The Mystery of Blue
by Muriel Kakani and illustrated by Boski Jain
“The Mystery of Blue” by Muriel Kakani and illustrated by Boski Jain. Published by Tulika. This is a treat for those curious to know about how the colours on our clothes come from.
A lovely story of a little girl called Kunku who lived in the village of Ilkal in North Karnataka more than 1000 years ago during the rule of the Chalukyas of Badami. Her parents were dyers and weavers. This was the time when colours used in clothes were made using natural ingredients obtained from flowers, leaves and roots.
The weavers of Ilkal knew how to make colours such as bright red, lush green, flaming orange, earthy brown, soft pink, blazing yellow and rich purple. However the blue colour proved to be a mystery for them as they did not know any part of a tree/plant from which they could get it. Kunku was mesmerised by the metallic blue band around the neck of her friend Chandrakali who was a Blue Rock Pigeon. She felt that Blue which was also the colour of the sky as well as water was special.
She had heard her parents talk about the talented weavers of Kashi who made the most wonderful cloth. She wondered if they knew how to get blue colour. Can Kunku and Chandrakali crack the mystery of getting blue colour? How do they go about it? This is what the story is about. The bond of friendship between a girl and a pigeon and their curiosity proves to be valuable to the weavers of Ilkal.
Even today Ilkal is popular for the Ilkal Sarees. The Chandrakali Ilkal Saree is a dark blue/indigo coloured Ilkal Saree which is a must in every bride’s wedding trousseau and considered to be a good omen. The book cover and its intriguing title caught our (mine and the six year old’s) attention as we were browsing the collection on Tulika website. Loved the fact that this topic has been used so nicely in this story for the little ones. Apt for children aged 6+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.