The princes and the paupers
THE MAJESTIC LIONS OF GIR: AN UNTOLD STORY (R.R. Sheth & Co, Rs 295) by Sandeep Kumar and Moin Pathan is an excellent account of the family lives of lions in the Gir forest. The book can be considered to be an authentic account as Kumar is presently serving as the sanctuary superintendent of the forest. Lions had once populated the entire world. Their territory has now been reduced to a few patches of forest areas in Africa and India. The book tries to analyse the reasons that led to such a disastrous situation. It also documents the various initiatives that have been taken since the 19th century to save lions from extinction.
The numerous stories narrated by the authors bring out the hierarchies present within prides of lion. The book makes a comparative study between lions and other powerful wild beasts of the jungle, and so justifies the reasons that make lions the king of the jungle by popular consensus. At the end, it brings into focus the differences between the Asiatic lions of Gir and their African cousins.
BRIHADARANYAKA: THE GREAT UPANISHAD, UNDERSTANDING BRAHMAN AND THE ULTIMATE REALITY (Celestial, Rs 499) by Kadambari Kaul will help in a better understanding of one of the oldest Upanishads that is also a part of the Yajur Veda. Maitreyi, the second wife of the learned sage, Yajnavalkya, asked her husband, "What use to me is that which shall not make me immortal?" Trying to give an answer to the question, the sage explains the identity of the atman and the brahman in the course of this holy book. It contains six chapters and is written in both prose and verse. Each chapter is divided into sections, and each section is followed by a detailed commentary, which makes it easier for the reader to understand the essence of the text. The book is well researched and lucidly written. It is aimed at imparting knowledge about the creator god and karma. Reading the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is supposed to lead one "from the unreal to real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality". There can be no greater recommendation for this book.
THE FAMOUS GHALIB: THE SOUND OF MY MOVING PEN (Roli, Rs 295) by Ralph Russell and revised by Marion Molteno beautifully depicts the universal message that Mirza Ghalib tried to convey through his couplets. Russell has tried to give Ghalib his rightful place in the English-speaking world. The book contains extracts from Ghalib's letters and ghazals. One must read the book to understand why Ghalib, unlike his contemporaries, has not been forgotten by history. The book has over 200 couplets, on a wide variety of topics, from romantic love to religious harmony. Ghalib muses, "If I had prized my heart and faith, would I have gone into her lane?" The book is a must read for all poetry lovers.
MONUMENTS, POWER AND POVERTY IN INDIA: FROM ASHOKA TO THE RAJ (I.B. Tauris, Rs 1,135) by A.S. Bhalla peeps into the history of India. The book is divided into four parts. The first three parts deal with the major empires that have ruled India over time. The book offers a fascinating comparison of the architectural legacies of the different rulers and records their impact on Indian society. Bhalla attempts to compare the Mughal empire with the British raj. He correctly points out that both the empires were "driven by a building spree to erect symbols of power, vainglory and imperial majesty." In contrast to the extravagance of the rulers - no matter whether Mughal or British - were the poverty and misery of the common people in India.
