Amba Princess of Kashi

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About the Book In this book the feelings of Amba, princess of Kashi is narrated who in her entire life performed a series of religious austerity with a vow to take revenge on Pitamaha Bheeshma .Amba's life would not have been so tough if Bheeshma had not forcibly taken her away from swayambar along with her two sisters Ambika and Ambalika for his brother Vichitravirya. Amba was extremely annoyed with Bheeshma because in her mind she had already accepted Salva the king of Sauval as her husband. After knowing the truth Bheeshma immediately sent Amba to king Sauval. But the king refused to accept Amba because according to Kshatriya's norms a woman who had been taken away forcibly by someone cannot be accepted as a wife. Ultimately she left Hastinapur with a resolution to take revenge on Bheeshma.

In the novel the author has narrated how Amba has transformed into the great warrior Shikhandi who was responsible for Bheeshma's death.

About the Author Dr Malinee is the pen name of Dr Neelima Saikia who was a prominent scientist of North East Institute of Science & Technology Jorhat, Assam. She has a vast experience in the area of soil microbiology, plant and soil health and bioremediation of crude oil contaminated soil. For her bioremediation work she was awarded B.P Poddar Memorial Award for environment. improvement and protection instituted by Bharat Chambers of commerce during 2003-2004. She has developed several technologies for socio economic improvement. There are more than fifty research papers and six patents to her credit.

Her contribution to the literary world is immensely enduring. Her work relies mostly on her extensive and profound research on the Indian epics and mythology. The critical appreciation comes for her portrayal of feminism, which she depicts in an appealing yet modest manner. Dr Malinee's literature works have attracted the attention of a wide number of readers. Besides her fictional works, she also writes non-fictional scientific literature and the implications of science in our day-to-day life. Some of the stories and novels written by the author are Moroha Phulor Subas (Fragrance of a wilting flower) 1997, Brityar Paridhir Bahirot (Beyond the circumference of a circle) 2001, Natun Yugar Sushana (Beginning of a new era) 2003, Romanthan (Remembrance) 2005, Yajnaseni (2007), Bideh Nandani (2009), Agony of Sita (2010, English version of Bideh Nandani), Kashi Kanya Amba (2010), Agony of Draupodi (2011, English version of Yajnaseni), Dr Malinee's Swanirbachita Golpa (2011) and Mondodri (2012).

She is the recipient of two National Award (1999 & 2001) instituted by DAE, Ministry of HRD and NCERT, New-Delhi respectively. She was awarded Sampriti Saikia Children award (2012) by All Assam women writers Association and Kumar Kishore literature award (2013) instituted by Assam Sahitya Sabha. So far there are 26 books to her credit.

Preface Since my childhood I have been very much interested in Indian literature, particularly the great epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Amba, the princess of Kashi is an important character appearing in the first chapter of the Mahabharata. The idea of writing a novel on Amba occurred to me when I came to know that many people simply consider Shikhandi as an eunuch, without knowing the tragic background of the princess of Kashi, Amba. Everyone, for instance, who has made any study of the Mahabharata is sure to know about the public insult of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, but very few people know about all the pain and misery that Amba had to experience in her tragic life. Although Amba in the form of Shikhandi was responsible for the death of the great warrior, the grand old man of the warring clan, Bheeshma, Amba's feelings, her agony and sufferings, are not described in the Mahabharata. Also, Amba became the key instrument in the process of Bheeshma's destruction only through a series of rigorous austerities that she performed after vowing to take revenge on the greatest warrior of that period.

It was a matter of great honour and pride for me when Mr. Praveen Mittal, B.R. Publishing Corporation, New-Delhi suggested to me to make an English translation of my Assamese novel Kashi Kanya Amba.

**Contents and Sample Pages**