Author: RA

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Verses from the Valley

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‘Verses from the Valley’ is our tribute to the revered poets from Kashmir and their celebrated poetry. Ishtihaar Calendar for 2022 is a small collection of select verses by mystics, sufi saints, social reformers and poets of this incredibly beautiful place, rightly called Firdaus or Paradise. 
A dialogue from the popular film ‘Dead Poets Society‘ reminds us “Medicine, law, engineering… are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life, but poetry, beauty, romance, love… these are what we stay alive for…”  Indeed, poetry and beauty is what we live for; poetry is what inspires generations to voice their aspirations. So here is something to cheer about in corona times.

Ishtihaar Calendar 2022

Lal Ded

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(… wherever we went) we found a spiky creeper. It grows along the walls that surround public buildings and private homes; it is curled around schools, mosques, abandoned temples, half-asleep hotels. Concertina wire is the most widespread form of vegetation in Kashmir today. It grows everywhere, even in the mind.- Ranjit Hoskote in his Introduction to his translation of 14th Century Kashmiri mystic and poet Lal Ded‘s poems “I, LAILA”. 

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(… wherever we went) we found a spiky creeper. It grows along the walls that surround public buildings and private homes; it is curled around schools, mosques, abandoned temples, half-asleep hotels. Concertina wire is the most widespread form of vegetation in Kashmir today.
It grows everywhere, even in the mind.
– Ranjit Hoskote in his Introduction to his translation of 14th Century Kashmiri mystic and poet Lal Ded’s poems "I, LAILA".

Yaar Mera Haj Kara De

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My recent book translated and published in Punjabi/Gurumukhi

Our visit to Lahore was a journey to connect with the past – the land of my parents’ memories, their ancestors, their city, teachers and friends, their home. Though it was our collective journey, yet this Lahore safarnama <Yaar Mera Haj Kara De> was written as a tribute to my father after he passed away. A few friends read the Hindustani version and wanted me to expand it to a book length. Some other friends found it ‘very interesting’ and wanted the travelogue to also be published in Punjabi and Urdu. While the original Hindi version awaits release (possibly Jan 2022), here is the Punjabi translation published by Unistar Books, Chandigarh @unistarbooks. The Urdu version is expected by Feb/Mar next year. The Punjabi language edition can be ordered online at  http://www.unistarbooks.com/home/5477-yaar-mera-haj-kara-de.html