New Delhi: A new book tells an intimate account of the life of Parukutty Neithyaramma, one of the most powerful female figures of the kingdom of Cochin in the twentieth century.
Published by Penguin India, ‘Destiny’s Child: The Undefeatable Reign of Cochin’s Parukutty Neithyaramma’, written by Raghu and Pushpa Palat, will be released on 15 April on Softcover, ThePrint’s online venue to launch non-fiction books.
At the age of fourteen, Parukutty’s marriage thrusts her into a hostile world. Nonetheless, despite a seventeen-year age gap with her husband, she builds an unshakable bond with him. When he gets crowned as the sovereign ruler of Cochin, Parakutty vows to support and protect his position throughout her life.
The book brings out the partnership between the couple who went on to break many traditional norms. At a time when women were relegated to the shadows, Parukutty travelled with her husband, participated in important events and discussions, and even went on to rule as his proxy. She became a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Unafraid to break norms, Parukutty deployed her sharp wit, acumen and diplomacy to stand up to a host of adversaries and naysayers, including the British.
“A blend of sweeping historical narrative and moving personal history, Raghu and Pushpa Palat’s Destiny’s Child recounts the fascinating life of Parukuttu Neithyaramma of Cochin. Her story, one characterised by a deep involvement in public life and an unshakable strength of will, is told here in rich detail and readable prose,” says Indian MP, writer and former UN Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor.
The authors are Parukutty’s great-grandson and his wife, which makes the narration a deeply personal chronicle that paints a vivid picture of an understated icon from the twentieth century.
“Destiny’s Child is an intimate portrait of a remarkable, complicated, even controversial political figure — a woman who was not meant to wield power, but who claimed it for herself and made history. Packed with family memories, and honest in acknowledging the many shades of Parukutty Neithyaramma’s personality, this book tells a story that is long overdue,” says author and historian Manu Pillai.
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