The Demolition, the Verdict and the Temple
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
Speaking Tiger
In an earlier edition, the author looked at the key moments in the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation, from 1885 onward, through the events of 1949, Rajiv Gandhi’s ‘unlocking of the gates’ in 1986, LK Advani’s Rath Yatra in 1990 and the demolition of the masjid in 1992. In The Demolition, the Verdict and the Temple, Mukhopadhyay deliberates whether the opening of the Ram Mandir will really be the ‘Epilogue’—or a new chapter in the Ayodhya saga.
Sacred Cows & Chicken Manchurian
James Staples
HarperCollins
Pp 216, Rs 399
Understanding how a food can be implicated in riots, vigilante attacks and even murders demands that we look beyond immediate politics to wider contexts. Drawing on decades of ethnographic research in South India, James Staples charts how cattle owners, brokers, butchers, cooks, and occasional beef eaters navigate the contemporary political and cultural climate. The book offers a fine-grained exploration of the current situation.
An Inky Parade
Pradeep Sebastian
Hachette
Pp 344, Rs 799
Meet the biryani chef guarding a prized Ottoman manuscript, track the mysterious ‘Book Prince’ of Kolkata, and visit the cottage in Kodaikanal that lures book collectors with its siren song. Discover how an emperor’s defeat brought illuminated manuscripts into 16th-century India. An Inky Parade is a window into the charming world of antiquarian book trade in India and around the world, as well as an ode to the book as an object of art.
Boundary Lab
Nandan Kamath
Penguin Random House
Pp 448, Rs 799
In its quest for universal rules, organised sport must regularly balance multiple interests and answer difficult questions. This helps sport—and through sport, society—to tweak laws, markets, morals and technological advances. The outcomes of the resulting debates influence the way we live, view each other, and organise our world. Why should we care about sport and its governance? Within the covers of Boundary Lab lie the answers.
Trees of South India
Auroville Botanical Gardens
HarperCollins
Pp 448, Rs 799
Trees of South India is a result of over 50 years of dedicated work of restoring and researching the forests and native trees of the Coromandel Coast of South India, to the lower reaches of the Western Ghats, and on to the hillocks of the Eastern Ghats. This book is a powerful resource for amateur naturalists, plant explorers and conservationists interested in learning about indigenous flora and working towards their preservation.
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