The Princess with the Longest Hair
by Komilla Raote and illustrated by Vandana Bist
“The Princess with the Longest Hair” by Komilla Raote and illustrated by Vandana Bist. Published by Katha. This gorgeously illustrated book is the story of Princess Parineeta whose hair was very long as the title suggests.
When spread out, it gave as much shade as a banyan tree. While the king and queen were very proud of her hair, the Princess wasn’t. Though everyone complimented her about her beautiful hair, she found it weary. She gazed sadly at the bare brown mountains outside from the confines of her room. She wondered what lay outside the palace walls and she feels trapped in the palace like a beautiful bird in a cage.
Each year on her birthday, the king and queen took her to the topmost room of the palace. She had to sit at the window and let down her hair for the people to admire. The king had promised that there would be celebrations all over the kingdom when her hair reached the ground. This year it surely would touch the ground. She would be eighteen soon and her parents wanted to choose the handsomest, richest and bravest prince from among the guests to be her husband. But she didn’t want to get married yet.
What happened next? Did the Princess break the shackles around her? An unforgettable story of a beautiful, kind and generous Princess who is adored by one and all right from the birds in the jungle to the fisherfolk of the region for her selflessness and giving nature. The illustrator won the Chitrakala award in 1998 for her illustrations in this book.
My (then)six year old loved the book. Apt for children aged 5+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Katha here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.