T.D. Ramakrishnan's Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki: A PDF Download of the Malayalam Novel that Won the Vayalar Award and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
- Who is the author and what are his achievements? - What are the main themes and genres of the novel? Plot summary - How does Peter Jeevanandam arrive in Sri Lanka to shoot a movie and search for Sugandhi? - How does he discover the mythical story of Devanayaki, a queen who lived in the 7th century AD? - How does he get involved in a plot to assassinate the president of Sri Lanka? - How does the novel end and what is the fate of Peter and Sugandhi? Analysis - How does the novel merge fact, fiction, and myth to create a historiographic metafiction? - How does the novel portray the violence and trauma of the Sri Lankan civil war and its impact on women? - How does the novel use symbolism, imagery, and intertextuality to create a rich and complex narrative? - How does the novel challenge the conventional notions of history, identity, and reality? Conclusion - What are the main strengths and weaknesses of the novel? - What are some of the critical responses and reviews of the novel? - What are some of the questions and implications that the novel raises for the readers? FAQs - Where can I find a PDF download of the novel? - Is there an English translation of the novel available? - Is there a movie adaptation of the novel planned or in progress? - What are some other novels by T.D. Ramakrishnan that I can read? - What are some other novels that deal with similar themes and topics as Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki? Table 2: Article with HTML formatting Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki: A Novel That Blends Myth, History, and Reality
If you are looking for a novel that will take you on a thrilling and captivating journey across time, space, and cultures, then you might want to check out Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki by T.D. Ramakrishnan. This novel is a historical fiction that blends myth, history, and reality to tell the story of a man's search for his lost love in the midst of the Sri Lankan civil war. The novel has won several awards and has been praised for its daring and innovative style. In this article, we will give you an overview of what the novel is about, who is the author, what are the main themes and genres of the novel, and what are some of the critical responses and reviews of the novel.
What is the novel about?
The novel follows Peter Jeevanandam, a filmmaker who arrives in Sri Lanka to shoot a movie about Rajini Thiranagama, a human rights activist who was allegedly killed by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), a militant group that fought for an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka. However, Peter has another motive for coming to Sri Lanka: he is also searching for Sugandhi, his first love who was an LTTE member and who disappeared after their brief affair.
sugandhi alias andal devanayaki pdf download
As Peter tries to find clues about Sugandhi's whereabouts, he stumbles upon a mythical story of Devanayaki, a queen who lived in the 7th century AD and who was married to two kings: Mahendravarman I of Pallava dynasty in South India and Manavamma of Anuradhapura dynasty in Sri Lanka. Devanayaki was a descendant of apsaras (celestial nymphs) who had extraordinary beauty and intelligence. She used her charms and wits to influence both kings and their kingdoms, until a tragedy forced her to seek revenge against her enemies.
Peter becomes fascinated by Devanayaki's story and starts to see parallels between her life and Sugandhi's life. He also discovers that Devanayaki's story is connected to Rajini's story and to a plot to assassinate Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka who was responsible for crushing the LTTE in 2009. Peter becomes obsessed with Devanayaki's story and starts to see connections between her life and Sugandhi's life. He also realizes that Devanayaki's story is linked to Rajini's story and to a plot to assassinate Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka who was responsible for crushing the LTTE in 2009. Who is the author and what are his achievements?
The author of Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki is T.D. Ramakrishnan, a retired Chief Controller of the Southern Railway and an Indian novelist and translator. He was born in 1961 in Thrissur, Kerala. He has authored two other best-selling Malayalam novels: Alpha and Francis Itty Cora. He is a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and Vayalar Award for Sugandhi Alias Andal Devanayaki. He has also translated several Tamil literary works into Malayalam, such as Hmm by Shobasakthi and Thappu Thalangal by Charu Nivedita. He is known for his innovative and experimental style of writing that blends history, myth, and fiction.
What are the main themes and genres of the novel?
The novel is a historical fiction that incorporates the literary devices of metafiction, intertextuality, and symbolism. The novel merges fact, fiction, and myth to create a historiographic metafiction, a term coined by Canadian literary theorist Linda Hutcheon to describe works of fiction that are both self-reflexive and historical. The novel also parodies various genres such as romance, thriller, detective, and fantasy. The novel explores themes such as violence, trauma, identity, memory, love, revenge, power, and truth.
How does the novel merge fact, fiction, and myth to create a historiographic metafiction?
The novel merges fact, fiction, and myth by using multiple narratives, perspectives, and sources to tell the story of Peter's quest for Sugandhi. The novel draws on historical events such as the Sri Lankan civil war, the assassination of Rajini Thiranagama, and the plot to kill Mahinda Rajapaksa. The novel also draws on fictional characters such as Peter Jeevanandam, Sugandhi, Rajini Thiranagama's husband Dayapala Thiranagama, and the assassin Sivakumar. The novel also draws on mythical characters such as Devanayaki, Mahendravarman I, Manavamma, Nagananda, and Kalki. The novel uses various sources such as newspaper clippings, letters, diaries, poems, songs, films, paintings, sculptures, maps, and manuscripts to construct the story. The novel also uses various languages such as Malayalam, Tamil, English, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Telugu, Kannada, Sinhala, French, and Portuguese to convey the diversity and complexity of the cultures and histories involved. The novel also breaks the fourth wall by addressing the reader directly and commenting on the process of writing and reading the novel. The novel thus creates a historiographic metafiction that challenges the conventional notions of history, identity, and reality.
How does the novel portray the violence and trauma of the Sri Lankan civil war and its impact on women?
The novel portrays the violence and trauma of the Sri Lankan civil war and its impact on women by showing the brutalities and atrocities committed by both sides of the conflict, such as torture, rape, murder, abduction, and displacement. The novel also shows how women were exploited, oppressed, and silenced by both the state and the LTTE. The novel focuses on the stories of three women who were affected by the war: Sugandhi, Rajini, and Devanayaki. Sugandhi was a Tamil woman who joined the LTTE as a fighter and a spy, but who was betrayed by her own comrades and forced to flee. Rajini was a Tamil woman who was a human rights activist and a professor at the University of Jaffna, but who was assassinated by the LTTE for exposing their crimes. Devanayaki was a queen who lived in the 7th century AD, but who was persecuted by both her husbands and their enemies for her beauty and intelligence. The novel shows how these women suffered from violence and trauma, but also how they resisted and fought back against their oppressors.
How does the novel use symbolism, imagery, and intertextuality to create a rich and complex narrative?
The novel uses symbolism, imagery, and intertextuality to create a rich and complex narrative by using various motifs, metaphors, allusions, and references to enhance the meaning and depth of the story. Some of the symbols used in the novel are:
The lotus flower: This is a symbol of Devanayaki's beauty, purity, and transcendence. It is also a symbol of Buddhism, which is one of the religions that influenced Devanayaki's life.
The snake: This is a symbol of Devanayaki's power, wisdom, and revenge. It is also a symbol of Nagananda, a mythical snake king who was Devanayaki's lover.
The sword: This is a symbol of Sugandhi's courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. It is also a symbol of Kalki, a mythical warrior who was Sugandhi's reincarnation.
The camera: This is a symbol of Peter's passion, curiosity, and creativity. It is also a symbol of his quest for truth, memory, and love.
Some of the images used in the novel are:
The burning city: This is an image that depicts the destruction and chaos caused by the war in Sri Lanka.
The blood-stained saree: This is an image that depicts the death and martyrdom of Rajini Thiranagama.
The golden throne: This is an image that depicts the glory and splendor of Devanayaki's reign.
The blue sea: This is an image that depicts the freedom and hope of Peter's escape.
Some of the intertextual references used in the novel are:
The Ramayana: This is an epic poem that tells the story of Rama, Sita, Ravana, Hanuman, and other characters from Hindu mythology. The novel draws parallels between Devanayaki's story and Sita's story.
The Mahabharata: This is an epic poem that tells the story of Krishna, Arjuna, Karna, Draupadi, and other characters from Hindu mythology. The novel draws parallels between Sugandhi's story and Draupadi's story.
The Silappatikaram: This is an ancient Tamil epic that tells the story of Kannagi, Kovalan, Madhavi, Ilango Adigal, and other characters from T