The Age of Kali
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| The Age of Kali | |
| Author | William Dalrymple |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Travel |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
| Publication date | 1998 |
| Preceded by | From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium |
| Followed by | White Mughals |
The Age of Kali is a 1998 travel book by William Dalrymple.
Dalrymple's fourth book, The Age of Kali (1998), saw him return to the subject of India. The book is a collection of essays collected through almost a decade of travel around the Indian subcontinent.
It deals with many controversial subjects such as Sati, the caste wars in India, political corruption and terrorism. It was released in India renamed as At the Court of the Fish-Eyed Goddess (ISBN 8172233329). The fish eyed goddess being the literal translation of the Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai.
The book starts with the author's meetings with Benazir Bhutto when she was Prime Minister of Pakistan, and cricketer Imran Khan (former Captain of the Pakistani cricket team) when he was standing for elections in Pakistan.
He then goes to Rajasthan to cover a rape case, investigates the Roop Kanwar sati case. Visits the state of Bihar, cities of Lucknow, Madurai, and Hyderabad among others.
He travels to Mumbai to interview author Shobha De and Baba Seghal as symbols of modern India. In each place he describes the various changes that these places have undergone since independence and the also the cultural heritage being retained by the people since ancient times. He covers Sri Lanka just as the IPKF is pulling out of the country. Lastly he covers Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean which is an overseas département of France.
