On The Shelf

Walking a Tightrope: New Writing From Asian BritainEdited by Rehana AhmedPicador, Rs 295Immigrants play a dual role in literary innovation. ...

Walking a Tightrope: New Writing From Asian Britain
Edited by Rehana Ahmed
Picador, Rs 295
Immigrants play a dual role in literary innovation. In the new countries they inhabit, they expand the scope of local writing to include their concerns and linguistic inflections. They give their adopted countries new ways of seeing themselves. For the homes left behind, their fresh narratives serve as reiterations of what it means to be Indian, or Chinese, or West Indian, etc.

What a pity then that Rehana Ahmed8217;s collection is so mediocre. Don8217;t blame all the writers. Romesh Gunesekara, for instance, is a master in evoking both displacement and the little bonds that keep different peoples connected. Farukh Dhondy is skilled at recreating the diversity in conversation and interaction that spans both divisions and creative engagements in Britain. But in conjunction with lesser known names like Preethi Nair and Bali Rai, their offerings collected here are insipid and dull. Skip this book.

Walking With The Gurus: Historical Gurdwaras of Punjab
Goodearth,
Rs 250
This excellent gurdwara walkabout guide begins with condensed Sikh history, a selection from the Gurbani and has an entire chapter on the crown of Sikhism, the Golden Temple. It then lists the Five Holy Takhts Seats: the Akal Takhat in Amritsar, Kesargarh Sahib in Anandpur, Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib in Nanded. Sikh pilgrimages around Amritsar and Chandigarh are also detailed, especially the most poignant cradle of Sikhism, Sultanpur Sahib near Kapurthala, where Guru Nanak Dev had the Mulmantra Ik Onkar Satnam revealed to him. A travellers8217; guide section at the end is full of practical information, rail and road connections, do8217;s and donts. Love the sweet little box on karah prasad!

8212; Renuka Narayanan

Birds 038; Mammals of Ladakh
Otto Pfister
OUP, Rs 795
At a time when a number of films shot in Ladakh have transported some of the landscape8217;s bleak magic to audiences, Swiss photographer and ornithologist Otto Pfister8217;s book is timely. But it8217;s for those willing to look beyond blue lakes, monasteries, lined faces. It8217;s about the little known bird and mammal population of Ladakh, a region which reports 310 bird species8212;about 276 of them, complete with illustration find place in this volume. Citings of 34 species which haven8217;t been spotted since 1960 are also included. The book is the result of over ten long visits to Ladakh8212;Pfister earlier did extensive work on the black-necked crane.

Sighting mammals is difficult in the open windy plains of Ladakh where there8217;s little cover. Photographing them is even tougher. Pfister lists 34 mammals found in the region. A must for those heading to Ladakh and want to be on first name terms with its birds and animals.

8212; Devyani Onial