Bücher veröffentlicht von Aleph Book Company

Carpets adorn living spaces across the length and breadth of the country and are appreciated for many qualities-their design, their colours, their 'feel'-but rarely their history. Yet, each carpet has a story hidden within its intricate details, and the value of a carpet is not only determined by what it costs, or by its technical and aesthetic qualities, but also by the story it carries. Of Indian Carpets and Carpetwallahs: An Appreciation tells the stories of Indian carpets by delving into the histories of an assortment of unique carpets-that of delicate Kashmiri carpets, a Herati-inspired carpet made in Amritsar, and even one made in Rampur jail-collected by Norwegian diplomat Jon Westborg over his lifetime. Of Indian Carpets and Carpetwallahs: An Appreciation melds history, memory, and aesthetics beautifully to create a complete and detailed picture of the Indian carpet-making tradition.

Empower Yourself Right Now curates timeless pearls of wisdom from the world's greatest supergurus whose words have motivated billions around the globe and shown them the path to success and fulfilment. Delving deep into the roots of the most commonly faced roadblocks to personal growth such as self-doubt, negative patterns of thinking, procrastination, wavering focus, and a fear of the unknown, each excerpt in the book offers a fresh and powerful perspective that will transform your life.

Shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2012. Musharraf Ali Farooqi's new novel, set in an unnamed Pakistani city shortly after Partition, unravels the lives of Ustad Ramzi, one of the greatest wrestlers of the land, who is now old and warmed only by the memories of his past and the equally renowned Gohar Jan, a courtesan whose kotha once welcomed lords of the land butis now in danger of being shut down. Through the course of this book we witness Ustad Ramzi's almost fanatical devotion to his craft and his akhara and the attempts of his younger brother Tamami also a wrestler to rise from the towering shadow of Ustad Ramzi. We witness, also,the unusual, unspoken bond that grows between the celibate wrestler and the elegant courtesan, both past their prime. Spare, haunting and exquisitely written, between Clay and Dust is a remarkably original offering from a novelist working at the height of his powers. Key Features By the bestselling author of The Story of a Widow (shortlisted for the DSC Prize, 2010). Musharraf Ali Farooqi is widely regarded as one of Pakistan's biggest writers, together with Mohsin Hamid, Mohammed Hanif and Daniyal Mueenuddin This is perhaps the first major novel in English set in the world of pehelwans and tawaifs, both immensely popular characters in South Asian culture

Bengal is home to both Hindus and Muslims, and her people farm the fertile Gangetic delta for rice and vegetables as well as fishing the region?s myriad rivers. As recipes for fish in yoghurt sauce, chicken with poppy seeds, aubergine with tamarind, duck with coconut milk and the many other delights in Bengali Cooking testify, Bengal has given the world some of its most delicious dishes. This highly original book takes the reader into kitchens in both West Bengal and Bangladesh by way of the seasons and religious and other festivals that shape the region?s cooking. Bengali Cooking is much more than a cookbook: it is also a vivid and deeply-felt introduction to Bengal?s diverse cultures and landscapes.

The first translation into English of a beloved medieval Indo-Persian epic, The Adventures of Amir Hamza is the gripping account of the exploits of Amir Hamza, the greatest warrior of his time, defender of the True Faith, lover of blindingly beautiful women and scourge of infidels, demons, trolls, devs and assorted evil-doers. In Musharraf Ali Farooqis extraordinary translation, which took nearly a decade to finish, Hamzas magical world comes thrillingly alive.

Six and a third Acres was the first modern Odia novel, and has remained at the heart of Odin literary excellence ever since. It was published as Chha Mana atha guntha in the literary monthly Utkal Sahitya between 1897-99. Over a century after it was first published, this sombre tale continues to attract readers because of fakir Mohan senapati's innovative technique, indelible characters, wit, imagination, and tremendous insights into the rural milieu. The novel is about village politics, caste oppression, malpractices, and land-grabbing under the zamindari system in colonial Odisha. Ramchandra mangaraj, a sly zamindar of the village of govindpur, is notorious for taking over the lands of poor peasants and farmers. This time, his avaricious gaze falls on a small patch of land-six and a third acres-belonging to a humble, god-fearing weaver couple. Unable to fight the zamindari devious schemes, the couple succumbs to the harsher realities of caste-ridden village life.

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We lose it. We gain it. We hate it. We hide it. We shame it. We suck it in and we even suck it out. Fat is an international obsession, a dirty word and our least understood body part. A ground-breaking combination of historical, cultural and cutting-edge scientific research, The Secret Life of Fat reveals everything we need to understand fat, how it influences our appetite and willpower, how it defends itself when attacked and why it grows back so quickly. Find out how our genetics and hormones determine how much fat we have and where exactly it will show. Fascinating and surprising in equal measure, this book will give you a powerful new understanding of fat.

Indian food is one of the world's most popular cuisines. Even as it has transformed the contemporary urban foodscape in this age of globalization, social scientists have paid scant attention to the phenomenon. The essays in this book explore the relationship between globalization and South Asia through food. Udipi restaurants, Indian food in colonial times, dum pukht cuisine, staples of the prepared food industry like Bangalore's MTR Foods, Britain's curry culture, Indian fast food in California-these and other distinctive aspects of South Asia's food and culture are examined to gain new insights into subcontinental food and the ways in which it has influenced the world around us

In this book, read three stories from Shiva's adventure-filled life. Find out the tale behind the origin of the river Ganga and what role Shiva had to play in it; how the Shiva lingam avatar of Shiva came about and how Shiva destroyed three demons with one arrow. Beautifully retold by Subhadra Sen Gupta and accompanied by Tapas Guha's magnificent illustrations, this book will be loved by every child.

The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have severely limited the portrayal of the divine as feminine. But in Hinduism 'God' very often means 'Goddess'. This extraordinary collection explores twelve different Hindu goddesses, all of whom are in some way related to Devi, the Great Goddess. They range from the liquid goddess-energy of the River Ganges to the possessing, entrancing heat of Bhagavati and Seranvali. They are local, like Vindhyavasini and global, like Kali; ancient, like Saranyu and modern, like 'Mother India'. The collection combines analysis of texts with intensive fieldwork, allowing the reader to see how goddesses are worshiped in everyday life. In these compelling essays, the divine feminine in Hinduism is revealed as never before-fascinating, contradictory, powerful.