Tag: William Dalrymple

2020 Lockdown Itinerary!

More than halfway through 2020. I ended up reading about a dozen books, Losing track of time. It hardly made me realise it’s been five months, I haven’t travelled anywhere at all. Not even Mumbai which is the closest Metro city from my hometown Nashik.

This also made me question am I liking it to be in one place, without moving at all.

Well, To be honest. It’s a first for me and while I couldn’t travel physically anywhere. Not even to a restaurant or cafe.

I have been having the best of food cuisines right from Thai, Chinese, and Italian pizzas to freshly baked desserts and cakes at home. This doesn’t mean I don’t miss going out.

I Sure do because, when we go out, We go for the experience of going somewhere, Trying something new, different or sometimes just for the ambience and service of being served, rather than helping ourselves. You also go for the occasional noise that’s part of the environment. People chit-chatting having conversations, to you finding the solution and clearing your doubts from not knowing what to order, to going with the suggestion by the waiter serving you to missing out a menu option, that the order table guest has just ordered.

As far as travelling goes as a tourist- The Books have been helping me by taking me to America by going on a history tour by having a well-researched guide (Bill Bryson) To telling me about Indian history by making me meet Historians such as William Dalrymple. Reading makes me feel sometimes “Lost in Japan” by either overhearing a mysterious case “Under The Midnight Sun” or giving it a realism-magical sense of the place by letting me know about “Kafka on The Shores” To making me Revisit Turkey But this time also making me experiencing the “Snow” by a local Orhan Pamuk and taking me to a lesser-known city in the country Kars.

Reading made me understand a doctor’s life by sharing the concept of “Being Mortal” to making me meet some interesting personalities, Michelle Obama & Robert Iger.

All these experiences while sipping coffee and hopping around the different corners of my home, enjoying the weather and trying to do my best while sitting at home.

But, Yes Travelling physically cannot be replaced by reading books. But, reading can comfort you in planning out your next travel journey.

2017 Reads!!

1984- By George Orwell’s .There is a reason why it’s called a classic and a book you must read.The period when the book was written nearly 50 years ago and even today 50 years later  you can relate to it. The book was on my shelf for nearly 1 and half year.

Into the water:Paula Hawkins the girl on the train Writer is the next mystery thriller writer which you must read once to get hooked.

Pancake in Paris: A book that was on my reading list for about 2 years ever since I heard about it.This book is about a journey you would like to savour and has a long after taste lingering.

Shoe Dog: A brand that you aspired in your childhood is a story of confidence and believing in yourself and chasing your dream by telling yourself Just Do it.

Kohinoor: A diamond that wasn’t forever for India and what’s all is it about! Tracing the historical roots.

The prisoner of geography: Book for the wandering mind to know why the relationship of love-Hate are their amongst the countries and why some of the harsh decisions cannot be taken.Even if they have to be taken.

Men without women by Murakami: Is a short read,telling you what  the world without the opposite sex and vice Versa could be.

These are some of the books I enjoyed,while there are a few others too. But,these were worth mentioning.

Diamond’s aren’t forever-The Kohinoor.


Kohinoor – The story of the most infamous Diamond, Written by William Dalrymple and Co-Authored by Anita Anand.

William dalrymple,has written well researched book previously too,Like the “last mughals “and the “last king of Afghanistan”which leaves no choice but,To trust the writer doing justice to the book “Kohinoor”.
Anita Anand,The co-author too has written “Sophia” The story of an indian princess, the daughter of Duleep singh king. Makes it a perfect combination of getting the best out of the story.   
The Book,is written in two parts.The first part written by William Dalrymple and the second part by Anita Anand The first part gives you the complete history of the diamond.

Where as the second part is all about the diamond reaching the United Kingdom.  

A complete story of how significant,The diamond was and the myths and facts about it, and is it really the Gem that was mentioned in Bhagavad purana’s tale of Krishna?

Journeying through the small village of India to landing in England,and being part of it ever since.

The diamond is known as mountain of light. “Mountain of light” Is the persian word for the kohinoor.

The 190 carats diamond ,in the end until it reached england was just 93 carats, such is the history of the diamond,19th Biggest diamond in the world.

As you keep discovering about the kohinoor,You realise.it has a sibling.The Dariya-i-noor, known as the “sea of light” and is preserved in tehran.

The other unknown facts, We in 2000 signed to get the kohinoor back an initiative taken by kuldip nayar,16 years later NGO filed a petitions,To bring it back. 

The book,Is all about the diamond…And you are left with the thought. Why? All the mess for this one Diamond.