Purnima Mehta Bhatt's Books

Her Space, Her Story

Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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Her Space, Her Story

Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

A fascinating, multi-disciplinary exploration of water, wells and women’s spaces in Gujarat. Centuries ago, in the arid landscape of Gujarat, where water is scarce and rains scanty, stepwells sustained life and enabled crops to flourish. Women played a major role in the construction and patronage of many of these stepwells, which were unique structures that linked three worlds: the subterranean, the earthly and the celestial. Women also frequently served as inspiration for their construction — these were often built to honour a virtuous wife or benevolent mother, a local goddess or a beloved mistress. As a gathering place for women, the stepwells also became a favourite subject in folklore. Every stepwell yields tales of love and betrayal, courage and sacrifice. Through a historical analysis and visual documentation of these distinctly female spaces, Purnima Bhatt sheds light on the relationship between women, water, architecture and religion. Examining the artistic and aesthetic aspects of these structures, the author describes the art of the stepwells as looking beyond the patriarchal gods of classical Hinduism and celebrating the feminine principle. She also explores the idea of these wells acting as indicators of women’s changing social and economic status and challenging the stereotypes of the passivity of women. Her focus on ‘the woman factor’ aims to give voice to countless women who are forgotten and neglected by history, thereby making the invisible, visible. Published by Zubaan.

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159

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Zubaan

Published Date

ISBN 10

938475708X

ISBN 13

9789384757083

The African Diaspora in India

Assimilation, Change and Cultural Survivals

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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The African Diaspora in India

Assimilation, Change and Cultural Survivals

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

This book explores the understudied and often overlooked subject of African presence in India. It focuses on the so-called Sidis, Siddis or Habshis who occupy a unique place in Indian history. The Sidis comprise scattered communities of people of African descent who travelled and settled along the western coast of India, mainly in Gujarat, but also in Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sri Lanka and in Sindh (Pakistan) as a result of the Indian Ocean trade from the thirteenth to nineteenth centuries. The work draws from extant scholarly research and documentary sources to provide a comprehensive study of people of African descent in India and sheds new light on their experiences. By employing an interdisciplinary approach across fields of history, art, anthropology, religion, literature and oral history, it provides an analysis of their negotiations with cultural resistance, survivals and collective memory. The author examines how the Sidi communities strived to construct a distinct identity in a new homeland in a polyglot Indian society, their present status, as well as their future prospects. The book will interest those working in the fields of history, sociology and social anthropology, cultural studies, international relations, and migration and diaspora studies.

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Page Count

142

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

135137365X

ISBN 13

9781351373654

The African Diaspora in India

Assimilation, Change and Cultural Survivals

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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The African Diaspora in India

Assimilation, Change and Cultural Survivals

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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Page Count

142

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Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

135137365X

ISBN 13

9781351373654

Her Space, Her Story

Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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Her Space, Her Story

Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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Page Count

159

Publisher

Zubaan

Published Date

ISBN 10

938475708X

ISBN 13

9789384757083

‘Dying' to be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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‘Dying' to be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

This book examines the phenomenon of colorism in India and the Global South and critically analyses the obsession with fair skin and its association with social capital or mobility. Exploring the prevalence of colorism in India, China, Japan, Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya and Australia, it traces its roots in history, scriptures, travel narratives, contemporary media and popular culture. How much did colonialism and European imperialism contribute to the desire to be white? How have globalization and the spread of consumer culture and Western ideals of beauty helped exacerbate these issues? The author discusses these questions while looking at the aspirations for beauty and modernity among these societies and the growing popularity of the use of creams, lotions and other methods to whiten the skin as a means to assimilate, emulate the West and gain better prospects and life. Lucid and topical, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of race and colorism, sociology, social history, social anthropology, cultural studies, consumer economics, Asian studies and South Asian studies.

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Page Count

198

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1040121918

ISBN 13

9781040121917

'Dying' to Be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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'Dying' to Be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

This book examines the phenomenon of colourism in India and the Global South and critically analyses the obsession with fair skin and its association with social capital or mobility. Exploring the prevalence of colourism in India, China, Japan, Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, Australia, it traces its roots in history, scriptures, travel narratives, contemporary media and popular culture. How much did Colonialism and European imperialism contribute to the desire to be white? How has globalisation and the spread of consumer culture and western ideals of beauty helped exacerbate these issues? The author discusses these questions while looking at the aspirations for beauty and modernity among these societies and the growing popularity of the use of creams, lotions, and other methods to whiten the skin as a means to assimilate, emulate the West, and gain better prospects and life. Lucid and topical, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of race and colourism, sociology, social history, social anthropology, cultural studies, consumer economics, Asian studies and South Asian studies.

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Publisher

Routledge Chapman & Hall

Published Date

ISBN 10

1032187379

ISBN 13

9781032187372

‘Dying' to be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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‘Dying' to be White

The Obsession with Fair Skin in India and the Global South

By: Purnima Mehta Bhatt

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

198

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1040121918

ISBN 13

9781040121917

Book's by Purnima Mehta Bhatt

Her Space, Her Story

Her Space, Her Story

The African Diaspora in India

The African Diaspora in India

The African Diaspora in India

The African Diaspora in India

Her Space, Her Story

Her Space, Her Story

‘Dying' to be White

‘Dying' to be White

'Dying' to Be White

'Dying' to Be White

‘Dying' to be White

‘Dying' to be White

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