Locating Women in Inside the Haveli by Rama Mehta

Inside the Haveli, the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award winner English novel written by Rama Mehta, a notable novelist of India of the 20th century, presents the tale of an urban young woman, Geeta, and her struggle to preserve her identity and individuality in the traditional surroundings of the haveli of the Rajputs, a martial race of India. It gives to the reader a lot to contemplate about the lives of the women of the haveli, their customs and rituals, their rigidity to adapt modern ways and culture, their ignorance towards female education and their willing discrimination towards themselves and other women of the society and household. Through this novel, Rama Mehta tries to convey that every woman is blessed with an inner strength and it is not necessary to rebel to preserve one’s identity. Geeta does not rebel against adverse circumstances and does not insult any relationship, but on the other hand, in a very dignified way, maintaining her individuality, discovers the path of her emancipation.