LWF asked Alka Joshi:

Hello Mrs. Joshi, I bought the Audible version of, “The Henna Artist,” and I too loved it! I had it devoured over three evenings before bed. So well written, I could actually visualize so many of these scenes and I’ve never been to India. Any book I can visualize is well written. Q? Are the cast systems still in place as much as they used to be in India? Seems sad when I hear about how when someone is born into a cast

Alka Joshi Hi LwF:
Thanks so much for listening to the audiobook of The Henna Artist and for your excellent question! In the hardcover version, you would have seen a page explaining the caste system in India today. I'm including a short version of that explanation here:

Caste continues to play a major role in arranged marriages, food preparation and religious worship. Started a thousand years before Christ as a way to separate society into four distinct occupational categories, the system now identifies more than 3,000 castes and 25,000 subcastes. Intercaste marriage can blemish the reputation of both families involved and often result in the couple being ostracized. Some castes refuse to eat meat while others insist on it. Indians are tolerant of religious practices different from their own, but each caste continues to practice its own religious rituals.

Because the caste system is so deeply rooted in India’s culture, and has been for thousands of years, it will take time for its people to let go of long-held beliefs in the power, privileges and restrictions of castes. Social media has increased the population’s exposure to and communication with the non- caste Western world, which is changing some of those beliefs. Similarly, more education and career opportunities for women and lower castes have led to many caste taboos being challenged. Nonetheless, caste-like systems continue not only in India but also Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, Korea, Yemen, Indonesia, China and certain countries in Africa.

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