{"product_id":"from-possession-to-freedom-r-umamaheshwari-9789385932281","title":"From Possession to Freedom: The Journey of Nili-Nilakeci","description":"The Tamil text \u003ci\u003eNīlakeci\u003c\/i\u003e, dated around the 5th century CE (debated), is an unusual literary creation. It retrieves a violent, vengeful \u003ci\u003epēy\u003c\/i\u003e (female possessing spirit) of Palayanur, transforming her into a Jaina philosopher. It was a profoundly subversive idea of its time, using the female persona and voice (for a hitherto disembodied being) to debate with preceptors of different schools of thought\/religions of the time, all male, barring the Buddhist nun, Kuṇṭalakeci. \u003ci\u003eNīlakeci\u003c\/i\u003e's debates focus on questions of non-violence, existence of the soul, authorship and caste, among others. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e However, in order to truly appreciate this alter-texting, one has to unravel layers of other texts and traditions: the lesser known \u003ci\u003evilluppāttu\u003c\/i\u003e (bow-song) and \u003ci\u003enātakam\u003c\/i\u003e (theatrical) versions of the \u003ci\u003epēy\u003c\/i\u003e Nīli stories, as well as the story of Kuṇṭalakeci's own transformative journey. Umamaheshwari situates these in a comparative context, while maintaining the centrality of the debates within Nīlakeci, using translation of selected excerpts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e R. Umamaheshwari\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 9385932284\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9789385932281\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Zubaan Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/15\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.60h x 5.70w x 0.90d","brand":"R. Umamaheshwari","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49097140371711,"sku":"9789385932281","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/from-possession-to-freedom-r-umamaheshwari-9789385932281","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}