This sly and humorous novel by Fakir Mohan Senapati—one of the pioneering spirits of modern Indian literature and an early activist in the fight against the destruction of native Indian languages—is both a literary work and a historical document. Set in Orissa in the 1830s, Six Acres and a Third provides a unique ‘view from below’ of Indian village life under colonial rule.
This graceful translation faithfully conveys the rare and compelling account of how the more unsavory aspects of colonialism affected life in rural India.
It was the code of friendship. Like a bowstring: tight. Like an arrow: straight.’
When John Dkhar arrives at Kaizang restaurant, Shillong, one cold November evening, he has no premonition that his life is about to change forever. A loner by nature, and the very epitome of culture and refinement, John comes across people he will soon be involved with in a deadly game of passion and hatred, trust and treachery: James Kharlukhi, tough and uncompromising, a leader born with a lust for danger; Jennifer d’Santos, companion to James, whose love for John can only lead to tragedy; Charlie, aloof, enigmatic, and cursed with an ugly face which might prove to be his undoing; and Dor Kharkongor, ace archer, the spirit of the hills, caught between single-minded loyalty to James and paternal affection for John.
Set against the lush landscape of ShiIlong, Dhruba Hazarika’s tale of revenge and violence brilliantly evokes the sights and smells of North-East India while narrating a dynamic tale which addresses the universal themes of friendship, loyalty and the inherent loneliness of man.
One of the pioneers of sociological studies in India, Professor Andre Beteille has, over the past four decades, contributed a series of topical and stimulating articles to various newspapers. Some of these articles were collected in the book Chronicles of Our time, published a few years ago. Ideology and Social Science is a new and riveting collection of Professor Beteille’s writings on Indian society, politics and culture.
The fifty articles in this book cover a very wide range of subjects: from the practice of sociology to the prospects of political liberalism, from contemporary debates about caste ad caste quotas to old and still persisting myths about what is said to constitute the essence of Indian culture. Beteille’s ambit includes the relevant and important themes of secularism, diversity and unity in cultures, the culture of tolerance, discrimination at work, value systems in the changing Indian family, and caste practices in village communities.
Steering clear of passing intellectual trends as well as partisan politics, Beteille reaches his conclusions based on a careful examination of the evidence, not on a search for facts that fit a preconceived theory. Through his writings, he makes a cogent and passionate appeal to separate sociological theory from the frameworks of social activism.
For students of sociology as well as the general reader, this is a book that will stimulate thought and generate interest in social and political issues that are at the core of India’s modernity and tradition.
Byomkesh Bakshi’s appeal as the self-styled inquisitor, a detective not by profession but by passion, found him a dedicated following among generations of readers. This collection of stories, all set in Kolkata of the 1950s and 1960s, brings together four mysteries that put the sleuth’s remarkable mental agility to the ultimate test. In ‘the Menagerie’ (adapted by master film-maker Satyajit Ray for his 1967 film Chiriakhana) Byomkesh cracks a strange case involving broken motor parts, a seemingly natural death and the peculiar inhabitants of Golap Colony who seem capable of doing just about anything to safeguard the secrets of their tainted pasts. In ‘the Jewel Case’ he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a priceless necklace, while in ‘the Will That Vanished’ he solves a baffling riddle to fulfil the last wish of a close friend. And, in ‘the Quills of the Porcupine’, the shrewd detective is in his element as he expertly foils the sinister plans of a ruthless opportunist. Sreejata Guha’s translation captures brilliantly the thrill and ingenuity of Byomkesh’s exploits just as it does Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s remarkable portrayal of a city struggling to overcome its colonial past and come into its own.
Keki Daruwalla Established Himself As A Name To Reckon With In Indian Poetry With The Publication Of His Very First Book, Under Orion (1970). With Nine Published Volumes So Far, Including The Keeper Of The Dead Which Won The Sahitya Akademi Award In 1984, And Landscapes, Which Won The Coveted Commonwealth Poetry Prize For Asia In 1987, He Is Today One Of India&Rsquo;S Foremost Poets. His Poetry, Characterized By A Trademark Vigour And Immediacy Of Language, A Razor-Sharp Tone And Subtle Imagery, Consistently Strikes An Ingenious Balance Between Image And Statement. With His Capacity To Blend A Larger-Than-Life Canvas With An Unfailing Eye For Detail, He Addresses A Remarkable Variety Of Themes In His Poems&Mdash;From The Epic Concerns Of Culture And History, Myth And Religion To The Quotidian Affairs Of Life And Death, Love And Passion.
This Definitive Edition, Testimony To His Prodigious Output And Astonishing Breadth Of Vision, Brings Together Over Three Decades Of Keki Daruwalla&Rsquo;S Work And Also Includes A Whole New Section Of Poems Previously Unpublished.
It is the story of a young domestic worker, who has battled poverty, hardship and violence to make a name for herself as a writer. Hurriedly married off at the age of twelve, a mother by the time she was fourteen, Baby lived in her married home for several years, facing continual violence from her husband. Her father’s long absences from their home, her mother’s decision to walk out of the marriage, leaving Baby and her sister to manage the household, were the realities that shaped Baby’s early life. When marriage came, Baby, still a child, yearned to play and study, but was burdened with the responsibility of being wife and mother. Escape finally came many years later, by which time Baby still young was a mother of three, and she fled to the city in the hope of finding a job. Working in Delhi as a domestic help, Baby was lucky enough to come across an employer who encouraged her to build upon her few years of education and to read – and then to write. The story of Baby’s life is a lesson in courage and survival. Since its first publication in India in Hindi, the book has become a bestseller, recieving accolades from some of the best-known writers and critics in India and elsewhere. It has been translated into several other Indian languages.
When my concentrated mind was purified; I directed it to the knowledge of the recollection of past lives’ -The Buddha on the night of his enlightenment
Associated with the living traditions of folk tale; drama and epic; the Jatakas recount the development of the Bodhisatta-the being destined to become the present Buddha in his final life-not just through the events of one lifetime but of hundreds. Written in Pali; the language of the Theravada Buddhist canon; the Jatakas comprise one of the largest and oldest collections of stories in the world dating from the fifth century BCE to the third century CE. Generations in South and South-East Asia have grown up with these tales.
This volume contains twenty-six stories drawn from various ancient sources; and each story reflects one of the ten perfections-giving; restraint; renunciation; wisdom; strength; acceptance; truthfulness; resolve; loving kindness and equanimity. A detailed introduction elaborates on the ten perfections; explains the forms of enlightenment as well as the structure; and the historical and geographical contexts of the stories. Sarah Shaw brings to life the teachings of Buddhism for the scholar and lay reader alike.
As Recently As A Decade Ago, The Prospect Of India Becoming A Developed Country Any Time Soon Seemed A Distant Possibility. Since Then, However, There Has Been A Sea Change In Our Own And The World&Rsquo;S Perception About Our Future. What Explains This Rising Tide Of Optimism? And How Far Is It Justified?
In The Future Of India, Bimal Jalan, Former Governor Of The Reserve Bank Of India, Takes Up The Formidable Challenge Of Examining The Nuts And Bolts Of This Proposition. In His Thought-Provoking, Clear-Sighted Analysis, He Argues That It Is The Interface Between Politics, Economics And Governance, And Their Combined Effect On The Functioning Of Our Democracy, Which Will Largely Determine India&Rsquo;S Future. An Understanding Of This Interface Will Help Explain The Swings In India&Rsquo;S Political And Economic Fortunes Over The Past Decades, And Why The Promise Has Been Belied.
In The Light Of Experience, Argues Jalan, There Is No Certainty That The Present Euphoria Will Last Unless There Is The Political Will To Seize The New Opportunities That Are Available. He Proceeds To Suggest Steps That Can Be Taken To Smoothen Our Path To Progress: Ways To Strengthen Parliament And The Judiciary; A Series Of Political Reforms That Would, Among Other Things, See Greater Accountability Among Ministers; And Effective Ways To Curb Corruption And Enhance Fiscal Viability. In All These There Is An Emphasis On The Pragmatic, Born Of Jalan&Rsquo;S Experience As An Administrator, Economist And Member Of Parliament.
Contemporary And Topical, The Future Of India: Politics, Economics And Governance, Perhaps More Than Any Other Book On The Subject, Shows Just How A Future Close Enough To Be Seen Need Not Forever Remain Elusive To The Grasp.
Seven thought-provoking and fun plays for children
The stage is a magical place, where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary and imagination rules supreme. Discover the wonders of the stage with Good Heavens!. The seven plays in this collection will help you explore different aspects of theatre. While some require interesting sets, props and costumes, others demand imaginative choreography, music, and stage lighting. Good Heavens!, No, Not I and Stone Soup will have the audience doubling up with laughter; Hamsadhwani and A Christmas Miracle will make them ponder and debate; and The White Elephant and The Monster Night throw up unusual problems that children resolve!
In the detailed introduction, the author discusses theatre, its origins, and how to prepare for a production. Meticulous, with step-by-step details on auditions, rehearsals, props, set design, sound, music, costumes and lighting, it acquaints you with the stage and its requirements.
Written by one of India’s most exciting playwrights for children, Good Heavens! is invaluable for all who are interested in children’s plays, and especially those involved in children’s theatre productions.
Born to a poor family in the village of Puttaparthi in southern Andhra Pradesh, Sathyanarayan Raju was a bright, talented and confident boy whose charitable nature and religiosity belied his tender age. Deeply suspicious of his spiritual precociousness, his father made him go through a traumatic exorcism. But the boy already had a devoted band of followers and, when he was thirteen, announced that he was the Shirdi Sai Baba reborn. Today, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has an estimated thirty million followers worldwide. Acclaimed travel writer and self-described `spiritual nomad’ Bill Aitken tells us why so many”royalty, wealthy industrialists, influential politicians, as well as the poor”flock to Puttaparthi. Sai Baba’s message, he reveals, can be summed up in one word: love. It is as simple as it is profound, not unlike how his devotees see the Sai himself”the embodiment of deep spirituality wedded to simplicity, elegance and grace. Yet, the Sai phenomenon is less about producing vibhuti from thin air and more about modern-day miracles. Miracles like free schools and universities, super-speciality hospitals which provide free treatment to all and revolutionary projects like the one which has brought drinking water to a million villagers in drought-prone Rayalseema. Aitken’s study is neither a hagiographic exercise in myth-making nor a dry, objective account of the Sai’s life. While never shy of expressing his deep love and reverence for Sai Baba, he squarely confronts the controversies and criticisms which inevitably dog those who claim acquaintance with the holy.
