Mansi is the pen name Dr Meera Baindur who is a philosopher and has a wide-ranging area of interests in Indian philosophy, environmental humanities, women’s studies and Indian heritage. She is currently program head for India Studies in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, RV University, Bangalore. She has worked as a teacher for many years in several Indian universities. She volunteers with a philosophy collective called Barefoot Philosophers that aims to bring philosophy to the public space. An avid reader, who is deeply interested in South Indian history, Indian philosophy and women philosophers, she gravitated towards writing fiction and poetry as a hobby and hopes to write more historical novels in the future. She lives in Bangalore with her husband Vinay. She is a warm and friendly person and her hobbies include journalling, reading, knitting and gardening.
<p>"It is the eighth century in South India during the rule of the Rashtrakutas. Indian philosophy is at its zenith, Ayurvedic knowledge is being compiled and the new Prakrit languages are being developed to read and write new texts. </p><p>The heroine, Sharvay, is born into this world with many disadvantages. She is an orphan, the daughter of a dasi, a mixed-caste person of low social standing, bonded to the royal princess of Kavipura as a spittoon holder. Despite all this, she is determined to devote herself to a life of learning and becoming a philosopher. Can Sharvay overcome the socially imposed limits of caste and gender to access Sanskrit and philosophy? If she does succeed, will her teachings be validated by the world?</p><p>Sharvay’s story is told through the experience of a contemporary woman academic who chances upon a sculpture of an ancient female philosopher during her research. The sculpture inspires the academic to dream of Sharvay’s life. She forms a bond with this exceptional historical character as she encounters places and objects that were important parts of Sharvay’s life.</p><p>This remarkable debut novel sensitively explores what it meant to be an ordinary, marginalized person in ancient India, and questions the gender, class and caste biases within the discipline of philosophy, which has been dominated by men for centuries. Intriguing, atmospheric and richly imagined, Sharvay is historical fiction at its best."</p>
