Book Review - Tales From The Himalayas by Priyanka Pradhan

 

I have always been fascinated with the mountains. Reading the books of Ruskin Bond only added fuel to the fire. His books are always based on mountainous regions, small towns nestled in lofty hills and forests abounding with pine trees.

It was during my first visit to Shimla that I got a view of the Himalayan mountain range. To say that I was left spell-bound would be an understatement.

The Himalayas aren’t just mountains. They harbor simple towns where people follow varied rituals and traditions, most of which aren’t very well-known. In her book Tales From The Himalayas, the author Priyanka Pradhan has shared some of the facets of life in the mountains through beautiful and heartwarming tales.

I came to know a lot of terms unique to the mountains. Take for instance, the Masak Been, a bag-pipe native to the North of India. I came across the story of Nain Singh Rawat, the first man in the world to explore Tibet on foot. There are delightful tales of snow leopards, the beautiful and elusive predators that blend into the mountains. There are stories of Bubus (grandfathers) dealing with their naughty grandchildren. One particular story featuring a Bubu and his grandchild struck a chord with me and is my favorite among all the stories in the book.

Then there are stories featuring the delicacies typical of the mountains – Bal Mithai, Bedo (figs), Kafal berry, Kafuli, mooli techwa, chainsoo, etc. Some of the stories feature rural songs of the villages in the North, songs on trees, the earth and spring song written in the local dialect of the rural areas with translation in English.

Each and every story makes a memorable impression on the reader. The stories are full of warmth and simplicity and show the innocence of rural life. Some stories have the element of the supernatural as well as adventure and thrill. But all the stories have one thing in common – they win hearts with the sheer element of simplicity in them.

In a world increasingly dominated by too much of drama and paraphernalia, Tales From The Himalayas comes as a breath of fresh air, reminding readers the reason why they started reading books in the first place. There is a little bit of everything in every story and this book makes for a wonderful coffee-table companion.

The book is available in Amazon in Kindle edition.

In case you are looking for stories that are simple yet heart-warming, stories that will stay with you for a long time, then this is the book for you! I recommend this to readers of all ages.