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Iru: The Remarkable Life of Irawati Karve
In 1927, when Irawati Karve, aged twenty-two, arrived in Berlin to do her doctoral studies at the Friedrich Wilhelm University, she was faced with a dilemma. As a woman of colour, the subject of her thesis was to prove her supervisor Dr Eugen Fischer’s theory of the superiority of the European race over people of colour, based on the measurement of their skulls. After examining 149 ‘white’ skulls from Germany and ‘non-white’ skulls from German colonies in East Africa, Irawati came to the opposite conclusion: the shape of the human skull did not prove racial superiority. Fischer’s theory was later discredited, but at the time, it took courage to present the paper to him and it nearly cost Irawati her PhD.
Courage and a pioneering spirit continued to be her hallmarks on her return to India. At a time when such field trips were difficult if not dangerous, she travelled to the Adivasi areas in Coorg, Western Maharashtra, Assam, Kerala and Bihar. Her research resulted in two seminal works, Kinship Organisation in India and Hindu Society.
In 1968, she won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her book of essays on the Mahabharata, Yuganta. Irawati’s belief that the Mahabharata was not just an epic, but a historical record, earned her some criticism from her peers at the time, but Yuganta remains a classic to this day.
As the daughter-in-law of the reformist and feminist thinker, Maharshi Dhondo Karve, adored wife of Dinkar Karve, and privileged daughter of two families—her own parents, Ganesh and Bhagirathi Karmarkar, and her adoptive family, R.P. Paranjpye and his wife, Saitai—Irawati’s personal life was as rich and colourful as her professional one.
In this biography like none other, writer Urmilla Deshpande, Irawati’s granddaughter, and academic researcher Thiago Pinto Barbosa, have created an intimate, captivating portrait of Irawati Karve, the anthropologist and philosopher, and Irawati, the woman, wife and mother.
As author and Joint Director, JLF, Namita Gokhale says, ‘Irawati Karve stood tall with the tallest of her generation. This biography is a beacon for those who want to understand the Indian way—an inspirational story of an iconic figure.’
Courage and a pioneering spirit continued to be her hallmarks on her return to India. At a time when such field trips were difficult if not dangerous, she travelled to the Adivasi areas in Coorg, Western Maharashtra, Assam, Kerala and Bihar. Her research resulted in two seminal works, Kinship Organisation in India and Hindu Society.
In 1968, she won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her book of essays on the Mahabharata, Yuganta. Irawati’s belief that the Mahabharata was not just an epic, but a historical record, earned her some criticism from her peers at the time, but Yuganta remains a classic to this day.
As the daughter-in-law of the reformist and feminist thinker, Maharshi Dhondo Karve, adored wife of Dinkar Karve, and privileged daughter of two families—her own parents, Ganesh and Bhagirathi Karmarkar, and her adoptive family, R.P. Paranjpye and his wife, Saitai—Irawati’s personal life was as rich and colourful as her professional one.
In this biography like none other, writer Urmilla Deshpande, Irawati’s granddaughter, and academic researcher Thiago Pinto Barbosa, have created an intimate, captivating portrait of Irawati Karve, the anthropologist and philosopher, and Irawati, the woman, wife and mother.
As author and Joint Director, JLF, Namita Gokhale says, ‘Irawati Karve stood tall with the tallest of her generation. This biography is a beacon for those who want to understand the Indian way—an inspirational story of an iconic figure.’
292 pages, Hardcover
Published September 5, 2024
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November 29, 2024
The cover of Urmilla Deshpande and Thiago Pinto Barbosa’s Iru: The Remarkable Life of Irawati Karve bears an illustration, a portrait of Dr Karve, India’s first woman anthropologist. Stars are scattered across Dr Karve’s saree, and stars, too, adorn the top half of the cover. Food for thought: Irawati Karve, after all, though a scientist, was no astronomer. This was a woman who spent her life studying people: trying to understand what made Indians, especially, who they are. Stargazing, in the sense of daydreaming, does not seem to have been one of her traits. And though, by defying her own family and going abroad for higher education, Irawati showed that she could reach for the stars, there’s more to it.
Near the end of the book, co-author Urmilla Deshpande (Irawati’s granddaughter, the daughter of her youngest child, Gauri) explains that her grandmother loved wearing sarees. Because Irawati was quite tall, she had to have her sarees specially woven for her: store-bought sarees were too short. These bespoke sarees would be decorated, according to Irawati’s wishes, with screen-printed stars. Are the stars on the cover a continuation of that saree pattern? Or a subtle reminder that Dr Karve was a star, too? Also one who, while she had her feet firmly on the ground, could look up and beyond? Both philosopher and scientist, both believer and doubter?
This duality is, appropriately enough, a hallmark also of this book about Irawati, ‘Iru’, as she was affectionately known. Deshpande and Barbosa, the former a writer of fiction and the latter an anthropologist, bring to this work their own areas of expertise, their own perspectives. Thus, as they begin the book with the 22-year-old Iru’s sojourn in Berlin, pursuing a PhD and measuring human skulls to test her guide Eugen Fischer’s theory of eugenics, we have solid science showing us what Iru was expected to do, and how she went about it. But we have, too, a weaving in of a story: how a lonely Iru, an Indian woman in post-Great War Germany, might have felt about the racism, the disturbing signs of the Nazism that would take root within a few years.
The balancing of professional and personal, of the scientist and the philosopher, the wife and the mother, is a theme that runs through the book. Iru traces Irawati’s childhood, first in Burma as the daughter of expatriate Maharashtrians, and then in Pune, where she was sent for her schooling and ended up becoming foster daughter to ‘Wrangler’ RP Paranjpye, the mathematician. From Iru’s marriage to Dinkar ‘Dinu’ Karve to their children, from Iru’s first stint in Berlin to subsequent journeys to Europe and America, to field trips across the length and breadth of India: the story of Iru’s life builds up vibrantly.
The anecdotes that give us a picture of Iru’s work are fascinating, ranging from unusual bits of trivia relating to field trips, archaeological digs, interesting communities she studied, and so on. Equally insightful are the glimpses we get, alongside, of the philosopher Iru was. The woman who loved trees and birds and animals. Who could look at a millennia-old human skeleton and feel a connection to it. Who was well-versed in literature (and used literature to help interpret what she saw in human societies she was studying). A woman who wrote extensively not just on science but on the Mahabharat too. A scientist, rational and level-headed. But a believer, too.
This duality of Dr Karve’s nature is built up with sensitivity through the course of this book. Deshpande and Barbosa’s writing meshes together mostly well, though there are moments when one can imagine (perhaps) which of the two authors has written which part. The picture that is built up is of a courageous, curious, highly intelligent woman with an insatiable sense of curiosity and a determination to forge her own path. A truly remarkable woman, indeed, and deserving of the tribute that this book offers her.
(From my review for Open: The Magazine: https://openthemagazine.com/lounge/bo...)
Near the end of the book, co-author Urmilla Deshpande (Irawati’s granddaughter, the daughter of her youngest child, Gauri) explains that her grandmother loved wearing sarees. Because Irawati was quite tall, she had to have her sarees specially woven for her: store-bought sarees were too short. These bespoke sarees would be decorated, according to Irawati’s wishes, with screen-printed stars. Are the stars on the cover a continuation of that saree pattern? Or a subtle reminder that Dr Karve was a star, too? Also one who, while she had her feet firmly on the ground, could look up and beyond? Both philosopher and scientist, both believer and doubter?
This duality is, appropriately enough, a hallmark also of this book about Irawati, ‘Iru’, as she was affectionately known. Deshpande and Barbosa, the former a writer of fiction and the latter an anthropologist, bring to this work their own areas of expertise, their own perspectives. Thus, as they begin the book with the 22-year-old Iru’s sojourn in Berlin, pursuing a PhD and measuring human skulls to test her guide Eugen Fischer’s theory of eugenics, we have solid science showing us what Iru was expected to do, and how she went about it. But we have, too, a weaving in of a story: how a lonely Iru, an Indian woman in post-Great War Germany, might have felt about the racism, the disturbing signs of the Nazism that would take root within a few years.
The balancing of professional and personal, of the scientist and the philosopher, the wife and the mother, is a theme that runs through the book. Iru traces Irawati’s childhood, first in Burma as the daughter of expatriate Maharashtrians, and then in Pune, where she was sent for her schooling and ended up becoming foster daughter to ‘Wrangler’ RP Paranjpye, the mathematician. From Iru’s marriage to Dinkar ‘Dinu’ Karve to their children, from Iru’s first stint in Berlin to subsequent journeys to Europe and America, to field trips across the length and breadth of India: the story of Iru’s life builds up vibrantly.
The anecdotes that give us a picture of Iru’s work are fascinating, ranging from unusual bits of trivia relating to field trips, archaeological digs, interesting communities she studied, and so on. Equally insightful are the glimpses we get, alongside, of the philosopher Iru was. The woman who loved trees and birds and animals. Who could look at a millennia-old human skeleton and feel a connection to it. Who was well-versed in literature (and used literature to help interpret what she saw in human societies she was studying). A woman who wrote extensively not just on science but on the Mahabharat too. A scientist, rational and level-headed. But a believer, too.
This duality of Dr Karve’s nature is built up with sensitivity through the course of this book. Deshpande and Barbosa’s writing meshes together mostly well, though there are moments when one can imagine (perhaps) which of the two authors has written which part. The picture that is built up is of a courageous, curious, highly intelligent woman with an insatiable sense of curiosity and a determination to forge her own path. A truly remarkable woman, indeed, and deserving of the tribute that this book offers her.
(From my review for Open: The Magazine: https://openthemagazine.com/lounge/bo...)
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September 14, 2024“In 1927, when Irawati Karve, aged 22, arrived in Berlin to do her doctoral studies at the Friedrich Wilhelm University, she was faced with a dilemma. As a woman of colour, the subject of her thesis was to prove her supervisor Dr Eugen Fischer’s theory of the superiority of the European race over people of colour, based on the measurement of their skulls. After examining 149 “white” skulls from Germany and “non-white” skulls from German colonies in East Africa, Irawati came to the opposite conclusion: the shape of the human skull did not prove racial superiority. Fischer’s theory was later discredited, but at the time, it took courage to present the paper to him and it nearly cost Irawati her PhD.
In this biography, writer Urmilla Deshpande, Irawati’s granddaughter, and academic researcher Thiago Pinto Barbosa, have created an intimate, captivating portrait of Irawati Karve, the anthropologist and philosopher, and Irawati, the woman, wife and mother.”
Are you kidding me? This sounds so awesome and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
In this biography, writer Urmilla Deshpande, Irawati’s granddaughter, and academic researcher Thiago Pinto Barbosa, have created an intimate, captivating portrait of Irawati Karve, the anthropologist and philosopher, and Irawati, the woman, wife and mother.”
Are you kidding me? This sounds so awesome and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
December 24, 2024
I'm so glad this book exists.
I grew up with my mother telling me about various Marathi essays of Irawati Karve's that she herself had read growing up. I especially remember being told about the one where Karve describes her feelings upon finding the skeleton of a woman separated from her by several millennia, leading her to ask the skeleton-woman, "Are you me?"
Later on, my mother even read out for my benefit, selected chapters from Yuganta - Irawati Karve's collection of Marathi essays on the Mahabharat. The mention of the Naga people in her chapter on the burning of the Khandav forest would return to me as I later read, in Gail Omvedt's Reinventing Revolution, about the histories written by Jotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar.
I had no knowledge, however, that Irawati Karve had trained in anthropology in 1920s Berlin, under Eugen Fischer, a eugenicist who would later join the Nazi party. I didn't know either that Irawati Karve, in her doctoral thesis, had refuted her doctoral advisor's pet theory about how the skulls of European people bore asymmetries linked to having a superior intellect than non-European people. Turns out, she was the sole dissenting voice amongst the academics at the notorious KWI-A. This story alone is worth more than the price of this book, and perhaps worth more than all of Kazuo Ishiguro's novels put together!
But it was also fascinating to learn more about Irawati Karve's other works and writings, both academic and non-academic, and her travels across India. She is an important figure in the intellectual history of India and the Indian academe, and a key to understanding its present-day contradictions.
I grew up with my mother telling me about various Marathi essays of Irawati Karve's that she herself had read growing up. I especially remember being told about the one where Karve describes her feelings upon finding the skeleton of a woman separated from her by several millennia, leading her to ask the skeleton-woman, "Are you me?"
Later on, my mother even read out for my benefit, selected chapters from Yuganta - Irawati Karve's collection of Marathi essays on the Mahabharat. The mention of the Naga people in her chapter on the burning of the Khandav forest would return to me as I later read, in Gail Omvedt's Reinventing Revolution, about the histories written by Jotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar.
I had no knowledge, however, that Irawati Karve had trained in anthropology in 1920s Berlin, under Eugen Fischer, a eugenicist who would later join the Nazi party. I didn't know either that Irawati Karve, in her doctoral thesis, had refuted her doctoral advisor's pet theory about how the skulls of European people bore asymmetries linked to having a superior intellect than non-European people. Turns out, she was the sole dissenting voice amongst the academics at the notorious KWI-A. This story alone is worth more than the price of this book, and perhaps worth more than all of Kazuo Ishiguro's novels put together!
But it was also fascinating to learn more about Irawati Karve's other works and writings, both academic and non-academic, and her travels across India. She is an important figure in the intellectual history of India and the Indian academe, and a key to understanding its present-day contradictions.
January 16, 2025
I loved reading this book so much! Irawati was an exceptional woman for her times and I found her story very inspiring. The book did a great job painting a rich picture of her intellectual and personal life. Also does a great job situating her work in the thinking of that time.
October 4, 2024
Irawati Karve is well known both as an author and as an anthropologist, but not much is known about her the person, which is what makes this biography such an engrossing read.
Since there are not too many records of her life, the authors use critical fabulation to bring to life the story of a young girl in Burma, who was sent to Pune to study, and who got herself a PhD in Germany before returning to India to work as an anthropologist.
Irawati Karve is best known for Yuganta, a set of critical essays on the Mahabharata, and it was fascinating to read how events in her own life influenced certain essays in the collection.
Her thoughts on feminism were way ahead of its time, and while her domestic life embodied gender equity, you are shown how she disliked how men were feted for doing the basic minimum. It is also fascinating to read how multiple generations of very strong women in the family broke societal norms, and yet imposed restrictions on the next generation.
This book is a must read, especially for anyone who is interested in learning about feminism in India.
Read detailed review here: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2024/09/...
I received a review copy from Speaking Tiger, but the views are my own.
Since there are not too many records of her life, the authors use critical fabulation to bring to life the story of a young girl in Burma, who was sent to Pune to study, and who got herself a PhD in Germany before returning to India to work as an anthropologist.
Irawati Karve is best known for Yuganta, a set of critical essays on the Mahabharata, and it was fascinating to read how events in her own life influenced certain essays in the collection.
Her thoughts on feminism were way ahead of its time, and while her domestic life embodied gender equity, you are shown how she disliked how men were feted for doing the basic minimum. It is also fascinating to read how multiple generations of very strong women in the family broke societal norms, and yet imposed restrictions on the next generation.
This book is a must read, especially for anyone who is interested in learning about feminism in India.
Read detailed review here: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2024/09/...
I received a review copy from Speaking Tiger, but the views are my own.
June 16, 2025
The book while being pleasantly paced and offering the shoes of India's pioneering sociologist and anthropologist (of a kind that is distinctly arcane today), can often be 'virile'. It often sacrifices depth and critical analysis for accessibility. Owing to one of the author's interest in the adversarial relationship Karve held with Nazi understandings of race and anthropometry, the earliest chapters are the best-crafted. I would have liked a richer portrait of the politics of sociology in the time, the understandings of caste, and how in the very city where Caste was relentlessly challenged, there resided a Germany-return scholar who imagined it as an essential base to the social landscape of India. Yet I was able to get a taste of the difficulty a Brahmin woman should face in a beef-eating and beer-drinking world. And the difficulty still that the Woman would face when her children question marriage, faith, and custom. The journey's uniqueness is nowhere lost in the book. A simpler remedy could have just been a thicker book.
October 9, 2025
Reading Iru was an enriching experience. It introduced me to Irawati Karve’s extraordinary achievements — her pioneering work in anthropology and sociology, her intellectual courage, and her ability to hold her ground in a male-dominated academic world. I was struck by the web of people around her — her mentors, family, colleagues, and the socio-political world that shaped her thinking. The book gives us a vivid sense of the times she lived in — India’s struggle for identity, the debates on caste and modernity, and the emergence of women in academia.
But what I found myself yearning for was Irawati the woman. What was her voice like when she wasn’t being the scholar? What did she laugh at? What kept her awake at night? How did she hold her loneliness, or her anger, or her tenderness? The biography is respectful, even admiring — but it feels like we are looking at her through a glass wall. We can see her clearly, but not feel her fully.
There are small windows — like her quiet apology to each skull she studied, or her childhood fascination with human diversity — that hint at her deep empathy and sensitivity. But I wish those moments had been expanded. I wanted to know not just what she did, but how she felt.
The glimpses we get — her respect for the dead, her devotion to fieldwork, her sense of discipline — do help paint her as thoughtful, serious, and ethically grounded. But they aren’t enough to let us know her intimately. It’s like seeing a silhouette — you recognize the shape but not the depth of emotion behind it.
Perhaps because her generation didn’t leave behind personal diaries or emotional correspondence. Women like Irawati lived in a time when emotions were considered private, and public writing by women was expected to be restrained. It may also be that the authors wanted to preserve her dignity and avoid speculation especially since her life was already under public scrutiny as a female academic.
For some, the legacy of her work is inspiration enough. But for me, the inner journey — how she processed doubt, failure, or rejection — would have made her story more human and relatable. When we see that someone brilliant also struggled emotionally, it gives us permission to embrace our own imperfections.
I found myself wanting more moments of vulnerability or private struggle from Irawati — particularly in the sections about her academic isolation and ideological disagreements. She was often ahead of her time, criticized or misunderstood, and I would have liked to know how that felt internally. Did she ever question her choices? Did she find strength in solitude or feel burdened by it? Those insights would have helped bridge the gap between the legend and the woman.
But what I found myself yearning for was Irawati the woman. What was her voice like when she wasn’t being the scholar? What did she laugh at? What kept her awake at night? How did she hold her loneliness, or her anger, or her tenderness? The biography is respectful, even admiring — but it feels like we are looking at her through a glass wall. We can see her clearly, but not feel her fully.
There are small windows — like her quiet apology to each skull she studied, or her childhood fascination with human diversity — that hint at her deep empathy and sensitivity. But I wish those moments had been expanded. I wanted to know not just what she did, but how she felt.
The glimpses we get — her respect for the dead, her devotion to fieldwork, her sense of discipline — do help paint her as thoughtful, serious, and ethically grounded. But they aren’t enough to let us know her intimately. It’s like seeing a silhouette — you recognize the shape but not the depth of emotion behind it.
Perhaps because her generation didn’t leave behind personal diaries or emotional correspondence. Women like Irawati lived in a time when emotions were considered private, and public writing by women was expected to be restrained. It may also be that the authors wanted to preserve her dignity and avoid speculation especially since her life was already under public scrutiny as a female academic.
For some, the legacy of her work is inspiration enough. But for me, the inner journey — how she processed doubt, failure, or rejection — would have made her story more human and relatable. When we see that someone brilliant also struggled emotionally, it gives us permission to embrace our own imperfections.
I found myself wanting more moments of vulnerability or private struggle from Irawati — particularly in the sections about her academic isolation and ideological disagreements. She was often ahead of her time, criticized or misunderstood, and I would have liked to know how that felt internally. Did she ever question her choices? Did she find strength in solitude or feel burdened by it? Those insights would have helped bridge the gap between the legend and the woman.
March 30, 2025
A Biography Worth Reading, Urmilla Deshpande and Thiago Pinto Barbosa’s Iru beautifully captures the inspiring journey of Irawati Karve, India’s first woman anthropologist. This biography paints a vivid picture of her relentless pursuit of knowledge, breaking gender barriers, and traveling across India and beyond. Co-authored by her granddaughter and an anthropologist she once inspired, the book explores both her personal and professional life. While it could have delved deeper into her research, the engaging narrative makes it a compelling read. A must-read for those interested in women’s history, academia, and intellectual resilience.
#IrawatiKarve #WomenInScience #Biography #Anthropology #InspiringWomen #BookReview #MustRead #UrmilaDeshpande #ThiagoPintoBarbosa
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#IrawatiKarve #WomenInScience #Biography #Anthropology #InspiringWomen #BookReview #MustRead #UrmilaDeshpande #ThiagoPintoBarbosa
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November 21, 2025
The book is interesting and very nicely written. However, it doesn't give a good insight in to her academic life. Her achievements, theories, are not clearly spelt out. It would have been so much better to learn about those, instead there is lot more focus on her as a person.
She comes out as a complex person. liberal for that age in some sense, but also religious and spiritual.
I didn't know much about her except that she was well respected Marathi scholar. I had read yugant in my childhood but have no memories of my opinion on that.
she obviously had achieved a lot and would have helped if there was more light on her academic work and achievements
For some reason, which has no basis, I had not expected her to be that religious/spiritual and was surprised by her frequent visits to pandharpur and her pilgrimage.
It may sound strange, but I was more impressed by the description of her husband Dinu, who appears to be a logical and consistent .
She comes out as a complex person. liberal for that age in some sense, but also religious and spiritual.
I didn't know much about her except that she was well respected Marathi scholar. I had read yugant in my childhood but have no memories of my opinion on that.
she obviously had achieved a lot and would have helped if there was more light on her academic work and achievements
For some reason, which has no basis, I had not expected her to be that religious/spiritual and was surprised by her frequent visits to pandharpur and her pilgrimage.
It may sound strange, but I was more impressed by the description of her husband Dinu, who appears to be a logical and consistent .
February 23, 2025
The first time I heard about Irawati Karve, the first female Indian anthropologist (1905- 1970) was in a social media post about this book. It is well written with a contemporary lens on how her ideas contradicted the prevailing theories of race and colonial academic attitudes. There is a rich list of references and I look forward to reading more such as her work on kinship organisation in India and Yuganta, on the Mahabharata. I hope the success of this book paves the way to translation of her Marati works. I am left curious to learn more including her relationships were like with the political and academic powers of independent India.
August 6, 2025
I enjoyed learning about Dr. Irawati Karve in this book. She's an exceptional woman. I was really fascinated by her viewpoints and accomplishments, especially given the challenges of being an Indian woman at the time. However, the story feels a bit disjointed at times and maybe could have been better if it was written chronologically. Secondly, there were a lot of references to the Mahabharata for which context could have been provided. An appendix would have been helpful for those not familiar with the story.
September 13, 2025
A biography on India's first woman anthropologist to have attained doctorate from abroad during the British ruled India. Very well depicts the age-old ancient issues of gender discrimination, casteism, social hierarchy - all existing and relevant till today.
Very inspiring story of Iru and Dinu, their meaningful marriage and acquaintance despite the financial, demographical and cultural hardships.
Very enlightening read into the lives of women in early India who thrived for education. Irawati is indeed a remarkable women in STEM with her extensive research and work in anthropology.
Very inspiring story of Iru and Dinu, their meaningful marriage and acquaintance despite the financial, demographical and cultural hardships.
Very enlightening read into the lives of women in early India who thrived for education. Irawati is indeed a remarkable women in STEM with her extensive research and work in anthropology.
October 14, 2025
This book was a Discovery! Knowing an icon who contributed so much in so many different ways to Indian society - first Indian woman anthropologist, first Indian woman to ride a 2 wheeler/scooter (in 1940s, I'm sure she was the only female too!), professor researcher with such global exposure and global experience in that era, Fearless (yet polite /worldly wise) to put out findings that were true rather than pleasing the bosses, findings that would help the government setup guidelines for in relocation of tribes during dam building projects (extensively done in the newly independent India). She was so so much more than the brilliant writer of Yuganta we have known her for!
And then to uncover each of those icons around her who were champions in their own field whether it was social work or reformation.
I sincerely wish there are more books/writings in English on her work and the people she was surrounded with - Maharshi Karwe(FIL), Dinkar aka Dinnu (Husband), Paranjpe (her adoptive father), Raghunath Karve (Bro in law), and then her own kids... so much to still find n learn!
Giving it a 5 star for discovery of these people alone!
And then to uncover each of those icons around her who were champions in their own field whether it was social work or reformation.
I sincerely wish there are more books/writings in English on her work and the people she was surrounded with - Maharshi Karwe(FIL), Dinkar aka Dinnu (Husband), Paranjpe (her adoptive father), Raghunath Karve (Bro in law), and then her own kids... so much to still find n learn!
Giving it a 5 star for discovery of these people alone!
May 25, 2025
A beautiful account of life of Prof. Karve - the anthropologist. And more importantly, Iru - in her many roles as a daughter, wife, daughter -in -law, and mother
Contains thrilling accounts of archaeological digs from 70 years ago, honest musings about philosophy and religion. The book paints a honest picture of society at the time.
But the most impressive thing I found about it, was how frank and honest it remains.
Contains thrilling accounts of archaeological digs from 70 years ago, honest musings about philosophy and religion. The book paints a honest picture of society at the time.
But the most impressive thing I found about it, was how frank and honest it remains.
May 19, 2025
i had a wonderful time reading this book. what Irawati Karve did in the early 20 th century such as going to Germany all alone for doing her PhD , going on research expeditions all alone to some of the most remote regions of the country and how she stood her ground and concentrated on her career are very inspiring to read. the book is fast paced and well written.
October 12, 2025
A remarkable life…..
For me the book started brilliantly ! It chronicles both the internal and the external worlds of Irawati beautifully.
Later on the book meanders around, sometimes diving too deep into Anthropology or mental world there by losing focus.
For me the book started brilliantly ! It chronicles both the internal and the external worlds of Irawati beautifully.
Later on the book meanders around, sometimes diving too deep into Anthropology or mental world there by losing focus.
November 8, 2024
Story of Irawati Karve a well-known Anthropologist.
November 26, 2024
Remarkably written book. So beautiful.
March 11, 2025
An excellent biography about the First woman anthropologist of India. I appreciate the way it has been written, not in a dry timelines based manner but in a more interesting content based manner.
May 9, 2025
Brave and open-minded woman in the early 20th century. Her life is worth reading about.
February 24, 2025
Iru narrates the story of a woman who was unusual for her times. At the start of the book, we see her in far away Germany pursuing her PhD where she is beset with worry over refuting her Doctorvater's (doctoral supervisor) pet theory of the superiority of European brains, even as she is shocked by the early doings of Nazism in inter-war Berlin.
Born in a liberal / atheist family in which strict rituals including reading aloud to one another, she shocked even her supposedly liberal father in her choice of education and husband. This is a woman in the early 20th century who adopted the family of her friend as her own, chose the person she would marry, left her husband behind to study overseas, disproved her professor's thesis even though it meant almost failing to get her PhD.
A woman who travelled the length and breadth of her country, making the study of its people her chose profession. She did not view the people and tribes she met with are 'curiosities' to be studied, but as fellow human beings whom she could connect with, stay and eat with.
A woman who connected deeply with the literary treasures of her land, who made no bones about questioning those very treasures and voicing her opinions when she found them wanting. She connected her study of anthropology with the study of the language and literature of the people, and was as comfortable writing a critical examination of the Mahabharata as she was in quoting a Tamil proverb in a casual conversation with her daughter.
A woman who enriched our knowledge of humanity by her ability to make connections across worlds - experiencing the rain in London, she could finally understand why Shakespeare wrote that mercy droppeth as gentle rain (the concept of gentle rain being unfathomable before then to a creature of Indian monsoons!)
A woman whose personal life was as rich as her professional life. I found it beautiful that this book is co-authored by her own grand-daughter and an anthropologist of whose thesis she (Iravati) was the subject. This author duo helps us discover tender/practical aspects of her personal life as well as the formidable achievements of her professional life. Using 'critical fabulation' they weave together a coherent narrative drawing as much from family anecdotes and letters as they do from her essays.
High 3
February 5, 2025
Picked this up to know more about this formidable woman, wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't thrilled either.
The writing was basic, and gave a cursory view about Irawati Karve's life. I wish there was some more depth in the writing to drive the point home that her research and observations ring true even today.
The writing was basic, and gave a cursory view about Irawati Karve's life. I wish there was some more depth in the writing to drive the point home that her research and observations ring true even today.
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