Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh (15th July 1909 to 9th May 1981) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, social worker and politician. A member of the Constituent Assembly of India and the Planning Commission of India, she played a pivotal role in shaping the nation. The book provides a glimpse into her early years in Andhra Pradesh, marked by the courageous decision to break away from a child marriage with the unwavering support of her parents. A staunch advocate for women’s emancipation, she founded the Andhra Mahila Sabha (Andhra Women’s Conference) in 1937, where she championed the cause of Devadasis and other women, facilitating their pursuit of education. Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh also raised Rs. 5,000 from women to welcome Mahatma Gandhi to her community. Active in the Salt Satyagraha and Civil Disobedience movements between 1930 and 1933, she faced arrest three times. In 1948, she co-founded the Andhra Education Society, Delhi with other eminent Telugu personalities. Additionally, she served as the founder and chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board. In 1953, Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh married to C.D. Deshmukh (Sir Chintaman Dwarakanath Deshmukh), the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Union Finance Minister from 1950 to 1956. The auto-biography was penned during a challenging period when Mr. Deshmukh was bedridden and admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.

Nakshatra Exploration is written with the sole objective of enabling the readers to master the true concept of Predictive Stellar Astrology, what Guruji KSK wanted to interpret in his various monumental work. The present research work on the KP system is unique in its presentation and it has many, hitherto, untold secrets of predictive techniques in stellar astrology. In this work, the author has established so many rules with practical examples, enabling him to grasp the logic in applying the original methodologies of KP principles, by his extensive research in this field for a decade. Apart from giving a detailed method to study the horoscope, the author has compiled 125 significant KP rulings, 26 prime Muhurath rulings and a detailed KP house grouping along with 44 most comprehensive know-how which bears witness to the author’s expertized knowledge in the field of KP astrology. Another noteworthy point is that, through a few practical examples written at the end of the Practical Stellar Astrology section of this book, the author sheds light on his researched ‘Modified KP (MKP)’ principles. The author is optimistic that these principles will create a new benchmark in the history of Krishnamurti Padhdhati soon. This book is a treasure of knowledge and worth a prime place in your library.

Contributed articles.

This is a comprehensive study on Devadasis in a very lucid and interesting style. The subject matter is divided into twelve main chapters- Introduction, Rise of Buddhist Nuns, was Buddha Against women, Glorious Epock of the Buddhist Nuns, Buddhist Nuns in other countries, Original Buddhism and Brahmanical interference, story of untouchability in India, Vajrayani Siddhas, Trantras and Bhakti, Deities of Varayani, Buddhism, what isl the Devadasis system, Devadasis system and Ancient foreign customs, and lastly summary and conclusion. A very interesting study deeply examined and analysed. The sociologists, the social reformers and students of sociology will find the book most referential and informative.

This book examines Shyam Benegal’s films and alternative image(s) of India in his cinema, and traces the trajectory of changing aesthetics of his cinema in the post-liberalisation era. The book engages with the challenges faced by India as a nation-state in post-colonial times. Looking at hybrid and complex narratives of films like Manthan, Junoon, Kalyug, Charandas Chor, Sooraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda, Zubeidaa and Well Done Abba , among others, it analyses how these stories and characters, adapted and derived from mythology, folk-tales, historical fiction and novels, are rooted in the socio-political contexts of modern India. The author explores diverse themes in Benegal’s cinema such as the loss of home and identity, women’s sexuality, and the status of dalits and Muslims in India. He also focuses on how the filmmaker expertly weaves history with myth, culture, and contemporary politics and discusses the debate around the interpretive value of film adaptations, adaptation of history and the representations of marginalised communities and liminal spaces. The book will be useful for students and researchers of film studies, cultural studies, and the humanities. It will also interest readers of Indian cinema and the social and cultural history of India.