Nalinibala Devi- Makers of Indian Literature

Nalinibala Devi (1898-1977) was born at Barpeta, the great centre of Vaishnavite culture and learning in Assam. She came of a highly cultured family and inherited from her illustrious father Karmavir Nabinchandra Bardoloi, an active interest in politics and a flair for writing. She had been married at the age of twelve but after only nine years of married life she lost her husband.

She composed one elegy on the death of Putuli, her daughter and sublimated her personal sorrows and separation from husband to a spiritual separation. Her mysticism is free from any tinge of religious parochialisrn. As a result, a good number of mystic poems flew out of her pen. Though Nalinibala is widely known as a poet, her prose writings are not less important. Smriti-Tirtha (1948), the biography of her celebrated father is not merely a learned daughter's tribute to her great father but also a seminal document of socio-political history of Assam. Among other works Santipath (1971) written in prose, Eri Aha Dinbot (1976), an autobiography and Antimar Sur (1977) were published in the last part of her life.

Preeti Barua, a translator and critic takes a fresh look at Nalinibala's life and work in this monograph. Her important publications include Nirarthak (A collection of short stories, 1962), Akash Nila Steppe (stories from Sholokov, 1966). Sheerna Toran (A translation of André Gide's Strait is the Gate, 1996) etc.

**Contents and Sample Pages**