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.
Author: Stephen Alter
Publishers: Penguin Books
Pages: 347
Every summer, many people head to Uttaranchal in the Indian Himalayas for a pilgrimage called char dham yatra(translated – four stops pilgrimage). It is pilgrimage to the four places where the feeder rivers to Ganga originate – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. People now hop through these places in buses and jeeps but there was a time when it was done by foot.
In this book, Stephen Alter writes about his journey to the four points by foot, trying to retrace the traditional route and his amazing experiences on the way. The route to char-dham yatra is not easy, and involves travelling in extreme weathers, and distances are very long. Alter writes –
“My objective was to retrace traditional pilgrim trails, many of which have fallen into disuse or disappeared altogether… the total distance covered was roughly six hundred kilometers and altitudes ranged from four thousand to fourteen thousand feet…”
His experiences of the journey are amazing and varied. He meets friendly villagers who are more than eager to help him. He also meets weary poachers who try to stay away from him, and unfriendly swindlers who eyed on his money. He visited the most beautiful vistas, peaks and lakes in the Himalayas, making his journey worthwhile. He also gets to see the way of life in the villages of the mountains where he interacts with them in plenty and enjoys their hospitality. There are times he lost his way, only to encounter most beautiful landscapes that he would ever get to see.
He has every kind of story to tell is the book. He explains about the transcendent bliss he experienced in some places on his way, about the beauty of the Himalayan peaks all along his path and the variety of flora and fauna he sights in his journey. But it was no path filled with roses. There was a time when he was stuck in the fiercest thunderstorm with strongest winds and lightning he had ever experienced, and the fear that filled his body. He muses on the destruction inflicted on the fragile Himalayan environment, whether in the form of deforestation or by constructions like the infamous Tehri Dam.
Alter is not just a writer who travelled the Gharwal Himalayas and narrated his story. He is a naturalist who is well aware of the fauna and the vegetation of the region and is sensitive about the environment. He also is conversant of the local language and people’s way of life, and takes the role of an anthropologist in parts of his book. His knowledge, combined with his experiences of the journey makes this book complete, and is an excellent read from cover to cover. A must read book for anyone who is in love with the Himalayas, its beauty and its people.