Author: Alexander Frater
Publishers: Penguin Books
Pages: 273
‘Chasing the monsoon’ is a book on Alexander Fraters journey through India, along with the monsoon clouds. He starts right at the bottom – Trivendrum when the monsoon clouds arrive in June and travels all the way north to Delhi with the progress of monsoon. He is there in Kovalam beach when people dance and rejoice at the sight of first rains. He moves northwards via Cochin to Goa and sees people welcoming the monsoons all the way. On his way, he does some research by meeting people at the meteorological department, learns the science behind these seasonal clouds that brings rain into India, and all about predicting the monsoons. He learns how important monsoon is for the Indian farmer and also to all those people who are looking for relief from the rains.
Set in the seventies, his journeys and many other experiences of those days feel a little outdated, but the facts and narration on monsoon do not change with time. In those days when he travelled, he had to find someone’s influence even to get an air ticket on board of Indian Airlines. He had to spend several months and go from door to door begging all the bureaucrats just to get permits to visit Cherrapunjee – a place that is open for all to visit now.
Besides being a wonderful narration of monsoons and making a good learning of everything that monsoons is, this is a well written travel story that gives a glimpse of the way of things in India’s the seventies. Sometimes the scientific facts seem overwhelming though. It is a worthy book to read for any one interested in travelling in India, and a must read for the fans of monsoon.
Author: Stephen Alter
Publishers: Penguin Books
Pages: 327
Unlike what it’s title seems to indicate, Elephas Maximus is no science book for the students of biology, but a book for every one who has slightest interest in Indian Elephants, or Asian Elephants to precise. Stephen Alter has done considerable research on every aspects of the elephants in India and has presented it well enough to attract readers of every kind. In his own words –
In this book, I have tried to tell elephant’s story in India through myth, art and literature, as well as something of its biology and natural history.
He travels all through the country in search of the elephants and visits them in the wilderness of National Parks, in temples in captivity, in breeding centers of state forest departments and anywhere else elephants might exist as myth or reality. He writes about their biology and natural history, besides covering cultural aspects of their relationship with man, historical status and position of elephants in India and also man-animal conflict. Alter also ponders on Ganesha, the elephant faced Hindu god. He digs through the ancient scriptures of Gajasutra and Kalidasa’s Meghadoota to discover the role and status of elephants in the history of our society.
The emotional aspect of relationship between man and pachyderm is given considerable importance and is one of the highlights of the book. He writes about Mahouts who love their elephants and remain sensitive to the needs of the giant, about conservation efforts in India, and caring for the elephants. The pains of capturing elephants by Khedda and other measures in the past have been well elaborated.
Also notable are his coverage of elephants at various locations all over India, including Mysore, Guruvayur temple, Sonepur Mela, Mudumalai elephant camp, Corbett and Rajaji National Parks, Kabini and Kaziranga.
The contents of the book are well organized, has a good flow and makes a good reading for those with even the slightest interest on pachyderms.
Edited by: Aruna Nambiar
Publishers: Unisun Publications
pages: 210
It is now an established fact that the ‘Indians are everywhere’. You find an Indian in practically every part of the world, and the book “The Itinerant Indian” showcases the travelling Indian and the Indians residing all over the world. It is an excellent collection of short articles written by Indians living or travelling abroad, and some of them are about the non-resident describing their feelings of returning to India.
There are stories from every part of world, including the Arctic, Antarctica, the down under and more popular places like the North America and Europe. Some of the stories are incredibly funny and keep you engaged. You get to read about the Indians who made friends by speaking in Kannada or trying to learning to make Sambar in Canada, and being chased by camels in the deserts of the middle east or trying to convince an American Indian at the wild west that there is another kind of Indian! Each one of the stories, besides being funny, makes interesting read and keeps you hooked. A book worth reading for every travel buff from India, whether or not you intend to travel abroad.