Chitra (A Play in One Act)

Chitra: A Play in One Act (1914) is a play by Rabindranath Tagore. Published following his ascension to international fame with the 1912 Nobel Prize in Literature, the play is based on the story of Chitrangada and Arjuna from Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. “I am Chitra, the daughter of the kingly house of Manipur. With godlike grace Lord Shiva promised to my royal grandsire an unbroken line of male descent. Nevertheless, the divine word proved powerless to change the spark of life in my mother's womb—so invincible was my nature, woman though I be.” Her whole life, Chitra has tried to live up to her father’s name. Raised as the son he never had, she becomes a fearsome warrior and legendary hero, yet still longs for something more. When she meets the handsome Arjuna, Chitra petitions the god of love to make her beautiful. Mercifully, they allow her to be with her lover for one whole year. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitra: A Play in One Act is a classic of Indian literature reimagined for modern readers.