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DescriptionAs the Indian independence movement progressed-from the economiccritique of colonial rule by the early nationalists, to the unequivocal demandfor Purna Swaraj and the immense moral authority of the Mahatma Gandhiledresistance-the notion of an equal society that ensured dignity to all-irrespective of caste, class, gender or religion-came to occupy a centralplace in it. By the time the Constituent Assembly met in December 1946,not just civil rights, but the particular rights of women, of minorities, of theDepressed Classes and the Adivasis were being articulated and demanded,not as favours but as a matter of course. As the editor of this volume writes inhis brilliant introduction, the effect of the speeches delivered by the leadersof our national movement was to focus 'political action towards scripting anennobling nationalism that would give us a just and equal society'.Building a Free India brings together these landmark speeches delivered overroughly a century by the leading lights of the national movement-fromNaoroji, Surendranath Banerjee, Bhikaiji Cama, Lajpat Rai and Tilak, toGandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Bose, Sarojini Naidu and Maulana Azad-as wellas a range of lesser-known but equally remarkable figures. This unprecedentedcollection is not only an invaluable history of our freedom movement butalso of the ideas of universal equality, dignity and justice that are-and mustalways remain-at the root of our democracy.

DescriptionWho is Rosa Rodriguez and why did she come to Chartsville Hall? In theanswer to that question lies the key to solving her murder. Inspector Ram Sensets about diligently finding it, ably assisted by the redoubtable Mrs Tweedy,who knows everything that goes on in Shimla, though she hardly ever leavesher little cottage.The line-up of suspects includes William Parker-Smith, the seemingly blandand boring Assistant Deputy Commissioner, his wife Helen, a very pukkaEnglish memsahib, and his acid-tongued sister, Emily; the gin-swilling RaniSahiba of Manon and her dashing ADC, Johnny Singh; and a disgruntleddomestic staff, led by Matilda, Helen's faithful ayah.Which of them had a hand in Rosa's murder-and why? As Ram Sen and MrsTweedy-with help from William's gentle niece, Mary, and Boris, the taciturnRussian-unravel the mystery, they are led into the murky world of theLower Mall, of drug dealers and opium addicts, spies and assassins.With her unerring ear for dialogue and skilfully drawn characters, Bulbul Sharmarecreates the world of the British Raj-complete with English memsahibs whostroll down the Mall with their parasols, mansions with manicured lawns, andBrigadiers and their ladies who can crack a crime over bridge at the club. Inthe tradition of Agatha Christie and Alexander McCall Smith, Murder in Shimladoesn't let up on the mystery and suspense until the last page.

DescriptionWith a split destiny ruling her life, Kunti, given away at birth, leads a hard butuneventful existence in her foster-father''s home. At fourteen she is pressedinto the service of the temperamental sage Durvasa who grants her a boon. Itsfirst use, however, only brings her adversity and a shameful secret.With her marriage to Pandu, Kunti dreams of a better future, but acurse makes him leave the throne of Hastinapur to his sibling, the blindDhritarashtra, and retreat to the forest. When Pandu dies suddenly, Kuntijourneys back to the kingdom, no longer its queen but a widow; a dependant,as are her five sons. She must now take up the task of guiding them throughthe long struggle to get their inheritance, a struggle made harder by thediscovery that Karna, the illegitimate child she had abandoned long ago, isalive and a sworn enemy of the Pandavas.Recasting the Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Kunti, The Kaunteyas replacesthe idealized mother figure with a fully three-dimensional woman, providingnew insights into the epic.

DescriptionThe ghosts are everywhere.Most are ghosts of ideas, feelings, memories. These are our personal ghosts,and they follow us alone.But there are other ghosts, in which we share a common fear. Thickeningshadows pooling at the corner of the room, unexplained breathing in the dark,the child who steps out of an old photo-the shiver of supernatural frisson, athin crooked finger of ice tracing its way down your spine. This fear, and thrill,is rightfully the domain of the kind of ghost you will meet in this book.In Taranath Tantrik, Devalina Mookerjee translates nine stories of the uncannyand occult by legendary Bengali storyteller, Bibhutibhushan. Seven are shortstories of séance, curses, return for revenge, and the desire for things thathave no place in human lives. Two are about tantra, of necromancy, spiritualpower, goddesses, and ghosts.The borders of reality are porous in this world.

Description''The freedom and beauty of the green outdoors-soft beds ofgrass and ferns; the caress of the breeze; the scent of flowers;birdsong and moonlight-inflame desire in the nayak (hero)and the nayika (heroine) in ancient and medieval Indian art andliterature... Whether the nayak and nayika be mortals or gods,love is always erotic, and its most beautiful expression happensin the lap of nature, as the lovers give themselves to each otherwithout inhibition beneath the open sky.''In this exquisite book, one of India''s most respected authorities on art,aesthetics and pre-modern sexuality brings us images that celebrate eroticlove in the outdoors. With a brilliant introduction providing the context, shehas put together glorious visual evidence of the freedom that lovers onceenjoyed in South Asia.

Description'Yoga is the science of ultimate balance-between dharma (duty,or "right living"), artha (economic well-being), kama (eroticdesire) and moksha (enlightenment or liberation)... Sexualsatisfaction is thus essential for a full and healthy experience oflife. The most visible manifestations of yoga are physical poses orasanas and these were the easiest to depict. Hence the profusionin India's pre-modern sculpture and art of people engaged ina variety of sexual acts, the positions inspired directly by yogaasanas.'A leading authority on India's art and erotic traditions brings us images oflovers in yogic or yoga-inspired poses-for mindful pleasure, extendedbliss, or passionate excess-and ranging from the stunningly gymnastic tothe delightfully over-the-top. With a brilliant introduction explaining theconnection between yoga and kama, this book of art is as exquisite as it isunusual.

DescriptionAshok Kumar (1911-2001), fondly known as Dadamoni, is one of the great icons ofHindi cinema. This warm, intimate biography traces his remarkable journey, fromreluctant actor to Bollywood's first superstar and, in his later years, a much-lovedpresence on national television.Born in Bhagalpur (then in the Bengal Presidency), Ashok Kumar was enthralled bythe 'bioscope' as a child. In his twenties, he quit his law studies and came to Bombayto become a film director. But life-rather, Himanshu Rai, the founder of BombayTalkies-had different plans for him. Despite the director's reservations, he was castin the lead role opposite Devika Rani in the 1936 film Jeevan Naiyya when the originalhero went missing. The same year, Ashok Kumar was paired with Devika Rani againin Achhut Kanya, which was a blockbuster. The transformation of the accidentalhero into a charismatic star-actor had begun. Over the next six decades, he provedhimself to be a master of the craft, playing cop and thief; genial grandfather and slymatchmaker; villain and hero; heartbroken lover and suave rake with equal ease innumerous films, including Kismet, Mahal, Parineeta, Kanoon, Gumrah, Chalti Ka NaamGaadi, Aashirwad, Mamta, Jewel Thief, Khoobsurat and Khatta Meetha. But as NabenduGhosh writes, Ashok Kumar's world was much larger-he was also a charmingconversationalist, mentor, homeopath, astrologer, painter, linguist, limericist and, above all, loyal friend and devoted husband and father. This book is also a mini-historyof the early decades of Bombay's Hindustani cinema, and its pages are rich withlittle anecdotes featuring legends like-besides Devika Rani-Saadat Hasan Manto, Sashadhar Mukherjee, Leela Chitnis, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Meena Kumari andB.R. Chopra. Sarojini Naidu and Jawaharlal Nehru make brief appearances too, asdoes Morarji Desai.For anyone interested in Hindi cinema of yesteryears-in its cosmopolitanism, camaraderie and charm-this thoroughly engaging book is a must read.

DescriptionSomewhere in the Kaveri River where the water rushes through a deep gorge,lives a very special fish called Matisha, one of the largest and most beautifulfreshwater fish on Planet Earth.Matisha delights in exploring her mysterious underwater world and meetsa vast array of magnificent animals with whom she shares the river andthe surrounding jungle. She is fascinated by the many strange fish of allshapes and sizes and the large powerful animals like tigers and elephantswhich occasionally visit the river. She dodges the attention of hungry birds,crocodiles and otters who would love to gulp her down as prey. She alsolearns about humans, who are sometimes far more dangerous than the animalsaround her.In this dream-like story, follow the wonderful adventures of Matisha as shemigrates upstream to lay her precious eggs. Illustrated beautifully by MayaRamaswamy with vibrant colours, the invisible world that lives below thewaters of the river and in the Western Ghats comes alive through the eyes of afascinatingly beautiful, yet critically endangered species.