Aamu’s Kawandi
by Shrujana Niranjani Shridhar
Aamu’s Kawandi written and illustrated by Shrujana Niranjani Shridhar. Published by Katha books. A delightful book about the Siddis of Karnataka.
The Siddis are a tribe who have descended from the African Bantu tribe. They are believed to have been in India for many centuries. They were brought to India by the Portuguese and Arab traders. They were sold to the Indian rulers to work as slaves and servants. Today, most of them work on farms and construction sites. They are very good at making colourful patchwork quilts with scraps of recycled cloth and glittery threads which are called Kawandis.
The book is narrated by a little Siddi girl called Aamu who lives in the village of Mainalli. She has stitched interesting stories and scenes from around her village to make her own kind of quilt. This is what she wants to show the readers.
In the process, one gets acquainted with the people of the tribe and their ways of living. Aamu also talks about her friends and her aspirations. At the end of the book, there is a fact sheet about the Siddis with a couple of real life photographs. The book is apt for children aged 5+.
The first time I heard about this tribe was when I visited the incredible Murud Janjira Fort in Maharashtra 12 years ago. Here is a picture of the Murud Janjira in the middle of the bay as captured from a distance. This is from our personal photographs from the trip to the fort.
I was intrigued by the history of this fort built by the Siddi Nawabs of Janjira. The fact that their fort remained unconquerable by the likes of Shivaji Maharaj and his son Sambhaji speaks volumes about the ingenuity of these people. I was excited when I came across this book and my (then) six year old loved it too.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Katha here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.