“Much of our history gets erased. Especially if it’s related to women, then it’s hidden like the clouds hide the mighty sun. And with this book, you have removed those clouds,” remarked former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, while lauding the unveiling of She the King – Devi Ahilyabai Holkar by Aditi Narayani.

The book launch, held in the national capital, was attended by prominent dignitaries including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, poet Kumar Vishwas, Yatra Books Publisher Aditi Maheswari, and Uday Singh Holkar—the 10th generation descendant of the celebrated Holkar family.

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The event paid rich homage to the 17th-century visionary queen, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar.

Applauding the author’s effort, CM Rekha Gupta highlighted the pivotal role of society in shaping the lives of women. “Be it Ahilyabai or Rekha Gupta, every girl needs the support of the society surrounding her, and we must show our faith in every girl child,” she stated.

She traced the shifting landscape of women’s status—from being revered in the Vedic age to enduring oppressive practices like Sati and Parda Pratha during colonial rule. “So much so that the slogan like ‘Beti Bachao’ had to come to the rescue. After Beti Bachao, we transitioned to Beti Padhao, and now I am happy that we are at a juncture where we are promoting Beti Badhao,” she noted.

She also expressed gratitude to PM Modi for encouraging women-led initiatives and enabling their leadership in governance.

Meira Kumar, further appreciating the extensive research behind the book and acknowledging the efforts of “two Aditis,” reflected on Ahilyabai’s rise from humble beginnings to becoming a ruler of unmatched stature. “Despite being a Shudra born and a woman, she defied every norm, in a society which didn’t accept her. Women still aren’t accepted when they defy the norms, and till today the examples we have in front of us are very countable,” she sadly pointed out.

Speaking about the genesis of her work, author Aditi Narayani revealed how she too had been a product of colonial conditioning and had known very little about Ahilyabai. She said, “This book is dedicated to decolonize our consciousness, owning up our historical narratives, shedding light on Indic epistemology, which has been completely erased by our colonisers.”

Addressing her choice of addressing the queen as The King, Aditi elaborated, “I have taken inspiration from our Indian thought tradition which has always been women-centric. Devi Ahilyabai was herself the King, she redefined a king as the guardian of Rajdharma.”

Echoing this sentiment, poet Kumar Vishwas urged the audience to break free from colonial hangover and let go of the inferiority complex that suggests Indian culture is ‘lesser’ than the West.

He also commented on the recent terror attacks in Pahalgam, expressing his firm belief in the current administration’s approach, and recited a few lines from one of his poems- “Desh banaye ya fir apne beto ki laashe dhoye, isi kashmakash me har jeeti baazi haari jaati hai. Ek Baat ye delhi waal kab samjhenge? Kutta paagal ho jaaye to goli maari jaati hai!”