A KASHMEERI POETESS OF GREAT MERIT,  TANDRA DEVI

TRIBUTES BY HAFEEZ JULLUNDRI, DR JAMES COUSENS ETC

The book is in front of us. Poems of Tandra Devi. Printed in Lahore, published by the author from Kashmeer. A brilliant introduction written by famous critic Dr James Cousens, as well as a forward by our National poet, Hafeez Jullundri. Then it is illustrated by  J. Patrick Foulds. Foulds a background in arts was a natural choice.

 

 

Tandra Devi has written other books too, like Village theatres and the Ten plagues of Civilization. She belonged to the Theosophical movement in India. Her esoteric poetry had appeal to special group of people and possibly never caught on with the public. But there is depth in her work. She writes:

O I sighed for a breeze

    From the far-off mount to blow.

And I cried, because all these,

    Beloved! should pain me so–

Because your loveliness

    Must fade away from me.

And death and parting stress

    Must drown us in their sea.

Years after her death, she still calls attention to essential feelings of love and parting. Allah may have mercy on her soul!