What is kanthapura?

Answer 1

Kanthapura is a novel by Raja Rao , which portrays Pre-Independent India in all its realistic fervour. The novel is in the form of a story narrated by Achakka, an old woman of the village of Kanthapura. The village is a scenic beauty in the state of Karnataka. The village has clear cut class distinctions even in the very setting. There are different quarters occupied by different community people like the Brahmin quarter, the Sudra quarter, the potters , the pariah lane etc. The novel revolves around the lives of the people of Kanthapura and their effective participation in the freedom struggle. Moorthy, the village Gandhi spearheads the movement. They ardently follow Gandhian principles of Ahimsa and non violence. The villagers slowly get united and the uniting force is their fight for free India. The women with the leadership of Rangamma and later Ratna emerge as the true satyagrahis. The British Government is pictured as evil and the culture based folk tales and epics are interspersed with their British rule atrocities. The famous practice Hari katha is one such feature which is utilised to attack the British rule. The novel traces the start of freedom in a small village Kanthapura which later on gathers momentum and spreads all over the nation. Hindu traditional practices with respect to their various beliefs are beautifully shown in the novel. The police in the hands of the British Empire unleashes terror in the village finally destroying the whole village. Many men, women and children die in the various scuffles. Gandhi's ideologies slowly but steadily spreads itself and the whole nation is seen waking up from its slumber against the British Empire's tyrannies.The novel traces genuinely the growth of the Independence struggle in India with Gandhi at the background influence.

Answer 2

Kanthapura is a novel written by Indian author Raja Rao. It is a story set in the South Indian village of Kanthapura during the Indian independence movement, focusing on the impact of Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance on the villagers. The novel explores themes of colonialism, social change, and the power of grassroots movements in shaping history.