The Dark Abode
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| Author | Sarojini Sahoo |
|---|---|
| Original title | Gambhiri Ghara (ଗମ୍ଭିରି ଘର) |
| Cover artist | Ed Baker |
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Indian Age Communication, Amazon Kindle Books |
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Publication date
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2008 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback), e-book |
| ISBN | |
The Dark Abode is a collage presentation of South Asian feminist novelist Sarojini Sahoo's novel and American poet and painter Ed Baker's 23 sketches, which deal with terrorism that people often face from micro- to macrosphere.
The novel begins with questioning the mere physicality of the man-woman relationship but then transports the reader into the higher planes of platonic love. The central character of the novel is Kuki, a Hindu woman from India who falls (and then rises) in love with a Muslim artist from Pakistan. The unusualness of the socio-cultural background of these two characters is delicately portrayed by Sahoo in a sensitive and convincing manner. Readers become familiar with the two sets of roles that Kuki plays; that of a lover and that of a wife. Sahoo subtly balances these two roles and at the same time, highlights the superiority of a wife in a pragmatic world. But the novel is not merely a love story. Though love is a part of the novel, it deals with a much broader topic: the providence of a woman in India. At the same time, it also portrays a story of how a perverted man, over time, becomes a perfect man. It also delves into the relationship between the 'state' and the 'individual' and comes to the conclusion that 'the state' represents the moods and wishes of a ruler and hence, 'the state' actually becomes a form of 'an individual'. Additionally, it takes a broader look at terrorism and state-sponsored anarchism.
Baker's Uma is a collection of sketches of the Hindu goddess, also known for feminine power. The sketches have their genesis as images in a dream, according to Baker. Uma, to him, is symbolic of many things that give us pleasure in life. As to how these images are realised, the artist confesses he is just not sure. "I just watch and wait for something to happen...and something always does," he says. It is said in the Saimdarua Lahiri that Uma is the source of all power in the universe and because of her; Lord Shiva gets all of his powers. She is often depicted as half of Lord Shiva, the supreme god, and she also is a major symbol of female sexuality. Her name refers to her being born daughter of Himavan (Himalaya), lord of the mountains. Beautiful, gentle, powerful consort of Shiva, mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya). Along with Saraswati and Lakshmi, she encompasses their powers and exudes a tranquil, serene beauty and provides a calm within. Uma is a symbol of many noble traditional (Hindu) virtues: fertility, marital felicity, spousal devotion, asceticism and power. She refers to the symbol of early feminine power and energy. Known formally as goddess Uma, Lady of the Mountains, she shows us how to balance the many aspects of our lives. Beautiful and (benignly) powerful, she is also known as Shakti, Parvati (consort of Shiva), Ambika, Annapurna, Bhairavi, Candi, Gauri, Durga, Jagadmata (Mother of the World), Kali, Kanyakumari, Kumari, painter Mahadevi, and Shyama.
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