In the course of my multifarious and varied life, which began over eight decades ago, I have had occasions in India and abroad to meet a large number of remarkable people, many of whom figure in my autobiography and published correspondence with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Shrimati Indira Gandhi. Taking off from the 19th century Greek-Armenian mystic G.I. Gurdjieff’s Meetings with Remarkable Men, however, my daughter Jyotsna had for long been urging me to write about my meetings with remarkable women. At last I decided to accept her advice; hence this book. All these women that I have met over a long period of time, have left an impression upon my mind, obviously some more than others. Even a brief meeting has turned out to be a long remembered event, as for example, the one with Helen Keller which did not last more than a few minutes. At the other end of the spectrum are author's mother and his wife, who between them were with him for almost all his life. The author has attempted just to sketch a brief outline of each of the personalities, a short description of my interaction, and wherever possible, a photograph. Many of these women were well known around the world, many of them not in the public eye, but they all shared a certain intangible quality which has led him to include them in this book of reminiscences. Hopefully the reader will find the selection interesting, informative and occasionally even inspiring.
About the Author:
Dr. Karan Singh apart from his unique record of 70 years in public life beginning from the age of 18 when he was appointed the Regent of Jammu & Kashmir by his father Maharaja Hari Singh, is also well known as an intellectual and a patron of scholarship and cultural activities. He has written over 20 books, the latest of which is Shiva: Lord of the Cosmic Dance (Speaking Tiger) and Reflections (Shubhi Publications). He has been the Chancellor of the Jammu & Kashmir University, the Banaras Hindu University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Among his many activities is presiding over the Dharmarth Trust, Jammu & Kashmir. This Trust was set up by Maharaja Gulab Singh when he founded the State of Jammu & Kashmir in 1846, and manages over a hundred temples and shrines in the State including the famous Shankracharya and Kheer Bhawani temples in the valley and the Shri Ranbireshwar Shiva temple and the great Shri Raghunath Mandir complex in Jammu. A renowned temple builder, Maharaja Ranbir Singh (1857-1885) sent scholars around the country to collect rare manuscripts. These are now preserved in Shri Ranbir Sanskrit Research Institute Library within the temple premises. It is from this great collection that the current unique publication has been produced. Like his ancestors, Dr. Karan Singh has always been a great patron of Sanskrit. When he joined Parliament in 1967 he set up the Sansadiya Sanskrit Parishad which suggested two important measures, subsequently adopted by the Government of India. The first was the celebration of Raksha Bandhan every year as Sanskrit Diwas and the second was Sanskrit news bulletins on All India Radio. Earlier he was Chairman of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Deeply committed to the cultural and spiritual tradition of lndia, Dr. Karan Singh has, throughout his life, promoted the study of Sanskrit and research into Sanskrit texts. With his deep insight into the Indian cultural tradition, as well as his wide exposure to the western literature and civilisation, Dr. Karan Singh is recognised as an outstanding thinker and leader in India and abroad.
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