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Dance Of Freedom: A Short History Of Bharata Natyam
In Dance of Freedom, renowned dancer and choreographer Leela Samson explores one of India’s oldest, most revered classical dance forms, Bharata Natyam. Tracing its origins to the earliest devadasis performing in the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu, she follows its flourishing passage through the imperial court of Thanjavur, its marginalization and eventual resurgence under British rule, and its glorious arrival on the public stage in the twentieth century at the Music Academy in Madras, as Chennai was then known. Paying homage to the most significant contributors to its artistic trajectory, from the Tanjore Quartet and the Kalyani sisters to Rukmini Devi Arundale, she describes how each of them have guided the dance form, with its expressive display of emotions and stylized storytelling, along the eventful path to its present stature. She asks: how is it that this ancient art has endured over millennia, and continues to flourish today? The answer, she says, lies in its inclusivity. Bharata Natyam is a reflection of the aesthetic and culture of the nation that is India, absorbing its many musical forms, literary texts, and languages. This concise telling of its history is an impassioned and deeply personal celebration of the dance form by one of its foremost practitioners.
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Song Of India: A Study Of The National Anthem
The rousing chords and stirring message of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ are familiar to every Indian citizen. The song defines with clarity India’s most cherished values. Composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, it celebrates the unity in our diverse and plural society, praises the beauty of our mountains, rivers, and seas, and honours our civilizational values. In this insightful study, scholar and historian Rudrangshu Mukherjee traces its origins (showing us what its creator had in mind when he composed the song), explains how and why it was chosen over other contenders, examines the occasional controversies that have surrounded it, and reminds us about the truths that underlie it. The national anthem is visionary. It recognizes and salutes everything that is brave, noble, and unique about our country. It also contains within it a promise and a pledge to uphold our lofty ideals and traditions. Citizens, and especially our elected representatives, should understand that every time they stand up in respect when ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is played or sung, it is their responsibility to fulfil the promise and honour the pledge.
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Language Of The Immortals: A Concise History Of Sanskrit
Sanskrit has long been celebrated as one of the building blocks of Indian civilization, and is venerated in temples, scriptures, and classical literature. In Language of the Immortals, renowned scholar and critic G. N. Devy uncovers the astounding paradox of Sanskrit—an ancient language that shaped Indian thought, philosophy, and identity for millennia, yet was never truly a language of the people. With rigorous scholarship, Devy dismantles enduring myths and offers a revealing commentary on Sanskrit’s historical and cultural trajectory. He shows how it achieved unsurpassed prestige not through conquest or commerce, but sheer intellectual brilliance. He explores the way in which Sanskrit shaped intellectual life across centuries, influenced cultures beyond India, and maintained its prestige through the oral tradition and spiritual symbolism rather than the patronage of the state. This concise yet profound work reimagines what it means for a language to live on—long after it has ceased to be spoken.
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The Mysterious World Of Tigers: A Book Of Discovery
The world of the tiger, the most charismatic animal in the Indian jungle, remains shrouded in mystery despite centuries of research and observation. In this book, tiger expert Valmik Thapar, who studied the big cat in Ranthambore for fifty years, provides startling insights into how tigers behave in the wild. Through closely observed portraits of tigers like Padmini, the doting mother; Genghis, the master predator; Noon, the amorous tigress; and Broken Tooth, her suitor, the author explains little understood aspects of tiger behaviour such as how they raise their young, learn how to hunt, conduct courtship rituals, and mate. Taken together, his findings bring India’s national animal to new and startling life.
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A New History of India for Children: From Its Origins to the Twenty-first Century
In A New History of India for Children, award-winning historian Rudrangshu Mukherjee along with photographer–archivist Toby Sinclair and the late cultural historian Shobita Punja, tell the story of one of the oldest, most diverse countries in the world with simplicity and clarity. The book touches upon all the most important milestones in India’s history, from the first dinosaurs to roam its lands to the metro that snakes through its modern, metropolitan capital city. It begins in prehistory, billions of years ago, describing how the geography of India came to be what it is today, and traces the evolution of Indian civilization through key events and people. What began with the Harappan Culture grew and flourished under the Maurya and Gupta empires, was enriched by the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal empire, and went on to be colonized and exploited by the British Raj. Led to glorious Independence by stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel, India then suffered the heartbreak of Partition, before evolving into one of the world’s most powerful countries in the twenty-first century. This complete one-volume history for children, illustrated by maps and full-colour photographs, covers everything from lost cities and epic empires to colonial conquests and modern marvels. There’s something for every young reader in this fascinating account of India’s vibrant and eventful history.
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Born A Muslim
Winner of Tata Literature Live ! Book of the Year Award- Non-fiction 2021 Winner of Atta Galatta- Bangalore Literature Festival – Book of the Year 2021 (Non-fiction) Who are the Indian Muslims? Are they a monolithic community practising a faith alien to India? Or are they a diverse people, geographically rooted in the cultural ethos of the land? Is there an ?Indian Islam?, a religion that grew out of Arabia but was nurtured in India and influenced by local traditions and customs? Has the power of Islam declined over the centuries because the faithful have forgotten the spirit of the religion, and are sticking to dogma and rigid rules instead? Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India attempts to answer these questions by taking a hard look at how the world?s second largest religion is practised in the country. The author takes a clear-eyed look at every aspect of Islam in India today. She examines the factors that have stalled the socio-economic and intellectual growth of Indian Muslims and attributes both internal factors?such as a disproportionate reliance on the ulema?as well as external ones that have contributed to the backwardness of the community. She shows at length, and with great empathy and understanding, what it is like to live as a Muslim in India and offers suggestions on how their lot might be improved. Weaving together personal memoir, history, reportage, scholarship, and interviews with a wide variety of people, the author highlights how an apathetic and sometimes hostile government attitude and prejudice at all levels of society have contributed to Muslim vulnerability and insecurity. Born a Muslim goes beyond stereotypes and news headlines to present an extraordinarily compelling and illuminating portrait of one of the largest and most diverse communities in India.
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How the Greedy Crane Was Killed by the Clever Crab
Dive into the enchanting realm of the Panchatantra, a world inhabited by scheming animals and shape-shifting beasts, a terrified princess and a fleeing thief. In this delightful collection of ancient Indian fables, you’ll meet an old crab who enlists the help of a greedy crane to escape a catastrophic collision of planets that threatens to destroy his home. Little does the crab know that the crafty bird has hatched a devious plan to keep its belly full. In a faraway kingdom, a lovelorn rakshasa visits a beautiful princess every night, leaving her trembling with fear. Soon, chaos unfolds, taking the baffled rakshasa on a wild chase through the land. Charmingly retold by bestselling author Meena Arora Nayak and brought to life with delightful illustrations, these timeless tales, packed with pithy wit and wisdom, unexpected twists and turns, and invaluable lessons about bravery and quick thinking in the face of adversity, will surely entertain a new generation of readers
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How the Cobra Got His Spectacles
The magnificent Indian cobra has a regal hood, and on his hood is a mark shaped like a pair of round spectacles. Ever wondered how the grand reptile got this distinctive pattern? In How the Cobra Got His Spectacles, one of India’s greatest writers on wildlife and wild places answers the intriguing question through an enchanting story of friendship, magic, and the beauty of the natural world. A young naga and an old hermit live peacefully by a river. But when a mischievous monkey steals the hermit’s spectacles, the naga, relying solely on his forked tongue to taste and sniff the scents in the air around him, sets off on a quest to recover his friend’s lost possession. As he traverses the jungle, he encounters curious woodland creatures. As night falls, the naga listens to bats squeak as they find their way in the darkness. A delightfully illustrated journey through the dense forest, this book is a perfect read for young wildlife enthusiasts and will help them appreciate how every creature has a unique way of experiencing the world around them.
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Quills:The Hungry Little Porcupine
As the sun begins to set behind the Himalayan foothills, a little porcupine wakes up to the sound of his grumbling tummy. All that’s left in the kitchen of his burrow is an old turnip. So, as the forest goes to sleep, Quills’s journey begins. Soon, he is joined by his dear pals—Pig, Monkey, Mongoose, and Goat—and together they set off in search of tubers, loquats, mushrooms, and wild strawberries. But something scary lurks in the darkness. As the team scampers across a fallen oak, down a grassy ridge, and through a forest of rhododendrons and a field of pink thunder lilies, a villainous leopard looms in the shadows, ready to pounce on the creatures and devour them. Can Quills and his friends escape its wicked clutches and gather enough delicious treats to satiate their hungry stomachs? Heartwarming and suspenseful in equal measure, Quills is a delightfully illustrated story about the comfort of good friends and the joys of sharing food and memories with your loved ones.
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If You Were a Tiger Cub
The wonders of the forest beckon to an adventurous tiger cub. As she ventures deep into the wilderness, you’ll meet fascinating inhabitants of the jungle, from a stealthy leopard to a hornbill nestled high up in a fig tree. Look closely, and you may spot a mighty elephant behind a bamboo thicket. Hear the alarm call of a sambar deer? If you don’t keep still, it may race far, far away! Hanging upside down from the roof of a cave is a cauldron of bats, and soon arrives a ferocious shaggy creature, waving its sharp claws. Under the rustling leaves on the forest floor, tucked away in the alcoves of a termite castle, and amidst the great roots of a banyan tree, astonishing mysteries of the jungle await discovery. The creation of a masterful storyteller whose knowledge of India’s flora and fauna is unparalleled, If You Were a Tiger Cub shows curious young readers the magnificent beauty of the natural world through the eyes of one of its most majestic creatures.
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A Wonderland of Words Around the Word in 101 Essay
Words are power. Words are magic. Words are fun. Words are sexy. Words can move you to tears. Words can make you laugh. And words can show you the world and everything in it with clarity and depth as few other things can. In this gloriously entertaining book, one of our greatest wordsmiths (and self-proclaimed bibliophile) Shashi Tharoor takes us on a tour of the words, concepts, and particularities that constitute the sublime (and sometimes mystifying) wonderland of the English language. He demystifies punctuation, guides us through the arcane rules of spelling and grammar, and explains a wide array of essential components of the language including acronyms, bacronyms, contronyms, oxymorons, kennings, metaphors, similes, idioms, euphemisms, palindromes, and much much more. He delves into the history and evolution of English, delights in its quirks, embraces its geographical variants, provides hilarious examples of its misuse around the world, is awed by the way in which the masters of literature use it, and revels in its beauty and grandeur. Passionate, learned, funny, and brilliantly readable, A Wonderland of Words is a book that will enchant and educate all those who delight in the English language.
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Fallen City
In late August 1978, Geeta and Sanjay Chopra stepped out of their home in a quiet neighbourhood in Delhi. Geeta had to record a programme at All India Radio. Her younger brother Sanjay accompanied her. The two teenagers disappeared. Four days later, their disfigured bodies would be found by cowherds in a deserted corner of the Ridge, a thickly forested area on the western outskirts of the city. The brutal killing of the children traumatized the city and transfixed the nation. The prime minister had to answer questions about the crime in parliament and police forces in numerous states were mobilized to hunt down the killers. In this first full-length book about the murder and its aftermath, bestselling author and journalist Sudeep Chakravarti, a longtime resident of New Delhi, remembers the horrific crime using eyewitness accounts, archival research, court records, and original interviews that shed fresh light on the tragedy. The murder of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra took place during an exceptionally unsettled phase in the history of the Indian capital in modern times. Just a few years earlier, in the mid-1970s, Indira Gandhi’s Emergency had terrorized many sections of the population, and just a few years later, in 1984, the city would be convulsed again by a pogrom against Sikhs following the assassination of Indira. Against this background of blood and vengeance, the author’s exploration of the murder of the Chopra siblings, the hunt for their killers, and the sadness and trauma of those grim days will take the reader on a compelling and unputdownable journey through the darkness that settled on Delhi.
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Mangifera indica:A Biography of the Mango
Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango The mango, the king of fruits, is also the fruit of desire and the fruit of love. Every aspect of the tree is profoundly intertwined with Indian civilization. The leaves, flowers, and fruits of the mango are depicted in paintings and sculptures, and references to it are found in Indian literature through the ages and in several languages. It has played, and continues to play, an important role in religion, cuisine, and a variety of cultural forms. But do we really know all there is to know about this delectable fruit? In this deeply researched and superbly written book, we go beyond the well-trodden stories of the obsessions of nawabs and kings and breathless annual debates about the best mangoes in the world. From the orchards where they grow to the vibrant markets redolent with their aroma, and ultimately to our tables, Mangifera indica describes every aspect of India’s favorite fruit. Book One begins with the history, origin, and the relevance of the mango in contemporary culture, including its place in religious rituals and festivals, literature, and diplomatic relations. Book Two takes us far back in time, 4,500 million years ago, to chart the coevolution of the ancestors of the mango and humans. In Book Three, we traverse the length and breadth of India, encountering a kaleidoscope of mango varieties—the fragrant Alphonso, sweet Kesar, succulent Dashehri, and dozens of others—as well as never before heard stories of growers, traders, distributors, and consumers. An ambitious synthesis of reportage, history, biology, ecology, economics, and culture, Mangifera indica is the definitive account of India’s treasured fruit.
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The Lion and The Lily
The Lion and The Lily: The Rise and Fall of Awadh Through the turbulent eighteenth century, Awadh grew to become one of the richest and most coveted regions in all of Hindustan. Although it was nominally ruled by the Mughal emperor in Delhi, the Mughal empire itself under Muhammad Shah ‘Rangeeley’, and later under Shah Alam II, was in terminal decline. The British and French East India Companies were vying for control of the subcontinent. As the Seven Years’ War between these European powers came to an end, and the British lost territory in other parts of the world, they became more determined to seize power in India. Meanwhile, France began a ‘war of revenge’ against its old enemy to restore its prestige. The French Revolutionary wars (1792–99) and the Napoleonic wars (1803–1815) would lead to even greater volatility in India. French players continued to intrigue till the last quarter of the eighteenth century in various Indian courts. Awadh’s rise to prominence began when Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk (r.1722–1739) was posted there by the Mughal emperor as a demotion for failing to quell a Jat rebellion. Undeterred, Saadat Khan and his successors worked relentlessly to bring stability and glory to the province. Shuja-ud-Daula (r.1754–1775), the third nawab, was widely considered the most powerful and courageous ruler of the time. But after the disastrous loss of the Mughal army at the Battle of Buxar (1764) Shuja was forced into an unsavoury alliance with the British. Despite this unfortunate development, Shuja worked hard to develop Awadh, and Faizabad in particular. Shuja’s son, Asaf-ud-Daula (r.1775–1797), was a visionary and an exemplary diplomat, and his mother, Bahu Begum, a formidable force of nature. Asaf created a Shia renaissance that was a challenge to both Mughal Sunni power and the increasing parochialism of the EIC. His adopted son, Wazir Ali (r.1797–1798), was deposed by the British who then crowned his uncle Saadat Ali Khan (r.1798–1814) as a puppet ruler. In the treaty of 1801, Saadat Ali Khan ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and agreed to disband his troops in favour of an expensive British-run army. These and other developments would reduce Awadh to a shadow of its former glory within a couple of decades. Using Persian, English, and hitherto untranslated French sources as well as recent work by art historians, bestselling author Ira Mukhoty brings to focus the life and times of Awadh in the eighteenth century as well as some of the most important figures of the period—the nawabs, EIC officials such as Robert Clive, Warren Hastings, Richard Wellesley, as also the powerful begums, elite eunuchs, soldiers and adventurers, such as René Madec, Jean Baptiste Gentil, Claude Martin, Antoine Polier, artists both Indian and European, and others. The Lion and the Lily is a nuanced, detailed, and richly told account of the rise and fall of Awadh in the eighteenth century against the background of the international struggle between Britain and France.
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The Hoopoe On The Lawn
From the master storyteller comes a wonderful new tale about friendship, eccentric relatives, ghosts, nature, and the enduring magic of childhood. Ruskin is eleven years old and visiting his granny’s home in Dehra during his winter holidays. Follow along as he takes you through the many things he experiences during his time there—a mischievous ghost hiding in an old peepul tree, delicious baked treats enclosed within a magic box, a man with a tin box containing odd knick-knacks, uncomfortable yet exciting tonga rides, surprising run-ins with Quit India protestors, the warm company of old Miss Kellner, pretty weeds that he calls ‘Purple Hearts’, and much else besides. Punctuating all these happenings is the hoopoe, a little bird with an attractive hairdo, which appears in granny’s garden at 3 p.m. every day, much to Ruskin’s delight. In The Hoopoe on the Lawn, Ruskin Bond weaves together a story of the joys of unexpected friendships, the beauty of nature, and the simple pleasures of being young.
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Kabuliwallah
Embark on a touching journey through the lively streets of Calcutta in Rabindranath Tagore’s Kabuliwallah, one of India’s bestloved children’s stories. Mini, a curious five-year-old, fills her father’s world with questions and laughter. Enter Rahmat, the Kabuliwallah, a stranger from Afghanistan hawking dry fruits from door to door. When he arrives at Mini’s house, Rahmat is captivated by her as she reminds him of his own daughter. This is the story of the heart-warming friendship that develops between the two—and the unbreakable bond that exists between fathers and daughters. Beautifully translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha, this classic tale, enriched with imaginative illustrations, brings to life the poignant story of Mini and the Kabuliwallah. Join them as they prove friendships can blossom in the most unexpected places, leaving a lasting imprint on the heart.
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The Tiger King
Free Delivery Free Delivery 10 days Replacement 10 days Replacement Amazon Delivered Amazon Delivered Pay on Delivery Pay on Delivery Secure transaction Secure transaction His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra Samhari, Maharajadhiraja Visva Bhuvana Samrat, Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.—the illustrious Tiger King—is born under an unlucky star, and is destined to die in the jaws of a tiger. Refusing to succumb to fate, the king embarks on a quest to defy destiny by eliminating every tiger in his path, vowing to stop at nothing until he reaches the fateful hundredth kill. A satirical masterpiece, Kalki’s The Tiger King invites readers on a journey through the whimsical corridors of Pratibandapuram where titles are as abundant as the Maharaja’s ambition. The Maharaja’s quest for a hundred tiger kills takes a delightfully absurd turn, complete with prophetic astrologers, an innocent wooden toy, and a twist that leaves the Maharaja’s ego deflated. Expertly translated from the Tamil by Gowri Ramnarayan and delightfully illustrated throughout, The Tiger King is an entertaining and thought-provoking story of royal folly, showcasing Kalki’s sharp wit and humour.
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ABC of Hinduism for kids
A for…atma! B for…Brahma! C for…caste! Renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik reimagines a Hindu way for young readers. Covering everything from major Hindu deities such as Brahma, the creator of the universe, and Devi, the powerful goddess who takes many forms, to complicated ideas of atma and the caste system, this book explores twenty-six ideas and figures from Hindu myth, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. With its simple writing style and fun, colourful illustrations, ABC of Hinduism for Kids is the perfect introduction to a Hindu way of life for your little ones.
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The Indians: Histories of a Civilization
The Indians is one of the most ambitious projects yet undertaken to map the origins, evolution, and present-day reality of India's civilization and people. Written by over one hundred of South Asia's foremost scholars and domain experts, the essays in the book cover a period of some 12,000 years-from the last Ice Age to the twenty-first century. The book is divided into seven sections. The first part looks at the evolution of humans in South Asia through the lens of the early 'Indian' population, their migrations, and the climate. The second part focuses on the emergence of different civilizations in the region through the domestication of plants and animals and other factors and how these civilizations eventually begin to decline. The third part discusses the languages and philosophies that defined ancient India-Buddhism, Jainism, Sanskrit, Indo-Iranian languages, and Pali literature, among others. The fourth part is a detailed study of society and culture in various geographical regions--the North, South, Northeast, the Deccan, East, and West India. The fifth part looks at the advent of colonialism and its impact on the country's economy, social fabric, and knowledge systems. The sixth part looks at Adivasi movements, Ambedkarite politics, Gandhian resistance, and other events that would come to form the bedrock of the independent republic. And, finally, the seventh part looks at contemporary India--the workings of the Constitution and urbanism, liberalization, and other aspects of the modern Indian experience. Taken together, the essays in the book provide remarkable insights into Indian history and society.
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How Prime Ministers Decide
India’s prime ministers have taken decisions that changed the course of the country’s history. This book by Neerja Chowdhury, an award-winning journalist and political commentator, goes beyond the news headlines to provide an eye-opening account of how some of the most important political decisions in independent India were taken. The author analyses the operating styles of the country’s prime ministers through the prism of six decisions of historic significance. These are as follows: the strategy that Indira Gandhi devised to return to power in 1980, after her humiliating defeat post the Emergency in 1977; the errors of judgment that led Rajiv Gandhi to undo the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Shah Bano case; V. P. Singh’s implementation of the Mandal Commission Report to save his government which forever changed the face of contemporary politics; P. V. Narasimha Rao’s masterful indecision that resulted in the demolition of the Babri Masjid; the rapidly changing political scenarios that turned the avowed pacifist Atal Bihari Vajpayee into a nuclear hawk who greenlighted the testing of nuclear devices; and the mild and professorial Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as one of the country’s weakest prime ministers, who defied interest groups and foes within the political establishment to seal a historic nuclear deal with the United States—and upgraded the bilateral relationship to a new level. Based on hundreds of interviews that the author conducted with prime ministers, key figures in the political establishment, bureaucrats, aides, policymakers, and even fixers—the book provides remarkable insights that have been gleaned over forty years of high-level reporting on the national political scene. How Prime Ministers Decide is an unparalleled book about modern Indian politics which will change the way we view how prime ministers govern the country.
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Doongaji House
Doongaji House: Selected Plays collects the finest plays of award-winning playwright Cyrus Mistry. Doongaji House won the Sultan Padamsee Award for Playwriting in 1978 and depicts the travails of a Parsi family living in a crumbling old mansion in Mumbai. The Legacy of Rage is a coruscating look at a dysfunctional East Indian family squabbling over their inheritance and the sweeping changes in society that have brought them to the edge of penury. A Flowering of Disorder, a play that is being published for the first time, is also set in Mumbai and goes deep into the problems, both farcical and profound, of a middle-class family attempting to cope with the challenges of living in a metropolis. Taken together, these brilliant plays expose the insecurities, frailties, and contradictions that lie at the heart of Indian middle-class society.
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The Greatest Indian Stories Ever Told
The Greatest Indian Stories Ever Told is a selection of some of the finest literary short fiction written by Indian writers since the genre came into being in the country in the late nineteenth century. Including early masters of the form, contemporary stars, as well as brilliant writers who came of age in the twenty-first century, this anthology takes in its sweep stories from the various regions, languages, and literatures of India. These authors are some of the most feted in the annals of Indian literature and have, between them, won virtually every major literary prize on offer—including the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award, and numerous state, national, and international honours.
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The Gold Collection
The ten stories in The Gold Collection are among the finest ever written by India’s most beloved writer, Ruskin Bond. Some of them, including masterpieces like ‘The Blue Umbrella’, ‘Angry River’, and ‘Panther’s Moon’, were written early in the writer’s career, while others, such as ‘Rhododendrons in the Mist’ and ‘Miracle at Happy Bazaar’, are more recent. All of them remain as golden as they were when they first emerged from the master’s imagination. A collection that will be treasured by all those who love Ruskin Bond’s fiction.
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The Future In The Past
The Future in the Past brings together essays by Romila Thapar on issues and ideas that have preoccupied her throughout her career. These are subjects that surfaced frequently in discussions over the last six decades as they do even more so at present. Among them are the use and misuse of history, the myths surrounding the coming of the Aryans, religious fundamentalism in the study of society, the overt and the insidious attempts by right-wing elements to pervert Indian culture, variants of the Ramayana, the importance of museums, why dissent is important to democracy, the role of the public intellectual, and much more. Central to the arguments in these essays (versions of which first appeared in Seminar magazine) is an analysis of how the past permeates the present and influences the future.