`The mighty Airavata would stretch his trunks into water reservoirs, suck up the water and then spray it into the clouds?? He was the mighty white elephant, who could weave clouds and create rain. He was Lord Indra?s magnificent mount, who could make any demon quake in fear. First among all elephants, Airavata could cross the universe in a few strides and was gentle, loyal and brave. Read about his marvellous feats?
‘Jambavan came face to face with Ravana. He moved with a speed and fought with a ferocity that was unbelievable...’ He was endowed with incredible strength, he had the wisdom of the sages and he was a born leader. Jambavan, the great bear king, led the army of vanaras in their search for Sita. He helped Rama fight Ravana and even helped restore the Syamanatakmani gem to clear Krishna’s name. Read his spectacular story...
‘He charged forward, his head lowered, his horns curved and menacing, symbolizing destruction...’ He was the much-feared asura who was more powerful than the bravest warrior on earth, stronger than the divine beings in Heaven. Mahishasura, the buffalo demon, unleashed such a reign of terror, that it finally took the combined forces of all the gods to defeat him. Read about his thrilling battles...
A lot has been written about people who came to India at various times in history, but not enough about those who went from here to strange and surprising foreign lands. Way before trains and planes, speed and luxury, these intrepid globetrotters from India braved stormy seas and traversed hostile territories, documenting their travels and travails in detailed and often amusing accounts. Anuradha Kumar’s Across the Seven Seas brings together 14 dramatic accounts of Indian travellers from the 18th and 19th centuries, giving a vivid view of the world as it was then. These are stories of exploration and adventure, wonderment and acceptance. These are tales of great opportunities and tragic failures. These are chronicles of daring and discovery. You will marvel at the Mughal emperor’s emissary to the British king; the scientific genius who studied the power of steam; the army camp follower who became the master of ‘shampooing’; the legal eagle who was the first Indian woman to study law abroad; and the yogi who took the crowds by storm... These are the stories of travellers who traced pioneering routes to England, Italy, Turkey, Russia, America, China and more, all at a time of revolutionary technological advances, pervasive colonialism and amazing journeys...
Stories from the great metropolis--home to the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the loved and the unloved. In Parel's Jupiter Mills chawl, one of the few remaining ones in Mumbai, live many long-time residents: Pooja, restless and trapped in an unhappy marriage, finds joy in her flourishing dabba service and attempts at learning English. Pooja's husband Mahesh whose only dream is to zip through the streets in his boss's yellow Mercedes-Benz. Dr Joshi who has hidden away two paintings: one of a murder he witnessed, and the other a striking portrait of Pooja. And Vasudha, a scheming single mother who hopes to give her daughter a better life in this treacherous city. In the parallel Mumbai of high-rises live the affluent few: Suhel, a confirmed bachelor, who finds himself falling in love--first with a portrait and then its subject, Pooja. Ghatge, Mahesh's boss and an upcoming politician of dubious repute. A young and disturbed journalist Raina Gupta who opens up old wounds when she interviews veteran activist Neera Joshi about the mill-workers' strike of the 1980s and her scandalous affair with its assassinated leader. And Dr Sneha Desai, a successful but lonely radiologist, fighting to restart her sex-education classes for adolescents in a municipal school. In the Mumbai of mills and malls where everything--especially land--is at a premium, the chawl becomes the target of greedy real-estate barons and sleazy politicians, thus bringing together this interconnected cast of characters. As vast and diverse as Mumbai itself, Coming Back to the City draws us effortlessly, completely into the lives of the people who animate the maximum city, even as they are consumed by it--people caught in a web of unexpected love, desperate ambition and endless, addictive optimism.
`Shesha appeared in his true form as the magnificent many-hooded snake and reared up his heads above Vasudeva, forming a protective umbrella over the child who was no other than Lord Krishna?? He was all-powerful, he was as old as the universe, he was the wise serpent-king. Sheshanaga, the endless snake, was a celestial being with the power of a deva. He carried the underworld on his many hoods and Lord Vishnu himself rested on his immense coils. Read about his multiple avatars and magical transformations?
