Devika Rangachari

For Women's History Month, a few recommendations of books about women who must be remembered. - Ruby Lal's 'Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan' - Nausheen Jaffery's 'Jahan Ara Begum: 1614–1681' - Anna Funder's 'Wifedom' - Urmila Deshpande and Thiago Pinto Barbosa's 'Iru: The Remarkable Life of Irawati Karve' - Devika Rangachari's 'Queen of Earth' and 'Queen of Ice' #womeninwriting #womenshistorymonth #womenshistorymonth♀️ #womenwriters #womenwritingwomen #bookrecommendations

"Queen Of Water" by Devika Rangachari is a historical fiction that gracefully blends factual events with imaginative storytelling. The book centers on Kundavai Pirattiyar, a Chola princess, exploring her life from a young girl to Rajaraja I's strategic advisor. Kundavai is portrayed as intelligent, resilient and influential, which is a rare ficus in historical fiction. It interweaves personal growth with duty and politics, highlighting Kundavai's intelligence. The narrative is strongly character driven and focuses on emotions, inner conflicts and motivations. The use of descriptive imagery created vivid visuals and the accessible language suits YA readers, while still appealing to adult history enthusiasts. It is perfect for readers who appreciate female leadership stories especially in male dominated societies. #qotd: Would you rather be remembered for your bravery or your brilliance? {Kundavai Pirattiyar, Chola dynasty, Devika Rangachari, Queen of Water, YA historical fiction, Indian historical fiction, Chola princess, Female leadership, Medieval India, Political intrigue, Jammu Book Blogger, Jammu Blogger} #devikarangachari #cholakingdom #jammubookblogger #priyabhasin

The next @a.c.l.i.s.a Speaker Series talk will be given by @devikarangachari on 17th January! Don't forget to scan the QR to register!

SPEAKER SERIES: We're celebrating the New Year with a talk by our dear friend of ACLiSA, award-winning author and feminist historian Dr. @devikarangachari on the 17th of January! To register, please scan the QR code or head to /forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWgtccpmEwPUKdJ1Xfo1DyIRKFlO6UPhWtMzuXrB3Hv_CIsg/viewform For details: https://aclisa.in/.../22/author-talks-dr-devika-rangachari/

Tweens are in that beautiful, confusing space between childhood and teenage years 🕰️ full of questions, big feelings and new experiences. 📚🧠 The right stories can give them language for what’s happening inside. Here are 4 Indian books that gently support tweens’ emotional growth: Sudha Murty – Grandma’s Bag of Stories Devika Rangachari – Queen of Fire Asha Nehemiah – The Grand Chapatti Contest Rupa Gulab – Daddy Come Lately Together, these books help tweens see their feelings as normal, understandable and worth talking about. 💛 If you’d like the links to any of these books, just DM me, and I’ll share them with you directly. 📥📚 . . . . [#tweenbooks #tweensofinstagram #tweenreads indianchildrensbooks kidlitindia middlegradebooks emotionalgrowth ]

We are excited to kick off the updates for the BTB Wordsmiths of the Year – Season 6 with the announcement of the finalists in the category ‘BTB Kids’ Favourite Book of the Year.’ At Beyond the Box, our love for books and the belief in the transformative power of reading remain at the core of everything we do. We’ve always held that literature shapes children into aware, creative, and empathetic individuals. Our commitment to uplifting Indian authors continues as we celebrate the depth and diversity of our literary landscape. This year, we once again explored a wide range of kidlit titles through our reading recommendations, discussions, and book-related activities. While each book offered something unique, a few captured the hearts of our young readers. We are thrilled to present the Top 6 Finalists for the ‘BTB Kids’ Favourite Book of the Year’ Award – Season 6, as chosen by the children at BTB. Please note that only titles released October 2025 onwards were considered for this award. A big round of applause for this year’s finalists: Devika Rangachari • Arefa Tehsin • Khushboo Shah • Neil D'Silva • Asha Nehemiah • Sutapa Basu Each finalist will receive a certificate of recognition from BTB after the BTB Wordsmiths of the Year – Season 6 event. The winner and runner-up will be announced during the main event slated to be held online in early 2026. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from BWOTY Season 6! #btbwordsmithsoftheyearseason6 #unboxingthejoyofwriting #finalists #kidsfavouritebookoftheyear #celebratingauthors #bwoty2026

Kundavai, daughter of the mighty Sundara Chola, is intelligent, strong-willed, and brave, though not without her doubts and challenges. Queen of Water by Devika Rangachari brings her story to life as she navigates a world ruled by men and learns the true meaning of power and responsibility. More than a princess, Kundavai is a thinker, a strategist, and a guardian of her family’s legacy. Even after marriage, she chose to stay in her maternal home to continue serving her kingdom - a bold and rare choice for her time. She stands as a true role model, proving that intelligence, courage, and conviction can shape history. The book beautifully blends history, politics, and personal strength while highlighting the often-overlooked role of women in shaping society. Though the story sometimes feels slow and the foreshadowing a bit heavy, it remains a powerful and inspiring read.

Celebrate the joy of stories this Children’s Day with author Devika Rangachari! 🌈📚 Dive into her world of imagination and wonder — where every page brings a new adventure! 💫 Find her books now on BooksWagon! #DevikaRangachari #ChildrensDay #BooksWagon #KidsBooks #IndianAuthors #YoungReaders #BookLove #ReadMoreGrowMore

#bookreview #queenofwater by @devikarangachari @penguinindia @penguinsters Princess Kundavai the daughter of Chola King Sundara Chola is the darling of her family, especially her father and of her brothers Aditya and Arulmozhi, who pampered her. Her elder brother Aditya is recently crowned as the heir apparent of her father and will be the future King, while Arulmozhi who is only two years younger than her has grown up almost like her shadow, always tagging along with her. Kundavai is feisty when compared to girls her age and always spoke her mind. While she knew that her marriage would happen as an alliance between kingdoms, she always insisted it happened with the man she loved. She had a strong influence of her grand aunt Sembiyan Mahadevi and treated river Kaveri as her constant companion. When a brutal assassination in the family shakes up everyone, Kundavai has to make some tough decisions. How these decisions will affect her future and that of the Chola empire forms the rest of the story. The story spans from the time Kundavai is a young girl to the time Arulmozhi hands his new born son and asks his sister to promise that she will mentor and guide his son. The historical note the author added at the end of the book adds a lot of context to the story, also highlighting the sequences that have been fictionalised. The history of Cholas and their rule has been widely documented but this book focuses on Princess Kundavai, especially highlighting the events that shaped her future and what circumstances have driven those decisions. The life and times of Royal families, the constant power struggle even between blood relatives and the extent to which people went to capture the royal throne is well described by the author. Through Kundavai and her grand aunt, the author showcases how women played the roles of advisors and mentors to the Kings and were their guiding anchors. These women showed commendable restraint and patience when the Kings and their heirs were driven by rage and revenge, proving that politics in any age is not just about muscle power but thought power as well. (Contd in comments) #kiranmayireviews

Let's know beyond the books - when authors meet students to motivate them to read, #libration #books #author #reading #library #read #author #readers