Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Sarasammana Samaadhi

This book by Dr. Shivaram Karanth is one of my favorite books. In this book Dr. Karanth has explained all the possible ways in which women suffer in India. There is a small village with one temple of Sarasamma. Sarasamma has become "SATI" (It is assumed that she loved her husband so much that when he died she decided to die along with him). People believe that Sarasamma can solve any marital problem .

People who are having marital problem go to Sarasammas temple on Thursday night (No one should see them going there), they pray to Sarasamma, and put one tender coconut to the pond in front of Sarasammas temple. Friday morning they go and see the pond. If that coconut is not there then it is understood that Sarasamma will solve their problem.

Chandranna lives in same village and he has got craze about ghosts. Once he meets a ghost called Bellamma and even after knowing that it is ghost he develops some attraction towards her. Bellamma explains him that throughout her life she searched for true love,which she didn't get that's why she has become ghost and she begs chandrannas love.

Chandranna accepts her love. All these things happens in front of Sarasamma temple. Chandranna asks Bellamma to visit Sarasamma's temple so that they can get Sarasamma's blessings. But Bellamma refuses to enter that temple. Finally he comes to know that Bellamma is no one else than Sarasamma. She has been forced to become SATI with her aged husband. Hahahahahaha.

Throughout the novel you see many women, educated, uneducated struggling in their life and visiting Sarasamma's temple in search of solution. And novel ends with Sarasamma begging Chandranna's help to get away from her husband.

"Kahin pe ye dil kabhi mil nahi paate, kahin pe nikal aaye janmo ke naathe"! That's life.

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