World Hindi Day: 5 Books By Female Hindi Novelists That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time

Insisting that you read these!

January 10 is marked as World Hindi Day every year. This day is commemorated to promote speaking the language more, and also spread awareness about its legacy. During school time, we all read Hindi books and textbooks, right? But how many of us continued reading Hindi books, texts, or literature after we passed out from school? There might hardly be anyone who still does so. People struggle with the maatras and pronunciation of the swar and vyanjan which makes them leave Hindi reading material aside. But on World Hindi Day, I would insist that you all try and read these five classic books by female Hindi novelists because they are literary gems!

Pinjar by Amrita Pritam 

Originally penned by Amrita Pritam in Punjabi, she rewrote the book in Hindi. The plot of the novel is set during the Partition where a girl named Puro is kidnapped by a man called Rashid. She somehow manages to escape from the man and returns to her home. But Puro’s family refuses to take her back and thinks she is ‘defiled’ now. The book has also gotten adapted into a film. She has written several books and poems surrounding Punjabi folk culture. 

Mahabhoj by Mannu Bhandari

This novel is based on the real-life horrific caste-based massacre that took place in Bihar where 11 people belonging to the Dalit and other minorities were held captive, bound and murdered by upper caste people. Mannu Bhandari was highly praised for giving an insight into Dalit marginalisation and how they are the most prone to political vulnerability. Mannu Bhandari always tried to shed light on caste differences through her works. 

Mitro Marjani – Krishna Sobti 

The title of this book translates to To Hell With You, Mitro, and its plot revolves around a fiery woman name Mitro. She is the kind of woman who always speaks her mind. But her marriage to her husband turns out to be rather dull as he does not satisfy her in bed which leads her to explore her sexuality. The book was way ahead of its time as it talked about exploring female sexuality at a time when such topics were considered taboo. 

Devi by Mrinal Pande 

This book by Mrinal Pande is a compilation of the voices of those women who shouted from rooftops to get themselves heard and who gloriously broke rules set by men. She has mentioned her mother, Shivani, who was a well-known author, her aunt, female reformers and all those who stood tall in the face of patriarchy in the book.

Also read: Hindi Diwas: From Mahadevi Verma To Munshi Premchand, 5 Hindi Language Authors You Need To Read At Least Once In Your Lifetime

Chaudhah Phere by Shivani 

Yes, this book is penned by the aforementioned Mrinal Pande’s mother, Shivani. The plot of this book revolves around Ahilya who is forced into a marriage by her father. But she has seen her mother suffer at the hands of her father whose extra-marital affair led to their separation. In this book, Ahilya fights to have a say in who she wants to get married to. it also highlights the fact that men cannot have their way with women through Ahilya’s perspective.  

The plots of all these books were way ahead of their time, and reading them will give you an insight into various aspects of society as well.

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