THUS SPAKE LALDED

This anthology of poems is centred on Lal-Dedher life her timesher struggles her dreams her yearnings her contributions and as also on the way she left her indelible influence on the social milieu of the times. Very few people know that Lal-Ded was not only a saint poetess of Kashmiri literature during the medieval times a fore-runner of linguistic renaissance in India a rebel-woman’s voice but also a founder of Bhakti Move- ment. She has captured the consciousness of the people over the centuries because of her literature her deep understanding of Shaivite philosophy her experiences and understanding of the nature of reality her strong criticism against the evil practices of the society of her days her supreme consciousness and meditative mind- fulness. Lal-Ded’s Vaakh Literature has overcome the restraints of time . With the passage of time it has es- tablished its contextual primacy and opened itself to new and subtle layers of interpretations and meanings.Her poems are an expression of timeless con- nect between the supreme consciousness and the life at large as also a keen expression of her awareness and concern towards the problems encountered by the so- ciety of her times. Lal-Ded’s struggle and her Vaakhs are an expression of a voice against the injustice cru- elty painanguish; and at the same time are an expression of a deep longing for life. It is not for nothing that her Vaakhs continue to be part of our daily idiom that have come to us through the oral realm. Not only this but also her Vaakhs are an expression and explanation of supreme consciousness that pervades through this universe. According to Lal-Ded everything is an exten- sion of that supreme consciousness that does not have any caste creed colour or gender. According to the folk tales Lal-Ded’s mother-in-law and her husband did not treat her properly. So in order to escape their cruelty and abuseshe left her home one day for good.