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Describe O.Chandu Menon's Indulekha.
Indulekha, refers to the main character in this novel, a beautiful, well educated Nair lady of 18 years.
Background

The novel was written at a time when there was an emerging class of upper caste men (mostly Nairs) who received a Western style education, and were achieving prominent positions in British India. The period was a clash of cultures, as the educated Indians were torn between Western ideals and traditional practices. The Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala, had traditionally had marital relations with Nair women, known as Sambandham, since only the oldest Nambudiri youth was allowed to marry a Brahmin girl. The younger sons were encouraged to have Sambandham with Nair women, in order to maintain male primogeniture, since the children born from such relations belonged to their mother's family. The matriarchy practiced by the Nairs was also coming under attack during this period. Many of the Nambudiri men, though learned in Vedas and Sanskrit, had little knowledge of English and Western sciences. The novel highlights the lack of willingness of the Nambudiris to adapt to the change of times, as well as the struggle by Nair women to break out of the age-old principle of Sambandham, which had little relevance during the late 19th century.

Indulekha is a very old, but amazing piece of literature which was every bit controversial in it`s times and yet was read throughout the vast circle of malayalam readership. Written by O. Chandumenon, a radical thinker and reformist who helped in bringing upon great changes in the old nair style of matrilineal inheritance and also fought against the stringent orthodoxy of the Kerala upper caste society to bring across education and literacy to the masses.
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Indulekha is the story of love between the beautiful, educated and modern Indulekha and handsome and knowledgeable Madhavan and how they surpass all odds, brought across by the weakness in the society and use their education in the right sense to unite and live happily marking a great transition from the uninitiated old system to the years of modernity. The story is rightly set at the time of the british rule in India, and at the nascent stage of the Indian Congress and makes for an engrossing read.
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The whole plot, is in a play form and is hugely decked with beautiful sanskrit verses and poetry.
But above all, the book sheds a lot of light on the little and beautiful state of Kerala. The story ends with how both the lovers get married and go to live in Madras, the present day Chennai.


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