Bismillah Khan: The Maestro from Benaras

Author: Juhi Sinha
Publisher: Niyogi Books
(Pp 154, ISBN 978-81-89738-91-4)

An insight into the home, the heart, muse and music of one of the greatest artists of India - Bismillah Khan. The book traces his journey from a small town of Dumraon to Benaras and thence to the world. It focuses on how a small boy became a man, a shagird became an ustad and the ustad became a legend – from his early days when he charge five rupees for a programme to the days when each performance commanded anything between five to ten lakh rupees.

The book also gives a picturesque view of Benaras – its streets, gallis and muhallas, its ghats and temples, etc. It also lovingly portrays the whims and foibles of Bismillah Khan – an artist, whose stature as a musical legend could never quite overshadow the wit, humour and charisma of the man. The author Juhi Sinha also a filmmaker has captured both Bismillah Khan and Benaras in an unforgettable way. The descriptions are crisp and the pictures memserising. An interesting and informative book for all who want to know more about this Indian legend.

Touching Distance: The Great Indian MBA Dream

Author: Shiva Prakash
Publisher: Amaryllis
(Pp 258, ISBN 978-81-910673-3-0, Rs 195)

The book peeks in the life of millions of Indians who think gaining the MBA degree would change their life forever. Their ambition to do something in life land them in a swanky MBA degree college, the curriculum and the culture puts them in awe. But, does the life really change after the MBA degree? Seen through the eyes of a witty, idealistic and ultimately fatalistic south Indian protagonist, the story evokes humour and captures our dilemmas. The story revolves around Shiva, who is fed up of his software programming job and pines for an MBA degree to change the course of his life. He quits his job, takes an education loan and lands in one of the finest Indian B-school.

But, as they say that there is a plan bigger than your own. The same happens with Shiva who after completing his MBA, finds himself in the same office where he was working before. But, his perspective towards life change. He no longer sees his job as boring or unworthy. Probably, the degree of MBA has given him the vision to see things in a different perspective.

The storyline is so realistic that people who have gone through this stage can actually relate it to their lives. It is an enjoyable read for all those who are bugged by the great Indian MBA dream.

The Emperor’s Writings

Author: Dirk Collier
Publisher: Amaryllis
(Pp 609, ISBN: 978-81-910673-6-1, Rs 695)

The Emperor’s Writings

Great Mughal emperor Akbar is believed to be illiterate – that he could not read more than a few simple words here and there and that he could barely sign his own name. But, undoubtedly, he was a learned man with wealth of knowledge in his mind – the knowledge he had gained from thousands of books that had been read to him.

The book ‘The Emperor’s Writings’ narrates the true story of Akbar’s life and times, his swift and spectacular rise to absolute power, often against overwhelming odds, and his remarkably modern vision of a prosperous, diverse and tolerant Hindustan, against the backdrop of his eventful personal life, his relationship with his favourite wife and tragic conflict with Salim (Jahangir), his only surviving son and bitter rival.

It is not just a historical novel – it offers a unique historical perspective on the heart and soul of the Indian sub-continent. Brilliantly written, the books takes us down the memory lane – towards the days of the Mughal reign in India and gives us a glimpse of the life of Akbar the Great, the most powerful and wealthiest monarch of his time. 

The One Above – What if God was your neighbor?

Author: Sirshree
Publisher: Penguin Books India
(Pp 160, ISBN 978-0-143-41519-0, Rs 150)

The One Above

What will you do if God was your neighbor – living in the same building as yours, helping you find happiness in your current state of life? Imaginative but so peaceful! The book shows how to infuse passion and energy into everyday activities, both at work and at home. The book helps to accept all happiness and sufferings to reach a state where whatever be the circumstances, you are happy.

The book does not preaches, instead all the mantras of life are woven together in a form of a story where Ecklavya, an architect by profession, is unhappy. He asks God to come down to his rescue and God does come in the form of a neighbor. Ecklavya does not know his name but he calls him ‘The Above One’ or ‘Tao’ and starts sharing his feelings with him. Tao teaches him practical ways of being happy and dispelling common beliefs about unhappiness and pain and provides insights into the real causes of suffering. Towards the end, Ecklavya learns how to be happy and so do the readers.

In all, motivating book which keeps you glued till the end. Beautifully presented, it makes an interesting and very helpful read!

The tenth unknown

Author: Jvalant Nalin Sampat
Publisher: Niyogi Books
(Pp 288, ISBN 978-81-89738-97-6, Rs 295)

The Tenth Unknown

This book is a mix of myth, fact and fiction – starting in Emperor Ashoka’s court in Rajagriha, Magadha in 232 BC and ending with India’s independence in 1947, this action-packed thriller, set primarily against the backdrop of World War II, is a high-octane and heady cocktail.

The story revolves around the nine books containing forbidden knowledge leading to unlimited power and wealth, which have been protected for centuries by a secret society – the nine Unknown Men of Emperor Ashoka. The clue about the locations of the book is hidden in the ruins of the world’s most ancient university in Nalanda. One of the books has been acquired by the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler. Now, these books need to be protected and Prithvi Rathore, an anglicized aspiring cricketer is set to acquire all these books. The plot is interesting and takes readers to the long-forgotten part of Indian history and legends as the Germans, British and Indians race to secure the book. A high-paced novel, which keeps the readers’ attention till the end! 

Not made in heaven

Author: Ranjana Sinha
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
(Pp 440, ISBN 978-81-70175308, Rs 390)

What happens when there’s a clash between traditions and modernity? Based in early post-independent India in the 1950s in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, which is now the state of Uttarakhand in North India. The language of the book is simple and the story gripping – people can actually feel that they have lived some of the instances in their life.

The book depicts the clash between tradition and the aspirations of young, modern and optimistic new India. The author has touched upon serious issues in a light-hearted manner. 

Mirza Ghalib: 100 Famous Ghazals

(Translated from the Urdu)
Author: Dr Sarvat Rahman
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
(Pp 336, ISBN 978-8170175278, Rs 390)

Mirza Ghalib: 100 Famous Ghazals

The question was once asked, “What did the Mughal dynasty which ruled over India for so long leave behind?” The answer was, “The Taj Mahal, the Urdu language and the Diwan-e-Ghalib.” Of all the poets writing in Urdu, Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) may be said to be the most famous and the greatest of all Urdu poets alongwith Mir.

Ghalib’s ghazals are unforgettable and his poems are read, recited and remembered. This book is a collection of 100 famous ghazals selected from the complete translation of the Diwan-e-Ghalib published in 2003 by the Ghalib Institute, New Delhi. All the ghazals are given in Urdu, followed by its translation in English. The same ghazal is also written in both English and Hindi languages.

By her translations, the author Dr Sarvat Rahman wishes to make known the humanistic and liberal ideas inspired by Sufism, in particular, which were and are the heritage which we received from the great poets of the Urdu language. It’s indeed a collectors’ edition

The Body in the Back Seat

Author: Salil Desai
Publisher: Gyaana books
(Pp 254, ISBN 978-81-909391-5-7, Rs 250,)

Another debut novel of an Indian author, The Body in the Back Seat is a fiction thriller written by Salil Desai, an author and a film-maker.

The story starts with a body found in the back seat of a car in the tow yard of the Chaturshringi police station. Prima facie, it looked as a case of suicide. But, senior inspector Saralkaar was not convinced. He sets out to find the truth behind it. What seemed to be a suicide was actually a murder – a murder by the victim’s wife who was caught in a loveless marriage and who did not want her son to be known as a child of a gay.

The novel maintains the thrill and suspense till the end. The story line is sharp and the description articulate which keep the readers glued to the book.

Tagore’s Mystique of Dance

Author: Utpal K Banerjee
Publisher: Niyogi Books
(Pp 260, ISBN 978-81-89738-96-9)

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore derived inspiration from diverse sources while articulating his unparalleled ingenuity in the realm of visual, literary and performing arts. His uniquely expressed Rabindra Nritya (Tagore’s Dance) has been recognized as an unmistakable fount of creativity. This ‘mood dance’ incorporates the suitable dance elements from the classical dances of the Indian sub-continent and the regional dances of the Asia-Pacific. Tagore portrayed his seasonal odes and music dramas through this wonderful form of art.

The book explores at the treasure-trove of his music and the panoply of his paintings, unearthing only the dancing figures, thereby unravelling their mystique. It also covers the legacy of his dance, which has been carried over by the choreographers who have used Tagore’s dance.

The book is alive with paintings and pictures of the art-form - truly a tribute to 150 years of Rabindranath Tagore.

Fifty years of Silence

(The extraordinary memoir of a war rape survivor

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Author: Jan Ruff-O’Herne
Publisher: Mehta Publishing House
(Pp 214, ISBN 978-81-8498-126-1, Rs 300)

An emotional and moving account of a war rape survivor – Fifty Years of Silence is a true story of a woman – Jan Ruff-P’Herne - who was forced into sexual slavery in a brothel for the Japanese military after Japanese invaded Java in 1942 and she was put in Ambarawa Prison Camp. For fifty years, Jan kept silent about her miseries. But in 1992, when Korean war rape victims made appeal for justice on television, Jan decided to speak out. What was more difficult was to tell her family about what she had gone through. Instead of a face-to-face discussion, she resorted to writing a memoir, which finally took the shape of this book. Jan liked to sketch and she has shared the sketches she drew at the brothel and the camp.

The book also has pictures and memories from her childhood – Jan belonged to a rich family…her dreams only to be shattered by the Japanese invasion. Written in a simple yet powerful way, the book outlines the life of a girl, who literally lived through hell. It is an account of her courage, her sufferings and her endurance.

Inner Pilgrimage

Auhor: Raji Lukkoor

Publisher: Third Eye
(Pp 176, ISBN 978-81-8274-502-5, Rs 195)

Have you ever experienced frustration, desolation and emotional relationship problems? Are you unhappy? Are your fears, compulsive desires and obsessions holding you hostage? Probably you are going through an inner war which Buddha calls cravings, aversions and ignorance. To emerge from the inevitable sufferings of existence, practice Vipassana or insight meditation.

The book is a comprehensive description of the author’s ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat. Her ten days to inner pilgrimage actually transformed her.

She comes home with an inner calmness and heightened awareness that together nurture and enhances spiritual growth. This personal spiritual journey will definitely motivate readers to transform their restlessness and judgmental tendencies into spiritual growth.