Book Review: Marvels and Mysteries of the Mahabharata by Abhijit Basu

The Mahabharata is hailed as India’s greatest epic and poem. The continual war between cousins and the politics that leads to the war are widely known.  Also recounted in the Mahabharata is the Bhagvad Gita, a spiritual discourse on the way of life and hundreds of other stories that philosophize on various facets in our day today lives.

The book - Structure

The jacket claims, “Marvels and Mysteries with its lucid and engaging narrative, seeks to unravel some of its enigmas: the characters of Vyasa, Krishna, Yudhisthira, Arjun, and Draupadi; aspects of the Mahabharata’s historicity; medley of interpretations…’

True to its blurb, this is indeed what the book aims to achieve.  The book Marvels and Mysteries of the Mahabharata is divided into two parts – The first seeks to unravel some of the stories and delve into the lesser hailed heroes in the Mahabharata.  The second part of the book throws light on the various interpretations and its historicity.

I have not seen many treatises (atleast in popular writing for a lay person) on the lesser sung heroes such as Draupadi and Yudhistira and much less Vidura and the great sage Vyasa because of whom the whole Mahabharata played out and was recorded. 

Yudhisthira’s wisdom is highlighted in the book through his debates with his family and Q&A sessions with the Yaksha in the lake and King Nahusha.  His gambling habit is debated and his way around a few ethical dilemmas is discussed in the book. Another interesting take is a potential controversial relationship to Vidura.

I found the chapter on Draupadi particularly interesting.  Several facets of her personality  apart from her renowned ageless beauty are raised in the book. Her perceived haughtiness, her intelligence in her debates with Yudhistira and her questions to the elders are mentioned in the book. 

The second part of the book is particularly interesting too with the history of the various interpretations and the half-a-century development of the ‘Critical Edition’ which is now considered to be standard for any study on the Mahabharata. Several similarities have also been drawn with epics from other cultures such Greek and Sumerian.  Inter-relationships between the other great Indian epic the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have also been shown. 

My take

What I liked in the book was that lesser hailed characters or lesser known facts of well known characters are discussed.  Several questions about what the truth may really have been about Pandu and his supposed descendants are discussed.   Some uncomfortable questions around the ethics of Lord Krishna such as the extermination of Jarasandha, Shishupala , the rampage with Arjuna in the Khandava forest are discussed.  His character is ‘un-deified’ and questions are raised on his divinity. Although one would perceive many of his actions as incorrect, the writer needs to explain the bigger picture as talked about in the Bhagvad Gita on why these actions were necessary. But then not liking the part of not treating Lord Krishna as divine would be a more biased view on my part being a believer of Krishna.  But well, there are several other ethical dilemmas in the Mahabharata that are long debated and the ones raised on Lord Krishna are just some of them. Perhaps in the next volume, we can get a glimpse of more lesser discussed characters such as the twin Pandava brothers, Kunti and others.

All in all, I enjoyed reading the book and learning and understanding a few more facets of the epochal epic that is Mahabharata.   I look forward to more volumes on this series though.  There are way too many things to be learnt from this great epic! I would give a rating of 3.5 stars on 5 to this book.

To buy the book on Amazon check out the link here - http://www.amazon.in/Marvels-Mysteries-Mahabharata-Abhijit-Basu/dp/9381836787

Aloha Goa!

A of the AtoZ Challenge

On this first day of the A-Z challenge, I am preening away at my favorite beach destination Goa.   Sunglasses, sunscreen and a Hawaiian mocktail in hand are my weapons to fight the blazing sun. 

I wonder what it is about the beach that attracts millions of people from all across the world.  Perhaps it is the sensation of the waves caressing the skin and retreating, perhaps it is the soothing sound of the waves, perhaps it is the unpolluted cool air breeze, perhaps it is the natural view in the expanse of the sea bereft of buildings and concrete, perhaps it is the slippery sand that is almost as fluid as the water itself, perhaps it is a combination of all these factors that make the seaside a place to relax and rejuvenate.  Goa with several tranquil beaches, as opposed to the noisy Mumbai beaches, offer undisturbed peace that are ideal to de-stress from the distress in Mumbai!

While undisturbed beaches can be found all along Konkan, Goa offers a culture of its own. Beachside shacks, adventure sports to watch or indulge in, Goan food (so what if I am a vegetarian), scenic Portugese bungalows and buildings, winding roads, scenic coconut groves, party places of course, ..at the risk of this blog sounding like a travel advertisement…Goa does have it all for the babies, the kids, the young, the middle-aged and the old!

This is the first vacation that I have taken after the birth of my baby daughter SSS and her first trip to a beach as well.  She has rather enjoyed all the water on the beach, in the kiddie pool and the bathtub and water is all that she wants to be in all day!

A few snapshots from my trip here.

The A-Z Challenge

It was last year when I heard of this challenge from a group of women bloggers.  26 posts in 26 days for each day of the month of April except Sundays.  That is daunting.  Especially for a person who was struggling to write even 2 posts a month.  And well, that is precisely why I took on this challenge. To help me to get back to writing and reading others blogs!

Between a full-time job, being a Mom and doing everything else at home, I hope I survive this challenge, but forgive me if I can’t!  Look forward to hearing from my readers and encouraging me to keep writing and get this blog alive and kicking again!

Read more on this challenge here -

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

SSS turns six months old!

Yesterday was Makar Sankranti.  A change of season.  The day that heralds spring.  SSS has also moved into a new phase today, she turned six months old!

The first year is replete with counting days and then months. After the first month , every monthly birthday is an occasion till the baby turns One.  The three month and the six month marks are fond occasions as well. It is after three months that the baby sleeps and lets the mom sleep for longer, she starts smiling and responding more, new skills are picked up at great celerity and generally is a ball of cuteness!  After six months, a new phase starts where she starts eating food apart from milk, she recognizes her family, starts learning new things at a break-neck speed, is more interactive than ever before and demanding as well! 

Now we need to buy a whole lot of new stuff!  From the infant to 0-3 months to now 6-12 month category stuff, it all changes!  We now have to buy bigger nappies, larger milk bottles, bigger clothes, newer toys and baby food for her!

I have forgotten the sleepless nights and the difficult first three months entirely.  Her smile every morning lights up the day and we wait to find out what new antics she picks up during the day!

The First day of becoming a Mom

Anticipation was rife, the wait seemed endless and the eagerness to welcome a new member overwhelming.  My parents had come visiting waiting to welcome the new member.  One fine evening of July 14, several prayers were said and invocations made to the Lord hoping that the baby inside heard them. Well, it is almost as if she heard the chants and decided to come out to listen to them better!  After nine months of waiting, I finally went into labor that night. A few painful hours that actually went by pretty quickly, on July 15, 2013 she came out, a tiny white bundle of plenty of joy!

With boys and more boys in the family, everyone heaved a sigh of relief as ‘It’s a girl!’ was announced. Finally, the dreams of buying frilly frocks, jewelry, dainty accessories and dolls were going to come true. 

My first glimpse of her was a tiny pair of legs disappearing as the nurses took her away after she was out.  A few minutes later, a white wrapped bundle with eyes that didn’t want to open to the bright new world outside, was finally handed for everyone to peer at.  Tiny eyes, a tiny nose, tiny lips. Tiny had a new definition!

Well, it was then time to rest and recover from those nine months. Yeah and I didn’t know the importance of rest till the next three months happened!

I am going to try and not make this a solely baby blog, but I presume my current obsession with the baby might make me do just that!  Till then, bear with me.

The Reliance Digital Store Experience

With an increasing number of gadgets, shopping for electronics is an activity that has become almost as frequent as shopping for clothes!  With an increasing dependency on gadgets and electronic appliances, a reduced life of these electronic items and rapid change in technology that makes our gadgets obsolete in a few months, a trip to the electronics store is usually a must for me every time I visit a mall.

Indiblogger came up with a fun contest that entailed visiting a Reliance Digital store from a select list and blogging about the experience. I chose to visit the Reliance Digital Store at the sprawling R-city mall at Ghatkopar.

A couple of other bloggers had visited at the same time, and we were welcomed by the store manager Arun.  We first presented the printouts of the emails we had from Indiblogger, and gave him our identity details.  Once these formalities were over with, a quick store tour was arranged for us. 

The store

The store manager giving us insights on the store

The store
The store itself was quite huge - about 15,000 sq feet.  Spacious aisles and spaces made movement much easier and the specially designed lighting that was conducive for shopping made for a pleasant visit.  There were designated areas for experiencing various products and appliances and well marked out zones for each product.

A large display of TVs

Kitchen appliances

The spacious gaming experience zone

The Customer experience

The theme of the Reliance Digital store was ‘happiness’ said the manager. And indeed, they had done much right from having the guard to greet customers to decorating the store with bright balloons, and brightening the atmosphere. Unlike a lot of stores, where for example, dummy mobiles are used instead of the real ones, Reliance Digital believes in enhancing the customer experience by allowing them to use and experience any gadget they fancy.

With the latest array of Smart phones, TVs, home theaters, gaming consoles, and other appliances, Reliance allowed its customers to try out everything in specially designated areas. There was a home theater room where one could experience sound, a huge panel of TVs where comfortable sofas were kept for easy viewing, a spacious gaming area where several kids and adults could be seen trying out the X-box or the PS3 and a mobile zone where mobile geeks were seen trying out the newest and exciting phones.

The Home Theater Room to experience sound

Playing on the PS3 using a motion controller

TV viewing

Checking out the latest mobiles

Knowledgeable staff
What was particularly good, was the helpful and knowledgeable staff who were very helpful in explaining features and functions of every gadget, no matter how expensive or inexpensive it was.  I was looking out for blenders, and the sales executive, patiently answered all my questions and even gave me a demo.

Product and service support
The third thing which Reliance scores on is its after sales service which it promises is excellent. I hope it is indeed so!

At the end of the store tour, the store manager, took pictures of us, asked us to take pictures if we pleased and instructed his staff to answer any questions we had. We were promised a goody bag and an ipod shuffle at the end of the visit. Although, this was not given at the time we went to visit the store, the store promised to send it to us later. All in all, I was happy with the experience and came away a happy customer with my blender as well!

This post was written for an Indiblogger promotional contest  http://www.indiblogger.in/indistuff/4/. All the views in this post are mine.

Pedestrian rants

Walking has been well established as a great exercise for years now, and getting chores done around the block by walking to them instead of taking carbon emitting vehicles is an added bonus.  Unfortunately, in the city of Mumbai, one can’t help but rue the state of affairs for pedestrians. I live in the suburb of Chembur and find it downright depressing and difficult to walk outside the confines of my home within a radius of a km without stumbling or falling at least once.  If for the able it’s an onerous task to walk around the block. I shudder to think of how the disabled, old or pregnant manage! Every step I take is riddled with questions for the BMC and government in the order of difficulty I see in tackling the issue –

• Why can’t that broken tree that has been lying on the footpath for the past two months be cleared up? Are the authorities waiting for the monsoons to break more trees so you can do away with them at the end of the year?
• I know there is a need to dig up roads and footpaths for work around pipes and cables, but can the rubble be cleared up from the footpath once the work is done? And can the road be restored to its former condition instead of callous dumping of the rubble on the road making it uneven and potholed? The same goes for demolition of encroachments or slum rehabilitation projects. The rubble simply lies there for years!
• Desilting the drains is great, but when will that filth get cleared away?
• Can we have those absolutely scary open manholes covered and have the covers in line with the footpath?
• The road on which the Chembur-Wadala metro is built near the Fine Arts Auditorium road  is really narrow and cannot house pedestrians, speeding vehicles, parked vehicles, bus stops and encroachments. How do we cross the road and where do we walk? Can we have a signal somewhere on this road near the Golden lawn restaurant to help us cross and a footpath to walk on?
• Is there a lack of civil engineers at BMC?  I see people walking off footpaths solely because the footpaths go up and down, up for a while, then there’s a gate, and down we go and narrowly escape slipping.  And this too, near a school for disabled people! Can we please have more leveled footpaths?
• I know people love hawkers, but the station road has absolutely no place to walk. Stringent vigilance or fines need to be meted out to free up some space on the road.
• Lastly, we need more open spaces to walk!  The Gandhi Maidan is the only large ground for a huge radius around. While two corners are used as urinals or dumping garbage, the other corners and sides of the ground are used by smokers, drug addicts and gamblers who have made this ground a den for their activities in broad daylight. Safety of women is highly compromised with high fences, very poor lighting and the presence of antisocial elements. Can we have at least some lights on the ground, lower fences and regular security checks to ensure safety?

I can’t expect any change in the attitude of bikers and vehicles who believe pedestrians should not exist on roads and try and loudly honk this breed away or speed up when we try to cross, but a few simple measures of clearing up the filth, rubble, broken trees, defunct encroachments, fixing manhole covers correctly, and leveling of footpaths, and the addition of signals at junctions will certainly go a long way in ensuring safety of pedestrians. 

It's a sellers market for Mumbai builders

I have been following several reports on Mumbai real-estate being in the hunt of a house.  Most reports I have been reading are positive that there is going to be a correction this year, and the real-estate bubble in all major cities in India including Mumbai is definitely going to burst.   Unfortunately for the poor buyer, reality usually is bleak.

Here is why I think Mumbai is a terrible place to buy a house.

• The number one is of course the highly extortive rates charged in Mumbai. It was hilarious to see a reputed builder come out with a new housing scheme for affordable housing. Well, the affordable house was at Rs 95L+taxes for a 1bhk  and around Rs 1.4Crores in the suburb of Chembur. Since when indeed did figures of Rs 1Crore become so affordable for all!?  So called ‘luxury’ housing by the same builder started at more than Rs 3 Crores for a 2 BHK (about 1000sq ft) in a farther off suburb. Really wouldn’t you rather shell out Rs 50,000 per month  for the next 10 years (60L) for a similar house and still make more money on interest in a fixed deposit?! (2L per month @8% simple interest). 
  Despite the sops offered by various builders in the form of 20:80 schemes (Schemes where one pays 20% now and 80% after a certain level of construction is complete), free cars and motor bikes, slashed rates, the market appears to be still bleak to the buyer.  Lower rates of interests can make sense only if the capital cost were lower making EMIs affordable.

• The already inflated rates, cannot seem attractive however many sops are offered. Far flung suburbs with no less than 2 hours of commute from the city at present, try and entice buyers with the promise of new infrastructure projects which are likely to get completed soon (they mean the ones, which have been barely mentioned by MMRDA, and not even the approvals processes are complete). 

• If you are unmindful of the commute, just look around the city of Mumbai. Broken roads and pavements, garbage dumps galore, slums right outside the building, illegal encroachments, improper entry roads to buildings, and a complete lack of parking and horrible traffic wherever you go. For this kind of pathetic infrastructure, the city of Mumbai is rather too pricey than any other in the world. 

• After the recent building collapse in the Mumbra region, municipal corporations have gone on a rampage bringing down other illegal buildings.  Where were they when these came up in the first place? My heart goes out to the people who were living in these buildings and have now been rendered homeless because the crafty builder built an illegal building. No less than 35 permits and approvals need to be taken at various levels to build a building. Various inspection approvals also need to be given while the building is being constructed. Several certificates, such as the Occupation certificate are given by the municipal corporation after the building is complete, and the society is formed.  The problem here is, most houses are sold, at the time they get approval to just build it (commencement certificate). How discerning then, during the ‘launch’ of the building, can a buyer indeed get?  If that be the case, no builder should be allowed to sell under construction flats.  What it really takes, is that the inspections really happen instead of being on paper, and the approvals are honestly given so that the builder builds a good quality building within all the required norms.  How can a buyer be evicted from a building where he has trustingly put in his hard earned money believing the builder has flouted no norms?

• There is another component that makes it further unpalatable for the salaried buyer that no one speaks about. It is the component of ‘black’ money that needs to be shelled out to buy a house. The ‘going rate’ in Mumbai as I understand it currently is a whopping 40-50% of cash.  This is just so that the buyer/seller evades tax or can channel the enormous cash funds that the either the corrupt or the businessmen community gathers. In earlier years, when property rates were much lower, the component of black would run into lakhs in single digits, but now with rates being a minimum of 10K per square feet in Mumbai in suburbs, no less than 30-40L has to be doled out in cash for a tiny 1-2 BHK. For a poor salaried worker, who gets money into his bank account, pays taxes dutifully (as they are deducted at source unfortunately), declares his income to the last penny, how on earth really, can he get this cash? ‘Jugaad’ as they say ‘ho jaaata hai’, spewing another level of transactions which should not be happening.   I haven’t even started talking about the difficulty in trustingly and willingly giving away lakhs of hard earned money in cash to some stranger! This makes it further impossible to zero in on that dream home that can be bought in full ‘white’ money without any law-breaking

• As a buyer, even as I understand there is a lack of affordable housing in the city, I do get irked that the shanties across the building get free houses in the same vicinity while buyers shell out crores of Rupees for them.  And of course, they continue to live in the shanties after renting them/selling them out to new dwellers. Even as slum rehabilitation projects come up, more and more shanties continue to proliferate.  And most of them continue to be progressively legalized when elections are around. They require no permissions to get legalized really. 

Forgive me for making the clichéd comment, but the system truly needs to be completely overhauled from the root, uprooting the builder-politician-municipal corporation nexus, and a political will to bring the housing issue under some form of control.  A few things that I think need radical change are –

• Reduce the number of permissions builders need to take that increase costs in the form of bribes to be doled out and ensure that buildings are really inspected and anomalies reported. Bring about transparency in dealings.
• 50% of Mumbai is landlocked in slums. Encourage slum rehab projects by easing regulations to help to release this space. And please stop any further illegal encroachment of scarce land!
• Increase FSI so cities can grow vertically and there is more space
• Reduce taxes such as stamp duty which further push up costs and encourage cash transaction deals. If prices stop going up, profiteering will reduce – speculative buying by investors will reduce and tax on income made will automatically reduce discouraging fraudulent dealings.
• Find ways to curb dealings in black money so a whole segment of speculative buyers who try to channel their ill-gotten wealth can get eliminated pushing up supply of houses to legitimate buyers.

Till any such major changes are made, buyers and house owners will continue to suffer from over priced housing, buildings of suspect quality, and helplessness because of a complete lack of options that guarantee good quality at a decent price. And I will continue to hope that speculations stating there will be a major correction in this market will come true!

Book Review - Chanakya’s new manifesto – To resolve the crisis within India - by Pavan K. Varma

Living room conversations revolve around politics, the state of decrepitude, ineptitude of politicians, and the general issues that assail our day-today life outside the confines of our homes and beset our country at large.

Pavan K. Varma, the author, has gone a few steps ahead of these idle conversations. In this book, he has pointed out key problems and provided meaningful solutions inspired from none other than Chanakya, one of our finest strategists to date.

The book starts with an introduction to Chanakya’s way of thinking going on to the crisis that currently prevails in India and finally detailing concerns and potential solutions for each area.  Whole books can be written of course, on each the mammoth issues that inundate Indian administration, but the author has tried to condense them and provide high-level suggestions that can ‘initiate an urgent and intense nationwide debate on change’.

The state of affairs have been highlighted for five areas in the book

• Governance
• Democracy
• Corruption
• Security
• The creation of an inclusive society

The book does not really talk about a lot of things we may not already realize, but brings things to perspective when all the issues and solutions are put together.

Each area first talks about key issues and then brings some potential solutions to the table based on theories from the Arthshastra, the great Indian treatise on statecraft. 

In Governance key focus areas are lack of economic reform, education, agriculture, infrastructure projects, railways and inflation. Several good suggestions are made such as having a lock-in period for coalition parties so no one can withdraw support and create instability, set up an independent evaluation body for governance, strengthen the president’s role in protecting jurisdiction and authority from interfering bodies.

Democracy was a particularly interesting topic that spoke about the criminalization of politics, the entrenchment of black money in our system and acceptance of dynastic politics. Excellent suggestions have been made in making the political parties more accountable for the finances they own by strengthening certain laws, having more stringent checks in the screening process for nominations for elections and measures to discourage political parties from fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds.

For the most widely talked about topic in India, - Corruption, the author has several suggestions. He suggests combating corruption using financial accountability of political parties, using technology, bringing in transparency in dealings and judicial reform for deterrent action.

Security articulated the importance of an effective foreign policy, defense preparedness and an intelligence gathering mechanism. The inclusive society topic brought to light the dark side of the uncaring and indifferent India that cannot be called progressive unless it includes everybody.

All in all, I must say for a lay person who has a rudimentary understanding of the Indian milieu, this was simple enough reading and much less taxing than I had imagined it to be. The issues were bang-on and are of prime importance for the progress of India.  Not being an expert on any of the topics, I can’t say if the solutions were perfect, but like the author has said, they may not be the best but could be worthy of being considered for a debate.  I can’t say what this book will really achieve either – if it will spark off any real interest in the powers that rule us, or will merely make a few readers blink at the atrocious state of affairs in some areas and grumble a little more or optimistically, bring about some real change by some genuinely concerned citizens/politicians.

The only grouse I had in the book was the fact that, although the areas were broadly structured into five, the subdivision of the topics in those areas would have made for easier reading instead of merely bulleting the solutions.  All it needed was some more headings subtopics for an easier flow.

The language used in the book is excellent and I have no complaints there.

I will highly recommend this book to people interested in politics and the governance of this country. For those who are not particularly deeply interested in politics, but have some interest in reading newspapers might find this book a good read too.

My verdict is 4/5 stars for this non-fiction book.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!

About the Author

Pavan K. Varma studied history at St Stephen's College, Delhi, and took a degree in law from Delhi University. He has been press secretary to the president of India, official spokesman of the Foreign Office, director general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and India's ambassador to Bhutan. Having taken premature retirement from the Indian Foreign Service, he now seeks to be actively involved in public life.

Pavan K. Varma has authored several acclaimed and bestselling books, among them, Ghalib: The Man, The Times; Krishna: The Playful Divine; The Great Indian Middle Class; Being Indian: The truth about why the 21st century will be India's; Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution of Culture and Identity and When Loss is Gain. He has also translated into English the poetry of Gulzar, Kaifi Azmi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Book Review - RIP by Mukul Deva

Multi-crore rupee scams and scandals have caused much havoc in India. Anti-corruption movements have gained ground in the recent past and the nation is seething with anger at the blatant misuse of their hard-earned money.  In light of the public sentiment, Mukul Deva has penned a page turning thriller which has a deceptively simple idea – death penalty for the corrupt.  This book can strike a chord with many a young Indian and I wish, really wish, strike some fear into the hearts of the wicked who rule us.

‘This book was born out of an extreme sense of anger and shame. Anger at the appalling, naked greed so shamelessly displayed by the Indian political class. And shame that they happen to be fellow-Indians.’ – Very well said Mr Deva.   Common Indians feel your anger and shame.

Plot

The K-team or the R.I.P –the Resurgent Indian Patriots is introduced in the first chapter where they are about to carry out a deadly assassination of a powerful politician embroiled in several scams.  The K-team, an outfit of a handful of handpicked men from the military forces led by Colonel Athawale, is out to send out a strong message – Stop messing around with public funds or die. Amidst tight security, they carry out the assassination, and send out their warning through media channels leading to shock waves through the country.  Not only do they do this, but also give away hints on their next strikes. With such powerful targets, it is but natural, that the K-team is the target of many. Equally wily forces are hired in addition to the official investigators and the race is on to see which force finally wins.

Alongside, some side romances, involving an obviously beautiful woman, are introduced. I thought these were completely unnecessary although the necessary links were all present. Thankfully, these did not meddle with the climax of the book.

Characters

All the characters, right from the K-team were very well etched and had the trappings of the roles they played. The other characters are mostly well known and it wasn’t hard to derive parallels from real life.

Much as Mukul Deva ‘stresses’ on the fact that the book is a work of pure fiction and resemblances are coincidental and fictitious, it is amusing to note that he must have been forced to do so to be politically correct. The names have only been twisted a teeny bit from the originals although the scams that originated from them have been almost named as they are.  For the same correctness reasons and to show that the RIP outfit is secular, the members of the team include a representation from all religions. I almost thought Amar Akbar Anthony when I saw Krishna, Kashif and Kevin in the first chapter! The politicos' hired gun, Raghav Bhagat has been well sketched as the rogue ex-para commando, a ruthless man who can go to any length for the money.

For the young audience the book targets, a romantic angle has been thrown in for good measure with the character of the pretty news anchor Reena.  Although she takes up a good chunk of the book, she is like one of those Bollywood heroines, who are nice and pretty but needn’t really have been there in the world of cold, steely men with missions!

Language

The language of the book was not exemplary, but was the typical Indian conversational English and easy to understand like most new Indian authors.  There is some use of expletives.

My view

Overall I enjoyed the book for the topic and the a-la Rang de Basanti storyline. I don’t think I would exhort this kind of justice, but like the author said, I wouldn’t shed a tear of sympathy if any of these corrupt politicians are done away with.  I would rate this book a 4/5 for the entertainment value and for the fleeting pleasure it gave me in thinking of a corruption free country.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!

About the Author

An alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow, the National Defence Academy, Pune and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Mukul Deva was commissioned in December 1981 into the Sikh Light Infantry of the Indian Army. He took early retirement from the army after fifteen years of service, including a decade of combat operations in India and overseas. Now settled in Singapore, he is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and an executive, business and creativity coach. He is also a Mentor on the United Nations Institute of Training and Research Afghanistan Fellowship. He is India’s leading writer of military thrillers, including the bestselling Lashkar series.

Book Review - Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai by Rishi Vohra

I don’t usually read romantic novels, but a few comments on the book intrigued me enough to read Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai, a debut novel by Rishi Vohra. It promised to be a cross between romance and drama backed by some strong characterization. 

The Story

The story is partly narrated in the first person by the protagonist, Babloo who has ‘psychiatric problems’. The story revolves around Babloo who lives in a railway colony at Bandra with his parents and brother. He has managed to study and graduate but cannot find a job given his limitations. His parents dote on his ‘normal’ younger brother which Babloo resents. The only light he perceives in his dark life is Vandana, the ubiquitous girl next door who always has a kind word to say to him that sets his heart fluttering.

Babloo deeply in love with Vandana, takes the help of his sinister loafer friend Sikandar who is up to no good, to woo Vandana.  The story goes on about Babloo’s pining after Vandana,  Vandana’s quest for the perfect man and Babloo’s fantasy of a super hero ‘The Rail Man’.

My view

What worked -

What I liked was some of the typical things pointed out in the book around Indian families. Like the arranged marriage scenarios, compromising attitude of the girl’s parents, the importance given to the son who earned as compared to the one who did not, and a girl’s basic expectations of her life partner. 

Characterization -

Vandana’s character is well etched out as the typical ambitious middle-class Mumbai girl with strong values and expectations of a decent guy to marry who will care for her. I also liked the character of the kind taxi driver who saves the day once and that of Sikandar, Babloo’s wicked friend.  However, The author didn’t seem to make up his mind if to make Babloo autistic, schizophrenic or psychotic. So he labeled him as all three, despite the fact that Babloo could do pretty much everything! I am sure it is difficult to get into the mind of someone who is mentally challenged, and I am not sure if the author scored really well on this count.  

Narration –

The book started off with a first person narration which seemed to work well, but later wavered between third person and the first person which I found a bit distracting. The language was lucid and descriptions were vivid. The pace was good and kept me hooked to finish the book in one sitting.

Overall

The story was not bad at all as compared to many Indian authors I have recently read – it had all the elements required in a Bollywood potboiler which I strongly suspect was the main reason behind writing this book! There was romance, drama, action, and some good characters audiences might like, but what is required importantly was a strong reality check!  I didn't really concur with the end, which seemed highly unrealistic to me, but well, it was expected right at the beginning of the book! All in all, this book provided a few hours of entertainment and will certainly make a worthy film not unlike My name is Khan.

My rating for the book is 3 stars out of 5.

About the Author

Rishi Vohra recently relocated back to Mumbai after completing a Green MBA from San Francisco State University and a Masters Diploma in Environmental Law, prior to which he had a successful career in the Indian entertainment industry. Having been a guest columnist for various newspapers in India, he currently writes for delWine and is a Certified Specialist of Wine. This is his first novel. Visit www.rishivohra.com for more information.

The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian: Book Review

What struck me first was the name of the book ‘The Bankster’. Not Banker, but Bankster.  The cover of a mysterious man in an overcoat with a gun and a briefcase standing against tall glittering buildings looked ominous.  He looked like a corporate gangster or maybe a bankster.

Ravi Subramanian has been called the John Grisham of banking by the Wall Street Journal as per the cover.  After poring over the cover page, and importantly the back page, I went on to turn the pages, and turn them fast I did! It was one of those books you simply have to finish even if it is 3:00 a.m. , the world around is asleep and you are groggy but want to see the book to its end.

The Story

Rather than John Grisham, Subramanian’s style of writing is more on the lines of a Jeffery Archer who has 2-3 parallel tracks with something common. The author a B-school alumnus chooses the backdrop of the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) in Mumbai to set a series of murders that threaten to destroy the reputation of the bank. Alongside, the reader is taken to two different places where dubious unrelated transactions happen. 

A mysterious Joseph Braganza, perhaps the man on the book-cover, visits Angola to complete an exchange in ammunition for blood diamonds.  In another part of the world, in Kerela, India, an elderly man who runs a resort near the Periyar wildlife sanctuary is framed in a wildlife scam and exposed to the underhand dealings in the political world. 

The GB2 is like any other large multinational bank - complex in its operations, has a plethora of service offerings and a wide branch network.  Employees in retail operations have stiff targets to meet and there is competition – healthy and unhealthy to be the top performer by hook or by crook. Amid all the routine operations, we read about ‘accidental’ deaths of three employees –the first being Pranesh the cashier.  Two more deaths occur in succession and it doesn’t look accidental anymore. Enter, Karan Panjabi, an ex-banker at GB2 turned journalist to investigate into the story of what really happened. From a thriller, the book turns into a whodunit where Karan investigates in an unrealistically short period of time.

Characters

The large number of characters provides ample scope for guessing who is behind all the stories. Subramanian has used all the tricks in the trade to add ‘masala’ to his book. Flirtatious bosses, sexy new joinees (trainees in this case) and totally unnecessary lusty romps between senior management abound in the book.  Some sincere, hard-working characters are also added, but two of them are murdered casting a further mystery on who’s next on the list.

My thoughts

While I enjoyed the book and unraveling the mystery as fast as it could be, the conclusion was not completely to my liking. Perhaps it was a little too far-fetched for me and I must say it was quite melodramatic! The author has provided too much space to too insignificant characters at times. Granted, that he brought in a sexy management trainee, but too much space has been given to men ogling at her and accolades she brought! In today’s corporate world, really, I hardly think looks matter to the extent they do in the book.  

This book is more for an Indian audience and more so those working at Mumbai! With multiple references to places in Mumbai, Mumbai bankers might just enjoy the book more than others. The language is decidedly Indian conversational English complete with the ‘yaars’ and may not be understood by any international audience.

Verdict

All in all, a good page turner, some insights in the world of banking although not all are to be taken seriously, and an interesting whodunit.

My final verdict for this book is 4/5 for the fast paced narration, keeping up the suspense and a gripping story.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!
Thanks to BlogAdda for the author autographed copy of the book! Really appreciated it!

For more information on the author - Ravi Subramanian's checkout links below.

Website: http://www.ravisubramanian.in/index.asp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Authorravisubramanian
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubramanianRavi
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/authorravisubramanian
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/AuthorRavi

A juicy detective fiction mystery anyone?

There are thieves and murderers and then there are the police to catch them. And then there are private detectives. And there is detective fiction. Books from this genre have been on the best-selling charts, second to only perhaps romance, for decades and the trend seems unlikely to change. I find no greater pleasure than sinking my teeth into a nice unputdownable ‘juicy’ mystery with plenty of suspense on a lazy afternoon.

Types –

There are two types of mystery writings that are usually used in detective fiction –

1. Whodunit – This genre of writing has spawned thousands of books and mysteries. The first instance of a great mystery novel in the western world is considered to be The Moonstone by Charles Dicken’s protégé Wilkie Collins written in 1868. The Moonstone which contains most of the ideas in the present day Whodunit is considered to be the pioneer of these ideas. Some characteristics are –

• A crime (mostly murder) is committed
• The police usually are a bumbling force who usually jump to hasty conclusions. 
• A celebrated detective is consulted
• The job is always an inside job
• A large number of suspects are presented with varying motives
• The scene of crime is usually one that is accessed by all the suspects or is a locked room from outside.
• There always is a twist in the tale
• The detective chides himself midway in the book before something unexpected that his sidekick says puts him on the right track
• The murderer is usually the least likely suspect although the solution makes him the most plausible!
• The mystery keeps you turning pages till you find the solution at the end!

2. The inverted detective story - The second kind of novel is one in which the perpetrator of the crime is known. In this kind of story, the reader finds clues that will unravel how the perpetrator did what he did and get a plausible solution. I recently read an example of this in a book I recently reviewed –‘The Devotion of Suspect X’

Characters

The local Police - The police usually are a bumbling force who usually jump to hasty conclusions.  From the puffed up but foolish Mr Goon in Enid Blyton’s Five-find outers to Inspector Lestrade in Sherlock Holmes, the police usually always end up catching the wrong guy with much confidence. 

The side kick- The detectives in the fictional world are usually a superior species, usually accompanied by a loyal but not as bright sidekick. . An important role that the sidekick plays is that of the narrator of many of the stories.  The sidekick usually helps them think or saves them in the nick of time in times of distress. The sidekick also engages in frivolous talk and activities such as falling in love. From the famous Mr Watson, the roommate of Sherlock Holmes, Captain Hastings of Hercule Poirot to Bess Marvin, who was Nancy Drew’s best friend, they usually have similar characteristics.

Suspects – A motley of characters is thrown in. There usually is a romantic angle also put in. The suspects either hate the murdered person enough to be a suspect, stand to inherit something or have a long standing grudge that nobody else is aware of. 

The Detective – This character is painted differently by different authors. They are typically unmarried, celebrated and are professional or amateur.

Private investigators Their methods could vary vastly between using the 'little grey cells' (Poirot) or the 'science of deduction' through powerful observation (Holmes)  My favorites are the most popular private investigators of all times- Agatha Christie’s- Hercule Poirot, and Conan Doyle’s -Sherlock Holmes.  Other private investigators include Auguste Dupin by Edgar Allen Poe, Philip Marlowe by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe was the inspiration for characters in several radio and tv shows. A sub-genre of private investigation was based on court room dramas of which an attorney Perry Mason created by Erle Stanley Gardner solved cases based on investigation of hired sleuths. John Grisham, an author on similar lines, continues to dish out crime and court room dramas.

To elucidate on my favorite two –

Hercule Poirot –Hastings describes all the typical Poirot qualities and methods in the The Murder on the Links as – ‘An extraordinary little man! Height five feet four inches, egg-shaped head carried a little to one side, eyes that shone green when he was excited, stiff military moustache, air of dignity immense! He was neat and dandified in appearance. For neatness of any kind he had an absolute passion. To see an ornament set crookedly, or a speck of dust, or a slight disarray in one’s attire, was torture to the little man until he could ease his feelings by remedying the matter. ‘Order’ and ‘Method’ were his gods. He had a certain disdain for tangible evidence, such as footprints and cigarette ash, and would maintain that taken by themselves, they would never enable a detective to solve a problem Then he would tap his egg-shaped head with absurd complacency, and remark with great satisfaction:

‘The true work, it is done from within. The little grey cells – remember always the little grey cells, mon ami’.

Sherlock Holmes – Holmes strikes an opposing countenance to the dandy Poirot and differs in his methods.  Sherlock Holmes has the best observation powers in the world and ‘the science of deduction’ is his specialty. Clues such as footprints, tobacco ash and cigarette butts combined with his vast knowledge have enabled him to crack many a case. In ‘A Study in Scarlet’ Watson describes Holmes as - Holmes was over six feet and very lean. His ‘hawk-like nose gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision.’ Watson also hints of a narcotic addiction in several books.

Amateur detective fiction is another genre of detective fiction. Agatha Christie, the queen of mysteries wrote several enjoyable books on the amateur detectives Miss Marple, the frail old lady with a razor sharp intellect and the feisty couple Tommy and Tuppence. Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and the Three Investigators caught the attention of teenagers as amateur detectives.  As a kid, I immensely enjoyed all the amateur detective fiction penned by Enid Blyton – Fatty from the Five Findouters was my favorite of the lot back then.  However I hugely also enjoyed other mystery series by Enid Blyton including the Famous Five, Secret Seven, Snubby-Loony series and the young adventurers.

In comics, TinTin by Herge is the most popular mystery and investigation series in which TinTin is the investigative journalist with sidekicks, his dog Snowy and the alcoholic Captain Haddock. Carland Cross was another popular British investigator in comics.

Television - Detective fiction has trickled down to the television world for a long time. Some popular non-police investigators I particularly enjoy are Patrick Jane, the ‘consultant’ of the California bureau of investigation (CBI) of the Mentalist and Castle, the detective fiction writer who investigates with Kate Beckett. The latest Sherlock Holmes BBC series that features a modern day Holmes using the latest technology gadgets such as smart phones while still applying ‘the Science of Deduction’ is very interesting too.  As a kid, I enjoyed Remington Steele and Laura Holt although I don’t remember much of it now!

Writers

Wikipedia says the Golden age of detective novels was in 1920s and 30s when several popular writers emerged, the most famous being Agatha Christie. Four female writers of the Golden Age are considered the four original "Queens of Crime"- Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham.  All except Ngaio Marsh who is a New Zealander are British.  Other British writers include Anthony Berkeley, Austin Freeman, Michael Innes and Philip MacDonald.  More known for the British writing, this period also had the Georges Simenon  who wrote in French and the American John Dickenson Ellery Queen and SS Van Dine. For an exhaustive list of writers refer to http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Detective_Fiction_(Bookshelf)

Agatha Christie

Writing a detective novel, is still big business and almost every weekly best seller list I see contains a mystery novel.  It is interesting to note that Mystery writing in English has also evolved in India over time. Byomkesh Bakshi, a Bengali detective was one of the popular detectives created in the 1930s. After several crime writers in regional languages, in English there are more Indian writers turning towards this genre and steering away from the chick-lit novels.  Amitav Ghosh’s  The Calcutta Chromosome and Vikram Chandra’s Sacred Games are significant leaps forward in the area of serious mystery literature.  I find it immensely hard to turn away from the genius of Christie or Doyle, but would welcome more such page turners in the Indian literary scene. 

I am walking off to sink my teeth into that nice juicy mystery novel! What mystery book do you want to pick up to read next?

Book Review - The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

Five Thousand Years ago and Today. Ashwin Sanghi in his characteristic style weaves a story that blends mythology, fact and fiction. A huge amount of research is sprinkled liberally in the whole novel that adds to the story and sometimes confounds the reader.  After a chartbuster Chanakya’s Chant, Ashwin Sanghi writes on similar lines juxtaposing two parallel stories of a long bygone past of thousands of years ago and the present day.

The Story (or Stories I should say)

Two stories are included in this novel – The first one is the familiar story of Krishna as narrated by Krishna Himself. This story precedes the present day story in every chapter. The second story is set in the present day and revolves around a thrilling mystery unraveled by professor and historian Ravi Mohan Saini around the ‘Krishna Key’.

The second story that is new to us starts with a ruthless assassin murdering a scientist Varshney who was at that very moment engaged in deciphering a cryptic ancient seal with three ancient animal motifs.  Varshney’s old friend Saini unfortunately visits him before his murder and is accused of his murder. The story zips along with Saini fleeing from the police with his trusted accomplice and student, Priya in tow.

Saini discovers that the killer is after the four seals that Varshney had been killed for. Fortunately, three of the seals were entrusted to him and two others scientists. These four formed a set of four or the ‘Krishna Key’ that could lead to a priceless legacy left by Krishna.

The reader gets introduced to the killer who is a protégé of a mysterious ‘Mataji’. The killer has grown up believing himself to be Vishnu’s tenth avatar, the Kalki Avatar but commits the crimes unflinchingly as instructed by his ‘Mataji’. The competent police office Radhika Singh and her subordinate Rathore are hot on Saini’s trail as he tries to decipher the cryptic clues, prevent more murders from happening and identify Varshney’s killer.

The story flits across diverse locations of the desert in Kalibangan, under sea ruins of Dwarka, the icy peaks of the Himalayas, the milky white Taj Mahal and the lingam of Somnath. A trailer that is released on YouTube also highlights these locations.

My opinion

I enjoyed the book for the fast paced story and many of the facts drawn from Sanghi’s research.  His research explained that the mythical river Sarswati might have watered the Indus Valley Civilization, and that the Mahabharata really did happen. It was also revealed that the ancient city of Dwarka may have been built on reclaimed land and is now submerged under water.

  

However, the large amount of research that was presented in this book was its biggest failing. I grant that the author has been thorough in his research BUT, way too much of the research has been dumped on the unsuspecting reader.  It is almost as though he wanted to tell us everything that he had researched whether or not it had too much bearing to the story.  Some crisp editing might indeed have helped.

The other grouse I have is that I could not follow right to the end the supposed parallel between the two story lines. Unlike his previous work Chanakya’s Chant where the old and the new stories comingle with ease, I had to re-read the two stories but could still not make out the parallel tracks for many. If Sanghi wanted to narrate the story of Krishna, he might as well have written a separate book on it.  

Many had already called Ashwin Sanghi the Indian Dan Brown in this book, a comparison I tried hard to ignore. By and by, unfortunately, the similarities grew and the feeling of inspiration from the Da Vinci Code was unshakeable.  Although, as a Hindu mythology buff, reading a story in a more familiar context was enjoyable nevertheless.

My Verdict

With its fast pace, diverse locations, and ample thriller elements, this book is definitely written as a script for a movie. I would give it a 3.5 stars on 5. Read it, but be prepared to be confounded by a sea of research that might send you scurrying to Google to verify facts!

To check out the you-tube trailer of the book see - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyiz7okQx8I

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Announcing my new travel blog - The Roaming Diaries

Blah blah blah
‘What do you like to do when you are not at work?’ is a very common question that needs to be answered, while meeting new people, at social gatherings, and in introductions.  Usual answers that most people used have on resumes were ‘Reading’, ‘Listening to music’ and ‘TV’. When asked which books they like to read, most would get flummoxed and say ‘I have read a book by Sidney Sheldon in my life and have also read all my text books at school!  ‘Listening to music’ usually consisted of listening to the usual Bollywood fare served on TV and radio and TV, well, we are a generation of couch potatoes!

A lot has changed since then, with new hobbies of ‘photography’ and ‘social networking’ being added to the list. Not to disparage anyone who is truly passionate about what they do, but almost anybody who has a good looking DSLR, is a photography buff and ‘social networking’ usually consists of hours of prying on others’ lives on facebook!  ‘Watching TV’ and ‘Surfing the internet’ are strict no-no’s not being politically correct and unimpressive while ‘Reading’ is so passe’ unless one has attended the Jaipur lit fest atleast once!

I do believe everyone should try and find out what they truly enjoy doing.  In the hectic days of today, there is indeed ‘no time to stand and stare’atleast on weekdays, but one has to find something else to do to refresh those brain cells with non-humdrum work on the weekend.

Between trying to find out the hobbies I have beyond reading, (I really do love reading and can provide a list of the last 200 books I have read), and dabbling in a bit of everything – photography, surfing the net for blogs, and travelling apart from my usual job, I found my latest hobby to be ‘blogging’ about my travels. Although I started to record my journeys and tell my friends and families about the fabulous experiences I have had on the blogspot you are reading, a more travel focused blog was the next step I took.

The announcement
I have started a new travel blog ‘The Roaming Diaries’ (click to open) and read about my travels locally in Mumbai, India and abroad. I would love it if readers explored some of the wonderful places I have visited and I would be happy to answer any queries on locations I have visited.  Please delight me by visiting http://richaroams.com. Feedback would be welcome on this new venture.

I will continue to voice my views on Richland Talk on all matters apart from Travel and would love to see you on both my blogs!

Happy Roaming, reading and hobbying!