Maya Jayapal | |
---|---|
Born | 1941 (age 82–83) |
Nationality | Indian |
Alma mater | Mount Carmel College, Bangalore |
Children |
Maya Jayapal (born 1941) is an Indian historian, author, columnist, teacher, and counselor.
Jayapal is from Palakkad, Kerala, India.[1] She moved from Chennai to Bengaluru to attend college in 1955,[2][3] and graduated from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.[4][1] After her marriage to MP Jayapal,[5][6] she resided in Bengaluru for a decade before moving to Jakarta, Indonesia, for 11 years and then Singapore for 13 years.[7][5] Since 1993, Jayapal has lived in Bengaluru.[2]
Jayapal is the author of several books, including Bangalore: Roots and Beyond and Bangalore: The Story of A City.[2][8] Bangalore: The Story of A City was released in 1997[9][10] during the commemoration of the 460th anniversary of the city,[11] and includes her research about the Victoria Hotel[12] and the BRV theatre.[13] The book was one of the first histories of Bengaluru that specifically connected to its present, while Bangalore: Roots and Beyond contains additional research and photographs.[14] While residing in Singapore, Jayapal expanded presentations she gave on the history of Singapore into a book,[15] Old Singapore, based on collections of letters and memoirs.[16][17][18][19]
Jayapal has cited Jane Austen, Amitav Ghosh, and Yaa Gyasi as influences.[15]
Her daughter, Pramila Jayapal, is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Indian-American woman elected to the House.[20][21][5][22] Her elder daughter Susheela Jayapal resides in Portland, Oregon,[7] and is the first Indian-American to serve on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.[23]
Jayapal lives in Langford Town in Bangalore.[20]