Reading women

Dear reader,

Hello!

Last year I was told that my work would travel—first to a city in South India, and later to a city in Europe. They said I could sell merch. I had none. I never wanted to sell merch. But I did want the money, and I wanted my work to be seen by new eyes.

So I asked my friend Charudutta for a list of feminists from Maharashtra. I thought I would do a cursory reading and put out a small zine. But these women—our feminist foremothers—had other ideas. One led me to another, and then to more. Since then, I’ve been reading women from my state: women who were born here, lived here, worked here, wrote here.

I soon realised I would need to make more than one zine. As of now, it’s looking like three. I’m tracing women from the 13th century to 1947.

My first zine is ready. It’s about the women Varkari saints, and it is priced at Rs 200.

You can pay, download, print it, stick it together, and read. If you’d like a copy (or two), please pay Rs 200 per copy to my UPI: indu14-1@okicici. Send me an email at indu14@gmail.com and I will give you access to the zine.

Since I started reading about the Varkari saints, I’ve begun noticing a Vasudev near my house every other day. I had seen these wandering minstrels before, but I didn’t really know who they were. Now I know they come from the Bhakti tradition that my first zine is on. I found out:

The Vasudev community in Maharashtra is a traditional, nomadic group known for moving from village to village in distinctive attire—tall hats and dhotis—singing bhakti songs in honour of Lord Krishna. They are storytellers and spiritual seekers, deeply associated with Krishna worship.

Now I pay attention when I hear them sing.

For me to produce Zine No. 2—which will begin with Chhatrapati Tarabai and move through the extraordinary women of the 1800s—I need enough of you to buy this one. Buy it, print it, read it, and ask your friends to buy it too.

If you’d like a copy (or two), please pay Rs 200 per copy to my UPI:
indu14-1@okicici. Send me an email at indu14@gmail.com and I will give you access to the zine.

While reading about these pioneers, my friend Charu also sent me links to talks and lectures. One was about women reformers of Maharashtra by Prof. Jaswandi Wamburkar. In it, she briefly mentioned the musician Hirabai Barodekar and how she shifted the narrative. I was fascinated and looked her up. She was the first woman in India to have a paid public concert.

While reading about Hirabai Barodekar, I also discovered that she acted in plays and films—she even played Sant Janabai. Sant Janabai was a Varkari saint who saw Vithal as a woman who helped her with her chores, you will read about her in the zine. As I have been reading I am fascinated as to how these different women are connected to each other and are connected to us.

Hirabai as Sant Janabai.

You can hear Hirabai sing. I had to pick a song in Thilak Kamod, it is my favourite.

As some of you know, we’ve been holding reading circles to read the feminist foremothers of Maharashtra. The next one will be hosted by the Public Place in Tilak Nagar / Kurla, followed by Iftar at Bohra Mohalla. Here’s the invite.

Here’s where you can register: https://forms.gle/RewU3dZPnyL4YexX7

I’ll also be bringing some of the batiks I’ve been making. I’m trying to raise money to buy a sewing machine, take a course I want to do, and go play pickleball.

So please: buy the zines, come to the events, buy some art, and help me fund the many things I love doing.

<3
Indu

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