AGYEYA (1911–87) was the pen name of S.H. Vatsyayan, one of the foremost figures of Hindi literature who was instrumental in pioneering modern trends in the realm of poetry, fiction, criticism and journalism. He was jailed as a revolutionary by the British authorities in the early 1930s – an experience that indelibly shaped his literary output.
Written between 1933 and 1938, Prison Days and Other Poems astutely captures the mood before Indian independence, when freedom was still merely a dream. The verses in Prison Days vividly conjure the horror and tedium of imprisonment. But Agyeya’s vision never descends into bleakness. Even quarantined, he is constantly aware of the pulse of life radiating outside the prison walls.
Here is an excerpt from the foreword of Prison Days and Other Poems, by Jawaharlal Nehru.
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For many months I have had the manuscript of these poems with me, a constant reminder to me of my promise to write a few lines as a foreword. And yet I have found it strangely difficult to write this foreword, although I have done a great deal of writing on all manner of subjects during this period. I am no judge or critic of poetry and so I hesitated, but I love poetry and some of these little poems have appealed to me greatly. They have stuck in my mind and brought back to me memories of prison days and that strange and haunted world where men, whom society had branded as criminals and cast out of its pale, loved their narrow circumscribed lives. There were men there who had been involved in a killing, men known as dacoits and thieves, but all of us were bound together in that sorrow-laden world of prison, between us there existed a kinship of spirit. In the lonely chambers which were our cells, we walked up and down, five measured paces this way, and five measured paces back, and communed with sorrow. We found friendship and companionship and refuge in thought and on the magic carpet of fantasy we fled away from our surroundings. We lived double lives—the life of the prison, ordered and circumscribed, bolted and barred, and the free life of the spirit, with its dreams and visions, hopes and desires.
Something of that dreaming comes out in these poems, something of that yearning when the arms stretched out in search of what was not and clutched at empty space. Something also of the peace and contentment that we managed to extract even in our loneliness in that house of sorrow. There was always a tomorrow to hope for, a tomorrow which might bring deliverance.
And so I commend these poems and perhaps they might move others, as they have moved me.
5 Things every Long-Distance Couple will relate to
Sudeep Nagarkar’s book, All Rights Reserved For You, is a heart-warming real-life story of a couple who is separated by distance. While reading this book, we came across five things that every long distance couple will absolutely relate to. Scroll below to check them out!
You’re never too young to laugh: Benefits of Laughter Yoga for Children
Many people believe that when a child is born, he/she mirrors the natural human state before the realities of the world modify their behaviour and state of mind. If this were true, then humans would always be naturally joyful and healthy. But this is not the case. As we grow up, our ability to laugh and play decreases.
Earlier, children would spend their childhood playing and developing emotional skills, which we call emotional intelligence that resulted in laughter and happiness.
Sadly, children today are faced with several pressures. They are faced with many stressors and have forgotten how to laugh and play. Physical activity is restricted, new strains are imposed, adult behaviour is demanded at an early age and group play and child-to-child interaction has been replaced with electronic games and remote communication devices. What is needed is a system that is integrated into educational institutions, which helps them cope with stress and find time for play and laughter.
In his book, Laughter Yoga, Dr Madan Kataria talks about the importance of laughter yoga for children and it’s benefits. Let’s read them here.
- Developing Emotional Intelligence
- Improving Academic Performance
- Boosting Immune System
- Building Stamina
- Developing Confidence
- Enhancing Creativity
A Murder on Malabar Hill – Meet the Characters
In A Murder on Malabar Hill, Sujata Massey tells us the story of Perveen, who has joined her father’s prestigious law firm as one of India’s first female lawyers. When their law firm is appointed to execute the will of Omar Farid, Perveen is suspicious of the particulars of the will that may leave Farid’s three widows vulnerable.
Perveen decides to investigate, but when tensions escalate to murder, it becomes clear that her own life is in mortal peril and she will need to use everything in her power to outwit a dangerous criminal.
Let us meet the characters from this fascinating mystery.
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June Puffin Reads: New Titles for your Little Ones
This month, your only challenge will be deciding which book to pick up for your little ones, first! Make them meet the heroes who changed the world. Send them to help Laddoo save the day with his new psychic ability and enjoy a lyrical and stunningly illustrated offering from India’s favourite teller of tales, as he tells a sunny story about forging bonds and the simple joys of life.
Here is more on these lovely titles.
Gautama Buddha – Sonia Mehta (Quadrum)
Fourth in a series of illustrated books created for young readers to get to know our world heroes better, this engaging biography, peppered with little-known facts, takes the reader through the remarkable life of Gautama Buddha, who taught the world to look for peace and wisdom and to find happiness within themselves.
The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop – Nandini Nayar
Making and selling sweets day after day is the life of Vishnudas Mithaiwala, the owner of The Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop. However, when Laddoo appears at his doorstep one night, claiming to be his estranged sister Revati’s son, Vishnu’s life is thrown into confusion.
Ranji the Music Maker – Ruskin Bond
In the middle of his languid holiday, idle young Ranji stumbles upon assorted musical instruments in the storeroom-first a shrill flute, then a blaring little trumpet and, finally, a too-big drum that may have once sounded a battle march. He stages impromptu concerts down the road, not sparing his neighbours, nor the cats around his porch, nor the peace-loving inhabitants of the zoo!
My Book of Values – Sonia Mehta
Nicky and Noni are twins who – through their own experiences – are here to teach us some values. In this series by Sonia Mehta, each book has lots of fun activities and lessons to learn. Flip open the book and jump right into Nicky and Noni’s world.
Treading the passion path: 5 Off-beat Careers that are worth leaving your Current Job for
Venkat Iyer was living a fast-paced life in the IT world in Mumbai when he decided to stop and take a long, hard look at where he was headed. Disheartened by his stressful existence in the city, he decided to give it all up and take up organic farming in a small village near Mumbai.
Just like him, do you think you have what it takes to tread on the passion path? Can you quit what you are currently doing and start doing what you really love? If you are ready to take the plunge, we have listed 5 offbeat careers that we bet are certainly worth leaving your boring, 9-5 desk job for. Scroll below and get thinking!
Diver
For all water lovers, the chance of being in water all day and get paid for it too, is like a dream come true. So why not become a scuba diving instructor? We love the idea of beachy hair and a forever-tan.
Ice-cream taster
Working as an ice-cream taster is sure to thrill your inner child.
A full-time taster is asked to assess the quality of each flavor on the basis of texture, colour, smell, appearance, and other factors in addition to taste. While an exact job description depends on the employer and specific role, a taster’s additional responsibilities can include inventing new ice cream flavours and products.
Personal Shopper
Why did our school counsellors never recommend personal shopping as a career? Being paid to shop all day sounds like a pretty fabulous job profile to us!
You need to get into your client’s mind to truly understand what makes them feel and look good. If you can achieve this, you have a pretty envious career waiting out there for you.
Dog Groomer
Some benefits of becoming a dog groomer are: working with dogs on a daily basis (complete bliss), a great business opportunity- learn up the tricks of the trade as a groomer and then start your own dog grooming studio. Sounds amazing right? We agree!
Farmer
Do you wish for a job that lets you use your green thumb, with complimentary advantage of always breathing clean and fresh air and consuming the best quality organic food? Then farming is THE career for you.
Quotes from Nadeem Aslam that will Make you Fall in Love with his Work
Nadeem Aslam was born in Pakistan and now lives in England. His work has been longlisted for the Booker Prize, shortlisted for the IMPAC Prize and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and won the Kiriyama and Windham Campbell prizes and the Lannan and Encore awards. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
His works include Maps for Lost Lovers, Season of the Rainbirds, The Blind Man’s Garden, The Golden Legend and The Wasted Vigil.
From these, we found you eight quotes that are sure to make you fall in love with the power and emotions of his words, all over again.
Things You Didn’t Know About the Mughal Emperor – Shah Jahan
Shah-Jahan – ‘King of the World’ – ruled the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658. His is a complex and conflicted tale of romance and violence, of marital fidelity and fratricidal betrayal, of exquisite artistry and ugly intolerance. For the Mughal court was a world where brutally violent politics, internecine conflict, pedantic quadruplicate bureaucracy and high art all coexisted under the same royal roof. Before his usurpation by his own son, Shah-Jahan reigned for thirty-two years as an enlightened despot: a man seen variously as a virtuous supporter of Sharia law and a monster of moral depravity. Between these extremes lies the truth of the man.
In his book Shah Jahan: The Rise and Fall of The Mughal Emperor Fergus Nicoll has reconstructed this intriguing tale from contemporary biographies, edicts and correspondence, putting together an original portrait that challenges many established legends to bring the man and the emperor to life.
Here are some things you didn’t know about the Mughal emperor.
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Business Books to Look Out For
“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs” – Farrah Gray
Whether you’re thinking of setting up your own business – and need some inspiration or advice – or whether you need help making improvements in your already-existing business, we’ve got a set of books for you. Here we have a list of business books for you to pick up, by authors with lots of experience in the field that are bound to help you take your company to new heights.
Let’s take a look!
Talent Wins: The New Playbook for Putting People First
Turning conventional views on their heads, talent and leadership experts Ram Charan, Dominic Barton, and Dennis Carey provide leaders with a new and different playbook for acquiring, managing, and deploying talent–for today’s agile, digital, analytical, technologically driven strategic environment–and for creating the HR function that business needs.
Disrupt and Conquer: How TTK Prestige Became a Billion-Dollar Business
In this book, the current chairman T.T. Jagannathan, along with Sandhya Mendonca, takes us through the journey of this extraordinary company which fought off bankruptcy and rose like a phoenix to become a highly profitable, successful entity. With invaluable business lessons, decades of experience and innovation distilled in these pages, Disrupt and Conquer is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders.
The Fuzzy and the Techie: Why the Liberal Arts Will Rule the Digital World
At Stanford University, If you had majored in the humanities or social sciences, you were a fuzzy. If you had majored in the computer sciences, you were a techie. This informal division quietly found its way into a default assumption that has misled the business world for decades-that it’s the techies who drive innovation. But in this brilliantly contrarian book, Scott Hartley reveals the counter-intuitive reality of business today: it’s actually the fuzzies-not the techies-who are playing the key roles in developing the most creative and successful new business ideas.
Shortcut Your Start-Up
The world of startups is more competitive than ever: what will make yours stand out from the crowd? Shortcut Your Startup has the answers you need. Star entrepreneurs Courtney and Carter Reum have invested in such global successes as Lyft, Pinterest and SpaceX, as well as launching a multimillion-dollar business of their own – they have the hands on experience, insights and tips that will make all the difference.
Games Customers Play – What they don’t tell you about buyer-seller relationships
Business has been an endless series of games played by buyers and sellers-with one difference. Both sides could win at the same time. But somewhere along the way, many customers have changed the rules of these games in their favour. In Games Customers Play, Ramesh Dorairaj shows you how to spot such games and change the rules to your advantage. So that it doesn’t matter what the deal is, you will always win!
The Two Minute Revolution: The Art of Constantly Creating Value in Business
Sangeeta Talwar, the first woman executive in the FMCG industry, who established one of the most beloved and enduring brands of India-Maggi Noodles-shares creative and strategic lessons which can help you grow and add value to your business. Insightful and packed with fascinating examples, this book suggests tried and trusted strategies for building extraordinary brands.
Creating Signature Stories
In Creating Signature Stories, branding guru David Aaker applies the power of intriguing, authentic, involving stories to communicate strategic messaging internally and externally, a critical and difficult task. Creating Signature Stories, full of case studies, discusses how to find, evaluate, refine and leverage great stories and use them to build brands, enhance customer relationships and inspire employees.
Discover India: Four Things your Little Ones Should Know About Bihar
Mishki and Pushka can’t believe what they see. They’re here from their home planet Zoomba and though they have seen a lot of Earth, they’ve never seen a place like India. Daadu Dolma takes them around and tells them all about these beautiful places.
Now, they are excited to know where Daadu Dolma will take them next. They question him eagerly and he laughs at their enthusiasm as he explains that they are going to Bihar, a state that has an old, old history.
Here are four things they learn about Bihar on their visit.
