History, Heritage, and Cultural Consciousness in Sudha Murthy's "Gently Falls the Bakula."

Abstract: The novel “Gently Falls the Bakula” by Sudha Murthy intricately explores various themes like relationships, marriage, gender, and human values, but one important aspect is the protagonist's historical view, which is represented by Sudha Murthy herself. Shrimati, an intellectual girl from a small town, loves history, believes in history, worships history, follows history, and admires history; sometimes it seems that she can’t live without it. The story centres on Shrimati, who, out of love for Shrikant, attempts to live without history; however, this sacrifice appears to render her love for Shrikant futile, leading to a loss of her identity. According to her, history taught her to follow the promises and sacrifice her life for Shrikant; his happiness is more than her choice or interest. She believes a sacrifice creates history; she respects Indian cultural heritage, and it is one of the most ancient and glorious histories and cultures in the world. By preserving and respecting our culture, it's a wonderful tribute to our history.