Passage Through India

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

Read a book set in each region (there are six main regions) or for a greater challenge, each state (there are 28 states) of India. Here are links with lists of the Indian regions and states:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

Here are some books set in each region to get you started (scroll to bottom of page):
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


Here is a list of the regions and the largest city in each:

Central India (Lucknow)
East India (Calcutta)
North India (Delhi)
Northeast India (Gawahati)
South India (Bangalore)
West India (Mumbai)

The states with the capital and/or largest city:

Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad)
Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar)
Assam (Dispur, Guwahati)
Bihar (Patna)
Chhattisgarh (Raipur)
Goa (Panjim)
Gujarat (Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad)
Haryana (Chandigar, Faridabad)
Himachal Pradesh (Shimla)
Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar, Jammu)
Jharkhand (Ranchi, Jamshedpur)
Karnataka (Bangalore)
Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram)
Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal, Indore)
Maharashtra (Mumbai, Bombay)
Manipur (Imphal)
Meghalaya (Shillong)
Mizoram (Aizawl)
Nagaland (Kohima, Dimapur)
Odisha (AKA Orissa) (Bhubaneswar)
Punjab (Chandigarh, Ludhiana)
Rajasthan (Jaipur)
Sikkim (Gangtok)
Tamil Nadu (Chennai)
Tripura (Agartala)
Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, Agra)
Uttarakhand (Dehradun)
West Bengal (Kolkata, Calcutta)

There are also several union territories you may want to include:

Andaman Idlands / Nicobar Islands (Port Blair)
Chandigarh (parts of this are also in Haryana and Punjab)
Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Silvassa)
Daman and Diu (Daman)
Lakshadweep (Kavaratti)
National Capital Territory (Delhi)
Puducherry (Pondicherry)

[dely]

I will be in but will start in january.
My intention is to read a book for all the 28 regions!

[dely]

1) Madhya Pradesh: Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster by Dominique Lapierre

[Hock]

Awesome!

[dely]

dely, far and wide through India


visited 17 states (48.5%)
Create your own visited map of India or Amsterdam travel guide for Android

States:
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar: India: A Wounded Civilization
Chhattisgarh
Delhi:
The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy
Delhi by Khushwant Singh
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Goa: Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh
Gujarat:
The Algebra Of Infinite Justice
Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, 2
Haryana: Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
Himachal Pradesh: Nine Lives
Jammu e Kashmir: Kashmir Saivism - The Central Philosophy of Tantrism
Jharkhand
Karnataka:
India. Cinque racconti, sei reportage, tre fumetti
Waiting for the Mahatma by R.K. Narayan
Kerala: Idris : Keeper of the Light
Madhya Pradesh:
Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster
Un'isola di mistero : seguito delle avventure di viaggio di Dalle caverne e dalle giungle dell'Indostan
Maharashtra: Sacred Games
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
Saturday Date by Ken Doyle
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Orissa: eFiction India Vol. 1 Issue 07
Punjab: Train to Pakistan
Rajasthan: India Was One
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu:
Shilappadikaram
The Toss of a Lemon
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh:
Sea of Poppies
Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead: v. 1
Uttarakhand
West Bengal:
Freedom at Midnight
The City of Joy
The Sleeping Dictionary
Sister of My Heart
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
The Lives of Others

India without a real setting:
Kamasutra
71 Golden Tales of Panchatantra
A Fine Balance
L'Induismo
Timeless wisdom from ancient India
The Dance of Siva: Essays on Indian Art and Culture

[dely]

2) Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra

Maharashtra



3)Reading Freedom at Midnight I have crossed India far and wide, I was really everywhere but I choose to add West Bengal.

I edit the post above!

[dely]

4) by An Indian.

Rajasthan

[dely]

5) Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh

(Chandigarh) Punjab

[dely]

Somebody knows the difference between Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh? Because in the list of wikipedia there is only Chandigarh but in the list of the Indian regions where I do my map there are both, Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh.

[dely]

6) India: A Wounded Civilization by V.S. Naipaul

It is non fiction so there are a lot of Indian regions in the book.
I choose to add Bihar.

[Lit Bug]

Chandigarh is the north-west state (Union Territory) of India while Chhattisgarh is an eastern state - Train To Pakistan is set in Punjab-Chandigarh (Punjab is an adjacent state)

[dely]

Lit Bug wrote: "Chandigarh is the north-west state (Union Territory) of India while Chhattisgarh is an eastern state - Train To Pakistan is set in Punjab-Chandigarh (Punjab is an adjacent state)"

So they are both Indian states. Strange, on wikipedia there is only Chhattisgarh in the list.
As soon as I will have some time I will change the list of my challenge.

Thanks a lot ;)

[Lit Bug]

Chandigarh is not a state. It is Union Territory. Search for Chandigarh on Wikipedia and it will explain its status. I only mentioned it to highlight that they were different regions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandigarh. This will remove all your doubts, and will also be helpful to you in choosing further books.

[dely]

Lit Bug wrote: "Chandigarh is not a state. It is Union Territory. Search for Chandigarh on Wikipedia and it will explain its status. I only mentioned it to highlight that they were different regions. http://en.wik..."

I have changed again the list, I'll keep the one of wikipedia; and what the map list belongs (http://douweosinga.com/projects/visit...) I have added both Punjab and Chandigarh for Train to Pakistan.

Thanks again!

[Lit Bug]

Glad to help! Can you tell me how to incorporate these maps in our posts?

[dely]

Lit Bug wrote: "Glad to help! Can you tell me how to incorporate these maps in our posts?"

You must go on the site I have added in my previous message (http://douweosinga.com/projects/visit...), then you click on the states that interest you and then you must copy/paste the html code on the bottom of the page (there is written "Put this map on your website/blog by pasting the following html code:").

It is very easy. The only problem is that every time you must check the states because the site doesn't remember them.

[Lit Bug]

Thanks! I think I'll skip doing that. Mentioning the states in text seems okay for me. :)

[dely]

7) Kamasutra by Mallanaga Vātsyāyana

It hasn't a real setting, what should I do?

[dely]

An wrote: "The best way to know more about Indian states is to see an interactive map of India here"

Nice! Thanks ;)

[dely]

8) Kashmir Saivism - The Central Philosophy of Tantrism by Kamalakar Mishra

Kashmir

[dely]

9) eFiction India Vol. 1 Issue 07


It is a collection of short stories and poems all set in India.
I choose Orissa (Odisha).

[dely]

10) 71 Golden Tales of Panchatantra by Vishnu Sharma

It is surely the most famous collection of Indian fables.
It hasn't a real setting (there is the name of a town but I couldn't find it on the internet).
I dont' know which state to add for my challenge, like with the Kamasutra.

[dely]

11) India. Cinque racconti, sei reportage, tre fumetti by Gioia Guerzoni

It is set in a lot of places, I choose Karnataka.

[dely]

An wrote: "@dely - You seem to read a lot of books on India. Great!"

Yes, it has a very interesting history and an engaging culture. India is very interesting, so contradictory: deep spirituality but also corruption, an economy that advances but also slums and so on. It is really engaging.
Yesterday I have bought two other books: The City of Joy and a collection of articles written by Arundhati Roy about India.

[dely]

An wrote: "Yup. One makes the mistake of trying to understand India, when one should immerse in it. It's just they way you'd feel if someone tried to understand Italy, rather than to live it."

Another problem, in my opinion, is the Western opinion. People think that in India everybody makes yoga, everybody has a spiritual life, everybody follows the teachings of Ghandiji, above all ahimsa, and everybody is "love&peace". They don't see the negative aspects and to know and understand a country we should see everything, good and bad aspects. From this side India is very complex and so, in my opinion, very engaging. India is full of everything, she is so rich and deep also in her contradictory aspects.

[dely]

12) The Algebra Of Infinite Justice by Arundhati Roy

Gujarat

Argh! The site of the map doesn't work anymore! Someone has another site where I can upload my map?

[dely]

13) The City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre

West Bengal

[dely]

14 A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

It is set in India but the reader never knows the name of the villages or cities.

[dely]

Emily wrote: "wow! what a great list!"

Thanks ;)

[dely]

2014

1) Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

Maharashtra

[Daisy]

A small collection of books on my shelf by authors from India calls me and I think this challenge will be fun.

I will begin by combining regions, states and cities, as I become more familiar with Indian geography, and my reading more extensive, I will separate these categories.

[dely]

2) Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik

It hasn't a real setting.

edit: it has a setting, Haryana

[dely]

An wrote: "How do you mean?"

About the setting? Well, it is set in India but I don't know if these places now have changed name. There is Kurukshetra, a lot of kingdoms ecc. Do you know where they exactly are? This could help me to add a real setting. I don't know very well Indian geography so I don't know where all the places of the Mahabharata could be, if they really exist or if they have changed their name.

[dely]

An wrote: "I've not read the book. However, from what little I know, yes, the names have changed. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about it. However, I'll ask my daughter."

Thank you. This could help me for my challenge.
Now I'm curious so I will do some research on the internet. I was roughly sure these places didn't exist since the story is mythology.

[Daisy]

dely wrote: "An wrote: "I've not read the book. However, from what little I know . . . "

I've been following your discussion with interest and have added this book to my list. For a short time now I've wanted to read the Mahabharata because I've been seeing performances which are based on excerpts of this work.

[dely]

Daisy wrote: "dely wrote: "An wrote: "I've not read the book. However, from what little I know . . . "

I've been following your discussion with interest and have added this book to my list. For a short time now..."

It could be useful to read first this book and than the whole Mahabharata. This could be considered a very good introduction and explanation to the Mahabharata so you can get familiar with all the names and the genealogical tree. There are the most important stories of the Mahabharata but not everything is explained deeply. Consider that in the past I have read three volumes only about the Bhagavad Gita (a small but fundamental part of the Mahabharata) because it has such a deep meaning that isn't easy to grab.

[Daisy]

Dely wrote: "It could be useful to read first this book and than the whole Mahabharata."

This is really good advice. I had not realized that the Bhagavad Gita was part of the Mahabharata. I've switched my reading list to reflect Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata which looks great. Thank you!

[Daisy]

An wrote: "A new TV serial on Mahabharata."

They have this some of these episodes online with English subtitles! I heard that when a televised version of the Marayana (I'd also like to read) was broadcast it was enormously popular.

What you write also jogs my memory, for some reason, of Emperor Ashoka and his edicts. When I first heard about him I thought what he did was beautiful.

In fact, I think I'll read a biography about him and/or that historical period in India . . .

[Daisy]

Sorry, yes Ramayana. :)

[dely]

Daisy wrote: "Dely wrote: "It could be useful to read first this book and than the whole Mahabharata."

This is really good advice. I had not realized that the Bhagavad Gita was part of the Mahabharata. I've swi..."


Bhagavad Gita is also famous with the name The Song of God. It is the most important part of the Mahabharata because there is all the teaching from Krishna to Arjuna. In this way he is also talking with us because in life we have often the same fears as Arjuna. Everything is symbolic so don't think I'm saying that like Arjuna we must kill relatives.


@An, are there some episodes with English subtitles or in English?

I have watched the movie by Peter Brook (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maha...) and it was really great. He was able to put all the most important things in one movie (though it lasts six hours).

[dely]

An wrote: "I am not too sure but I think so. Sorry, can'thrlp you much."

It doesn't matter. Will look for it as soon as I will have some time ;)

[dely]

An wrote: "Daisy did mention earlier that there are some episodes online with English subtitles. Maybe she can post some links here."

Thanks, I missed it :D
Daisy, can you post the link to the episodes you were talking about?

[dely]

Kurushetra really exists, it is in Haryana: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurukshe...

I have updated my challenge adding Haryana.

[Daisy]

Dely wrote: "Everything is symbolic."

This version (Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata) has good reviews and as you suggest will be better for a first read. The Peter Brook movie will be interesting to see after reading the book.

There are a bunch of books waiting for to be read for my Passage Through India to which I am also looking forward. I've started Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahari by and I recently got a copy of Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan and I also have another of his works also.

Dely, you are well on your way! And, making great progress. I notice you have assigned the state of Haryana to Jaya.

[Daisy]

Dely wrote: "Daisy, can you post the link to the episodes you were talking about?"

Sadly no, the episodes I found claim to have English subtitles but, unfortunately, this didn't turn out to be the case. Disappointment.

Another author whose works I would like to read is M. Mukundan. He looks to be a noted and reputed author locally, nationally and elsewhere.

[Daisy]

An wrote: "made into a very famous movie in India."

The Guide looks like a wonderful book. I've added this work to my list. I did not know this about Laxman.

[dely]

3) The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy

Delhi
It isn't a real state but, like wikipedia says, a National Capital Territory of India.
In which state is it or is it a state by his own?

[dely]

Thanks! But did I the right thing to add it to my challenge?

[dely]

An wrote: "What is your challenge?"

To visit India through books. Usually I add the states but seen that Delhi is a territory outside the other states I however added it.

[dely]

An wrote: "Yes, you are absolutely right."

Fine, thanks :D