Namaha, stories from the land of gods and goddesses, is a collection of short stories inspired by ancient wisdom literature of India. Abhishek Singh's work is acclaimed around the world for its unique style and storytelling with compelling illustrations and enthralling text, Singh takes you into the fantastical worlds of ancient Indian mythology, deciphering its many symbolic humanistic and ecological layers.
NAMAHA means "not mine." A mantra expressing dedication or submission to The Divine or a lesser deity. Loosely translated, "I bow to you."
The book I'm holding reminds me of every skinny, oversized glossy children's picture book my granddaughter ever pulled from her makeshift library corner at papa & grammy's weekend sleepover getaway and candy shack.
Except for the cover. An indigo blue cover. With a living crown, a sinuous 3 headed deity with light lapis-blue body, gold necklaces and bracelets,surrounded by floating apparitions of acolytes and minor animal headed deities with musical instruments - on that cover. A lavish cover, filled with movement and the promise of life.
Graphic artist/author Abhishek Singh presents his personal collage of Indian culture through watercolor art and text to illustrate creation myths, supplications, prayers, legends and tales and the wisdom of the ancients.
A limited edition / foreign publication ; it carries a hefty price. Worth it. Hopefully it won't be buried in the now forgotten library corner along with the likes of MESSY,MESSY ME or TEENY TINY MOUSE. Just maybe someday I can share this with an ever maturing, ever wiser granddaughter unfamiliar with the ancients of the far East and their amazing, colorful world.
This visually stunning book is a collector's treasure! There is not much to read but rather to a lot to feast your eyes on. Highly recommend this artwork masterpiece.
The artwork is very powerful and captivating- it is the true hero. Hard copy recommended.
Very relevant, beautiful and thought provoking short stories. Since I've read a lot of mythology, it broadened my perspective and provided excellent visual stimulus.
This is something that will stay with me and I will pass it on to future generations.
There is really no beginning or end to this book; it only deepens the questions, throws light on the path and, is most of all, is an offering and great labour of love for the world. Deeply moving, if one is able to grasp it. The ancient stories are made more accessible and the art... i have no words for the art :)
It looks like a small book to complete because it's less of text and more of immersive artwork, but there is so much symbolism in the art and meaning encapsulated in the laconic language, that it took its own sweet time. I don't mind admitting that I went to obscure pages of Yogipedia and those parts of the internet that hide articles on Vedic literature and Vedic calendars, upon reading just a single page of the book. Each chapter was its own thesis, and what stuck with me, in particular, were two chapters, the one on the eternal pillar of light, where the eternal sound from afar commands the Gods to manifest both movement and stillness; the paradox is the seat of all creation - a wonderful analogy to demonstrate that truth. The second chapter that rings true in this age of excess of self-help and self-improvement gurus was about Yuj (Yog) - how Yoga has its own way of manifesting itself in people's lives through their karma, there can be Bhakti Yogis, and then, there can be Karm Yogis, and both are embracing Yoga in their lives. Most of all, this book is a gateway book to ancient Indian Treatises, because it combines elements of mythology, ecology, consciousness, creation (The Big Bang), and provides beautiful metaphorical insights into heavier concepts like consciousness, creation, cosmos. These insights are bound to bring the best of believers and atheists to take notice and listen.
Masterpiece! Author Abhishekh will take you to journey with his paintings. Its Hardcover binding book with glossy pages. Everything about this book is just perfect. For some paintings in book including cover art, when I saw them for first time I felt speechless. Abhishek is also worked as an author for well recognised graphic novel "Krishna: A Journey Within".
I first came across Abhishek's work in JLF and always wanted to own a piece of his art. So thank you for publishing this! The combination of Abhishek's detailed and exquisite art work along with short stories is truly like a form of meditation when you're reading it. This hardcover book should be a part of every mythological art lover's stable of books. Looking forward to the next book!
This is such a beautiful work of art! All the pictures are mesmerizing and the choice of stories rendered complement the beauty. The drawings and character designs are wonderful. Abhishek Singh has managed to capture the mystical and mysterious nature of Indian gods and mythology. The artistic style this time is more loose and sketchy compared to his other work. Loved it.
A book with ethereal illustrations and beautiful writing by the Author himself is magical. It is the collection of short stories from ancient Hindu writings along with authors personal thoughts. Honestly amazing, will read Authors other works too.
Great illustrations. Efforts and the skill required to draw this - Abhishek should have been as popular as some movie stars or authors. 1 star less for the content as this is still a book and not every chapter is great.
Unique. Stunning. Am pretty wordless about this book. While the illustrations are superlative, the poetry is a journey of the soul. I especially loved the story of the water drop who journeys from Uma Maheshwari's palm into the landscape of compassion.
The 4 stars are for the sheer visual appeal of the book, which is filled with brilliant artwork.
However, I felt that it was let down by the writing portion. While it's not bad per se, the text would have benefitted immensely by a professional round of copy-editing.
I am mesmerised by the author’s illustrations. I am awestruck with the poetic description of ancient scriptures. I will highly recommend this book to anyone who is a seeker, to anyone who loves to explore more and to all the devotees of Lord Shiva.
This book is beautiful. All the illustrations and the stories are very well done. Stories are not long but the way it is written and presented is really beautiful.. illustrations reflects authors creativity so well
The artwork in this is gorgeous. The text does not present as a typical graphic novel, and that threw me. It was nice enough, though, but was more like snippets of mythology than the more expected form of storytelling.
The illustrations in this book were exquisite! Strong and powerful. I spent more time gazing at them than I did reading the text 😄
Some of the stories were familiar to me and some were new. Admittedly there were some that went over my head but still, this was a very intriguing book which I enjoyed.