3 verses · ~1 min
मैं रोटी बेलती हूँ जैसे पृथ्वी ज्वालामुखी बेलते हैं पहाड़ भूचाल बेलते हैं घर सन्नाटे शब्द बेलते हैं, भाटे समुंदर।
रोज़ सुबह सूरज में एक नया उचकुन लगाकर एक नई धाह फेंककर मैं रोटी बेलती हूँ जैसे पृथ्वी। पृथ्वी– जो खुद एक लोई है सूरज के हाथों में रख दी गई है, पूरी की पूरी ही सामने कि लो, इसे बेलो, पकाओ जैसे मधुमक्खियाँ अपने पंखों की छाँह में पकाती हैं शहद।
सारा शहर चुप है धुल चुके हैं सारे चौकों के बर्तन। बुझ चुकी है आखिरी चूल्हे की राख भी और मैं अपने ही वजूद की आंच के आगे औचक हड़बड़ी में खुद को ही सानती खुद को ही गूंधती हुई बार-बार ख़ुश हूँ कि रोटी बेलती हूँ जैसे पृथ्वी।
इति
The Poet
अनामिका
Anamika
1961 · 2020
Dr. Anamika made historic strides in contemporary literature by becoming the very first female poet to win the Sahitya Akademi Award for Hindi poetry in the entire sixty five year history of the prize. Born in 1961 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, she has spent decades carving out a fiercely intelligent and deeply empathetic space for women in Indian letters. Through acclaimed collections like Tokri Mein Digant, for which she won her monumental award in 2020, she examines the complex architecture of patriarchy, domestic labor, and female identity. She does not write with loud slogans. Instead, she explores the female experience through the quiet, profound realities of everyday survival, using conversational language to unearth deep philosophical truths. Beyond her poetry, she is a respected academic, novelist, and translator who bridges the gap between Hindi and English literary traditions. Anamika stands as a living icon of feminist literature, giving a permanent voice to the silenced generations of women who came before her.
Paired Painting
The Milkmaid
Raja Ravi Varma was a pioneer in bridging Indian sensibility with Western academic realism. In this masterpiece, he turns his gaze from royal courts and grand mythological epics to the poetic simplicity of everyday Indian life. The painting captures a fleeting, intimate moment of a young woman pausing during her daily chores. Her expression is not one of mere labor, but of a quiet, soulful dignity that elevates her to an icon of grace. The warm light caresses her features, illuminating the soft texture of her sari and the subtle, metallic luster of the vessel she cradles. Through his masterful brushwork, Ravi Varma invites the viewer to appreciate the sacredness inherent in ordinary existence, making this portrait a timeless homage to the quiet strength of Indian women.
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