From Deepa's Desk

A Thousand Trains To Somewhere by Krishna Gady Available in Kindle edition This book is a travelogue of a couple's visit to Japan spanning the twelve blissful days they spent there. It starts with a not-so-pleasant flight to Japan. But things start changing right at the first glimpse of Mt.Fuji, or Fuji-san, as the Japanese refer respectfully. The travelogue describes in detail, the couple's visit to the various locales in Japan that make it the amazing country it is. First glimpse of Fuji-san, scuba diving in the waters of Okinawa, the sublime autumn of Kyoto, the bowing deer of Nara and the charm of Tokyo - all these amazing experiences have been featured in the travelogue. I loved the description of every place. It felt as if I was there personally. The author's unique style of staccato narration to describe emotional experiences is indeed amazing. I have always fantasized about Japan and this book brought many a fantasy to life for me. The breezy and crisp narration kee...

Ex-cop-turned-private-detective Satyadarshi who works in Mumbai is given the case of an eighty-year old woman who was stabbed to death. Outwardly the case appears unsolveable. An eighty-year old woman with no apparent enemies, leading a retired life of her own. Satyadarshi needs something to start looking into the case. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to look far. A mysterious wall-hanging and a book that appears to be out of place in the library inside the deceased’s home gain her attention. As Satyadarshi begins her investigation by trying to contact friends of the deceased, she gains startling revelations that point out that it is no way a simple investigation, especially when kings of the past have a connection to the same! What with her mother amping up her matchmaking skills, Satyadarshi having to play investigator for over-weight yet incredibly cute canines and trying to remind herself every few seconds that she is not to fall for her almost-a-date (no matter how cute or nerdy ...

As I stand before the holy pyre lit for Bhogi celebrations in my lane, I realise that another spiritual month has come to an end - the month of Margasheersha or Margazhi as we South-Indians refer to it as.  But then, when a month ends, it doesn't end alone. After all the month is made of days, and the days are made of tiny rituals that more or less make us who we are, and stay as memories in our mind.  With the ending of Margazhi, there ends the daily ritual of listening to Thiruppavai, a beautiful composition of thirty pasurams (or paragraphs, if you will). These are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and have been composed by one of His greatest albeit youngest devotee, Devi Andal. Every morning, since thirty days, this composition has been playing in my home. This ritual comes to an end today! Thiruppavai is also song in the temple in my colony. The special prasad for Margazhi month is pongal, steaming, peppery, ghee-laden aromatic pongal that just tastes divine. Today, this ritual o...

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down – Haemin Sunim Haemin, a Zen monk used to share inspiring messages and tweets on social networking sites, in response to the queries that people often sought him for. Gradually these posts garnered worldwide attention and publishing companies started asking Haemin to publish his messages in the form of a book. Thus, this book came to existence, and how glad are we for the same! There are totally 8 chapters in the book. Every chapter begins with a short reflective essay written by Haemin. The essay is then followed by inspiring and soulful messages, quotes and insights shared by Haemin. Sometimes he has cited the quotes said by other people (and has given them their due credit). The messages, though short, are deep in their impact. Although the title of the book advocates slowing down, it feels like the book is written for those who don’t have time! The short and inspiring messages are like power capsules, giving you the essential mental st...

  The Reluctant Doctor – Stilettos To Stethoscope written by Balesh Jindal Trigger alert – Some chapters in the book deal with crimes such as rape, abetted suicides and dowry-related torture. This book is a candid account of Balesh’s tryst as a doctor in a little village named Kapashera. Like the title suggests, the journey began reluctantly, for Balesh had dreams of pursuing medical practice in London. However, her father’s nudging brings her to a little clinic in Kapashera. Balesh meets the patients gradually, hoping that this would only be for a short term, but she spends the next thirty-eight years of her life as a doctor for the village and the nearby ones. Not just a doctor, she becomes a confidante, lending a helping ear to every patient in need and ends up building a rapport that far exceeds the relationship between a doctor and a patient. Balesh has been very candid throughout her narrative, sharing both her moments of strength and weakness. Her narration takes the...

Krishna, Buddha and Lao Tzu have a coffee with you – Jana Capri and Charan Diaz I will be frank – I bought the book solely influenced by the title. Also, I like reading books based on spirituality and philosophy. And this book? It is a wonderful combination of both. Picture this scene – a psychologist sits surrounded by three great wise men – Krishna, Buddha and Lao Tzu. He asks them questions that almost every human has ever had and wanted to know the answer to. This is the premise of the whole book. The authors have wonderfully compiled timeless insights from spiritual texts such as the Dhammapada, the Bhagwad Gita and Tao’s wisdom and provided them as answers to the questions baffling the human mind. The questions do not pertain to any one religion. They are universal in general. More spiritual and philosophical than religious, if you will. To cite one question, how does anger negatively affect our spiritual development. There are three answers to every question – answers provided b...