3.7 Stars

One Liner: Beautiful but not for everyone

 This a retelling of the story of Andal and her immense love for Vishnu, which moved him so much that he came down to marry her. Not surprising since Andal is said to be an incarnation of Bhudevi (earth). Andal wrote two poetic works, Tiruppavai (something people recite and listen to even today during Margasiram month, which comes in December) and Nachiyar Tirumoli. Both works are an expression of her love for Vishnu, a love so overwhelming, divine, and powerful that it blends physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual yearning to create a tangible force of nature. We celebrate her wedding to Vishnu as Godha Kalyanam. It’s an annual event in temples in the South. 
 

Andal (also called Godhai or Kodhai) was found under the tulsi plant and adopted by Periyalvar, a poet and a Vaishnavite priest (under the patronage of Pandya king Srimara Srivallabha of Madurai, according to the author). She became one of the twelve Alvars (the only woman on the list) and was later revered as a goddess. 

As a child, Godhai had a habit of wearing the garlands meant to decorate Vishnu’s murti in the temple. She would try them on and replace the garlands in the basket her father took to the temple early morning. One day, he saw her hair strand in the garland and was angry at her. Warning her not to touch the garlands, he used fresh ones to adorn the murti. However, the garlands wouldn’t stay on it. When the priest continued to try, Vishnu spoke from the murti and said he would allow only those garlands which Godhai wore before him. He didn’t want any other. Her devotion was so pure that he wanted to wear them with pride. I remember being 7 or 8 when I first heard of this (or maybe even younger). It awed me then, and it fills my heart with hope and light now. 

The book starts with a short author’s note (which includes some of the above details). Andal in the book is a teenager (16), a young woman deeply in love with a deva. 

“The seventh form (of tulasi) is as consort, a goddess in the guise of a plant, incarnated to remind the householder of the holiness of the very dirt that keeps him rooted.” 

The book is very much a feminist retelling with a recurring theme of how man has built a cage around women and tightened the rules which led to frustration and suffocation. Kodhai yearns to break free of this. In fact, she refuses to step into a cage and wants nothing to do with a human mate. 

The author uses cowgirls as a metaphor for gopikas (Krishna’s friends) and as a symbol of freedom; something Kodhai doesn’t have (though her position is better than other girls of her age). 

Sensuality is the core of the book. Not surprising since it is an exploration of Andal’s love for Vishnu/ Krishna/ Narayana. The emotions and yearnings are not timid, hesitant, or uncertain. They are bold, determined, and demanding even when she spirals into despair when her wait stretches too long! 

The writing is lyrical, musical, and has a surreal vibe. This style is not for everyone, especially since it dips into stream-of-consciousness-style narration at times. The first-person voice of Kodhai is strong yet vulnerable. But it also requires patience and a basic knowledge of the original and the Hindu framework. You should know what bhakti means and how it transcends various planes to correctly understand Kodhai’s yearning for her deva. Else, the book will be reduced to nothing more than an itch of a horny teenager. 

At the same time, the book doesn’t delve deep into many aspects since the focus is much on sensuality. This may not work for some readers. 

I wouldn’t recommend it to global readers though it seems the author tries to explain the story to them. 

To summarize, The Queen of Jasmine Country is a lyrical retelling of Andal’s bhakti and yearning for Vishnu. The abrupt ending is apt for the plot, leaving readers with a plethora of emotions and thoughts.