In the Dark of the Heart: Songs of Meera

Meera, they said, was mad.She is also the symbol Mahatma Gandhi chose to inspire his modern Indian renaissance, and the archetypal female saint, whose songs of love and devotion remain an integral part of Indian life and culture.Meera was a sixteenth-century Rajput princess who renounced her privileged life and royal family to live as a mendicant—wandering, dancing and singing the praises of God. A devotee of Krishna, she was part of an influential religious movement (bhakti) that rejected distinctions of caste and creed, shunned the stultifying rituals and inaccessible scripture of conservative religion, and believed that direct union with God was possible for all-men and women, highborn and lowborn.Mystical, celebratory, and frankly feminine, the songs of Meera embrace and evoke all of life-the ordinary, lowly, and humble; the natural world and all creatures; love and longing. They express a passionate faith that liberates and breaks down barriers, merging the human and the divine and challenging all notions of rank and hierarchy. Both poetry and prayer, these extraordinary songs reflect an all-encompassing spirituality and ardent devotion that remains part of the living folk tradition of India.

Religion & Spirituality

Futehally, Shama

Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts

Altamira Pr

Meera, they said, was mad. She is also the symbol Mahatma Gandhi chose to inspire his modern Indian renaissance, and the archetypal female saint, whose songs of love and devotion remain an integral part of Indian life and culture. Meera was a sixteenth-century Rajput princess who renounced her privileged life and royal family to live as a mendicant—wandering, dancing and singing the praises of God. A devotee of Krishna, she was part of an influential religious movement (bhakti) that rejected distinctions of caste and creed, shunned the stultifying rituals and inaccessible scripture of conservative religion, and believed that direct union with God was possible for all-men and women, highborn and lowborn. Mystical, celebratory, and frankly feminine, the songs of Meera embrace and evoke all of life-the ordinary, lowly, and humble; the natural world and all creatures; love and longing. They express a passionate faith that liberates and breaks down barriers, merging the human and the divine and challenging all notions of rank and hierarchy. Both poetry and prayer, these extraordinary songs reflect an all-encompassing spirituality and ardent devotion that remains part of the living folk tradition of India.

For nearly three centuries the Urdu ghazal has been beloved of connoisseurs and laymen alike. Its hypnotic rhythmic qualities, its exquisite interweaving of human and divine love, its joy in the good things of life as well as its mystic austerity, and, finally, its irresistible wit, have made it a popular form of poetry whether

Slivers of a Mirror: Glimpses of the Ghazal

Literature & Fiction

United States

Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd

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Books by Futehally, Shama

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Futehally, Shama. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

In the Dark of the Heart: Songs of Meera

In the Dark of the Heart: Songs of Meera

Slivers of a Mirror: Glimpses of the Ghazal