Diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri unveils debut novel, reveals husband Hardeep Puri's role in it

Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri Unveils Debut Novel ‘Swallowing The Sun’
Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a top diplomat, gender rights advocate, wife of Union Minister, and daughter of a freedom fighter, launched her debut novel ‘Swallowing The Sun’ at an event presided over by veteran actor Kabir Bedi. Puri drew heavily from her life experiences and her upbringing in a close-knit Maharashtrian family for the novel.
Puri’s father, a freedom fighter, instilled in her a strong belief in equality and freedom, and indulged the family with poetry. Despite being away from India for 28 years, she longed to tell her story, which she finally did through her debut novel.
The completion of the novel was inspired by the 2020 lockdown due to Covid, which cut Puri off from the physical world. Her husband, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Puri, also encouraged her to revisit the draft and complete it.
‘Swallowing the Sun’ examines foundational beliefs of Indian society, such as freedom, equality, choice, marriage, and caste barriers, drawing from Marathi poetry and setting against the backdrop of the freedom struggle. The novel characters include a progressive father and his defiant daughter fighting caste barriers in schools.
According to Puri, the novel is inspired by her parents’ extraordinary lives but is also an act of creation. Kabir Bedi described it as a “deeply human story” that reminds people of the struggle for India’s freedom.
Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri’s debut novel ‘Swallowing The Sun’ is a deeply personal and powerful exploration of Indian society’s foundational beliefs, inspired by her own upbringing and the lives of her parents. The novel was completed during the 2020 Covid lockdown, with encouragement from her husband, Union Minister Hardeep Puri. The launch event was a significant moment for Puri, as she embraced her new role as a debutante novelist while continuing to champion gender rights and diplomatic causes.