Harini Gopalswami Srinivasan is a nomad at heart who has lived all over the country. Presently based in Bengaluru with her husband and two daughters, she meanders along cooking, writing, digging, feeding or editing whatever crosses her path. She has written a picture book for children, called Zoo Duck. The Smile of Vanuvati was inspired by a visit to the archeaological sites at Lothal, an important city in the ancient Indus Valley civilisation.
Lost in a flood in around 2500 BCE, Vanuvati is a doll with an enigmatic smile. She is discovered in 713 CE by Mariam, the sister of an Arab horse trader, only to disappear again. Centuries pass before three children in Gujarat uncover the figurine. Then, strange things start happening – flashing lights and sounds of digging at dead of night, and a...
