Books

One Palace, A Thousand Doorways: Songlines Through Bhakti, Sufi and Baul Oral Traditions by Shabnam Virmani, Vipul Rikhi

A unique book of translations of songs from the oral traditions of Bhakti, Sufi and Baul poetry from India and Pakistan, this book brings together startling juxtapositions from diverse regions and poets. These poems are strung together on the thread of ideas which serve as ‘songlines’ on which we travel – creating lyrical arcs that connect, say, a Kabir to a Lalon to a Shah Latif. We see how shared metaphors or memes – such as the ‘house’, ‘river’ or ‘path’ – resonate in their poetic imaginations.

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I Saw Myself: Journeys with Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai by Shabnam Virmani, Vipul Rikhi

This book retells the famous love legends of Sindh and Punjab, such as Soni-Mahiwal and Sasui-Punhoon, proposing often surprising interpretations of the legends. It offers deep and subtle insights into Latif’s poetic use of the stories, based on research on the ground with singers from the thriving oral traditions of Latif’s poetry. It also brings into English many of Shah Latif’s most visceral as well as moving poems, spanning a variety of themes from ‘taking the plunge’ to ‘cutting off the head’.

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Yaatrekaruncha Desh (Marathi) by Devdutt Pattanaik

Renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik takes us on an insightful journey to thirty-two holy sites where ancient and modern deities unravel the complex and layered history, geography, and imagination of the land once known as ‘land of the Indian blackberry’ (Jambudvipa), ‘land of rivers’ (Sindhusthala in Sanskrit, or Hindustan in Persian), ‘expanse of King Bharata’ (Bharatvarsha, or Bharatkhanda), and even ‘abode of joy’ (Sukhavati to the Chinese).

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Bharatvarsh ke 32 Teerth Sthal (Hindi) by Devdutt Pattanaik

Renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik takes us on an insightful journey to thirty-two holy sites where ancient and modern deities unravel the complex and layered history, geography, and imagination of the land once known as ‘land of the Indian blackberry’ (Jambudvipa), ‘land of rivers’ (Sindhusthala in Sanskrit, or Hindustan in Persian), ‘expanse of King Bharata’ (Bharatvarsha, or Bharatkhanda), and even ‘abode of joy’ (Sukhavati to the Chinese).

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Pilgrim Nation: The Making of Bharatvarsh (Gujarati) by Devdutt Pattanaik

Renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik takes us on an insightful journey to thirty-two holy sites where ancient and modern deities unravel the complex and layered history, geography, and imagination of the land once known as ‘land of the Indian blackberry’ (Jambudvipa), ‘land of rivers’ (Sindhusthala in Sanskrit, or Hindustan in Persian), ‘expanse of King Bharata’ (Bharatvarsha, or Bharatkhanda), and even ‘abode of joy’ (Sukhavati to the Chinese).

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Pilgrim Nation: The Making of Bharatvarsh by Devdutt Pattanaik

Renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik takes us on an insightful journey to thirty-two holy sites where ancient and modern deities unravel the complex and layered history, geography, and imagination of the land once known as ‘land of the Indian blackberry’ (Jambudvipa), ‘land of rivers’ (Sindhusthala in Sanskrit, or Hindustan in Persian), ‘expanse of King Bharata’ (Bharatvarsha, or Bharatkhanda), and even ‘abode of joy’ (Sukhavati to the Chinese).

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Garuda Purana and Other Hindu Ideas on Death, Rebirth and Immortality by Devdutt Pattanaik

In Garuda Purana and Other Hindu Ideas on Death, Rebirth and Immortality, Devdutt Pattanaik explores the many concepts around death across the spectrum of Hindu mythology, tracing the roots of certain practices to as far back as the Harappan times. A unique enquiry into the Hindu response to death, the book serves as a guide to the choices we make in life.

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