27 December, 2020

#BookReview :: Lotus in the Stone: Sacred Journeys in Eternal India by Anuradha Goyal - #Travel #TravelIndia @anuradhagoyal @GarudaPrakashan

 



Anuradha Goyal has been a prominent name in book blogging world for quite a while because of her in depth and insightful reviews. I have also followed her travel blog from time to time. When she made her debut as an author with The Mouse Charmers, I was sure that it was an interesting and informative book. I did give it a miss as I am very selective about the non-fiction books that I read. I was glad when I realized that she had written a Travel book - a non-fiction book that did call to my own passion of traveling.

Lotus in the Stone is a carefully curated book. Divided into chapters based on individual topics, the content page gives you an idea of what the book has to offer. This is where I will also freely admit that I dove into the book with 'Devi and the Roots of Feminism in India' because in my mind this was a chapter that would make or break it for me. Unsurprisingly, I loved the chapter because the author presents us facts, her own experiences and take on things. Kumari Puja (referred to Kanya Puja) was hyped a lot on social media in the last few years by the 'woke' public, but my own experiences of it were completely different. I could relate to author's experiences regarding the same and then I also learnt quite a few more things that gave me a wider outlook.

As I delved into the book further, I admired the way the author has tackled the most important aspects of traveling around India; the biggest being the numerous temples that beckon the travelers no matter which part of the country you are in. Whether it is the architecture or the festivals or the threads of dharma that are parts of any and all temples while maintaining their uniqueness. My other favourite chapter in the book is 'What is my Dharma?' and 'Heritage through the Lens of Engineering'. While the latter is pretty much what you'd guess from the title, the former just might surprise you.

Peppered with personal experiences from her travels and even her experiences on social media, the book is a treasure house of information. The author manages to balance out the way she delivers the relevant and important information without dragging the reading experience. In fact, the little nuggets of her personal experiences with people around her made the book a pleasure to read. She has managed to put the important aspects of our heritage and traditions in the spotlight. At no point, even when she delivers her own opinion, does the author take a preaching tone. As such it was an enjoyable read that I could not only relate to but also learn from. 



Review Copy received from Garuda Prakashani

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1 comment:

  1. इस पुस्तक में तथ्यों के साथ महत्वपूर्ण जानकारी यह है कि प्राचीन भारतीय कला, विज्ञान, तकनीकी, वास्तु कला एवं शिल्प कला आधुनिक भारत की स्थापत्य कला का आधार है।
    आदरणीय श्रीमति अनुराधा गोयल जी औऱ गरुड़ प्रकाशन को इस पुस्तक के प्रकाशन में किए गए अथक प्रयासों के लिए बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद एवं शुभकामनाएं

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