In Kalidasa's works, woman is not merely a subject of beauty: Shekhawat

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that  are not merely subjects of beauty, but are portrayed as embodiments of consciousness, dignity and love. He was speaking as the Chief Guest at the launch and discussion of the book 'Kaho Kalidasa!’ authored by Yugul Joshi in the presence of other dignitaries from the fields of literature, culture and public life. The event, organized by the Kala Nidhi Division of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) at the Samvet Auditorium, IGNCA, New Delhi on Tuesday, August 25,2026, was attended by a large gathering from diverse fields. The book explores various dimensions of Kalidasa's life and works, including love, separation, responsibility, nature and, in particular, his female characters, drawing on the emotions and subtle indications embedded in the poet's own writings.The Minister said that imagination is an eternal aspect of human life and what makes human beings truly human. He described the occasion as more than a book launch, calling it an opportunity to give voice to the historical silence that has long surrounded Kalidasa's lesser-known personal and creative life. Since authentic biographical details about Kalidasa are limited, he noted, such literary explorations attempt to understand his life and sensibilities through his works.
Speaking about the content of the book, Yugul Joshi referred to the celebrated writer Goethe’s observation about Kalidasa, saying that if heaven and the human world can be seen together, it is possible only in Kalidasa’s Shakuntalam. He further said that the people of Mithila consider Kalidasa to be their own, as do the people of Ujjain and Uttarakhand. People across different parts of the country claim him as their own, but Kalidasa belongs to the entire nation. A large number of people from the fields of literature, art, culture and academia attended the programme.