Lights for the Jamuna

by Mamta Nainy

English 64 pages 1 edition

It is the reign of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah ‘Rangeela’, and Diwali is just days away. Meera, whose parents are potters in the city of Shahjahanabad, finds that every drop of oil has been sent to the Red Fort to light the magnificent Akash Diya. Along the ghats of the Jamuna, where potters, carpenters, perfumers live, darkness has fallen. Meera asks if the sky can be lit by the royal sky lantern, can’t their beloved Jamuna also get some light? She gathers her friends, and together, they set out to find a way to float their bright, twinkling diyas on the river. But along the way, they will need to meet the emperor himself! Will he listen to a motley bunch of children? Light for the Jamuna takes readers into the glittering heart of eighteenth-century Delhi, bringing to life the sights and sounds of the bustling lanes and shops. This joyful story of friendship reminds that the lights of Diwali belong not just to kings but to everyone who dares to keep hope alive.