2015.
Rani Lakshmi, an inspiration
Her book is a detailed reference guide of 350 pages, outlining the rule of Meena dynasty over Amber, Jaipur's foundation by the Kachhwa dynasty, the entire Dhundar region, socio-economy, polity, folklores, art and culture. The book's content is mostly out of the research she did on her own, and not on information provided in other books. "My book is people's perception and imagination of the glorious past that the city has witnessed. My idea was to learn what people think of the city," she asserts. And what inspired her to dedicate the book to Chundawat? "She is the one who inspired me to write the book. She is a great woman, who, coming from a traditional Rajput family, accomplished so much.
I could not think of anyone better than her, who is still struggling at the age of 97 to preserve the oral traditions of Rajasthan." When we asked Chundawat about the book dedicated to her, she said, "I am deeply honoured that the Russian writer has dedicated the book to me. It's been years since she's been coming to Jaipur and has dedicated so much time to writing a book on Jaipur." Chundawat herself is a renowned writer and poetess in the Rajasthani language. She is the first Rajasthani aristocrat woman who came out of the purdah (veil).
French writer Frances Taft has written a book on her biography, titled From Purdah to the People. She has held various awards and honorary degrees to her credit. With 35 books of short stories, poetry and prose to her credit, the Padam Shri awardee has never been to school, but her passion for writing led to her ability to learn everything. And she feels no remorse for having never been to school.
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