Samskara (A Rite for a Dead Man)

A classic of modern Indian literature, Samskara is both a novel about ritual and religion and a contemporary reworking of ancient Brahmanical themes and myths. Probing multiple meanings of ‘Samskara’ rite of passage, ritual, preparation, transformation, as well as death rites this is an engrossing tale of a man whose personal transformation comes not through his learning and practice but through grace. With an essay by Susheela Punitha based on interviews with the author, this Oxford India Perennials edition bears testimony to Samskara’s enduring significance since its original publication in 1965 and translation in 1976.

U.R. Ananthamurthy (b.1932), novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, and literary critic, is one of India’s most celebrated modern writers. Recipient of the country’s highest literary award, the Jnanpith, in 1995, his writing is characterized by egalitarian themes. He is one of the most important representatives of the ‘Navya’ movement in Kannada literature. A distinguished scholar, he has taught and lectured at many universities in India and abroad, and is currently the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India.