Catching the Fading Ray by Avanti Sopory published by Utpal Publications Main Market Shakarpur Delhi 110092 illustrations by Anil Nakhasi
Catching the Fading Ray by Avanti Sopory published by Utpal Publications Main Market Shakarpur Delhi 110092 illustrations by Anil Nakhasi
The book has strong streaks of intrinsic nostalgia which haunts the author's mind to provide an embryonic cord to connect her with the native place of birth, entailed with the deeply-engraved memories of her childhood days. The front cover observation "Kashmir does not only possess geo space but is abundant in its enthralling geo-culture matrix, from which thoughts and valley concepts embedded in the consciousness of the people are finely described in the stories of the book" made by Shri Anupam Kher, veteran actor, approbates that the book is worth going through. It is a collection of 25 stories which were narrated within the family to their children at the formative age by parents to tend them for sleep or to make them swallow some morsels of boiled rice and vegetables or to coddle the sulking child who got uncomfortable due to one reason or the other.
The author has assiduously put in her time and efforts to gather these stories from quite experienced, intelligent grannies her acquaintance after having interactive sessions with them to assimilate and understand various aspects of the folktales and fables The stories carry moral and ethical messages with a strong, social and cultural mooring of the age-old traditions and customs of the valley which were considered a part of the healthy growth of social values in society.
These cultural values had a significant impact on society for generations, which bloomed into a pluralist society enriched in human love, brotherhood, co-existence and tolerance as a hallmark of Rishi and Sufiana cults in the valley.
Collection of these stories is spread over 185 pages with a colourful hard paper cover binding in off white. Name of the book, inscribed in molly hughes and each alphabet, embellished with revered landmarks of the valley, are noted with focused peek. Each story has well-drawn connecting caricatures symbolising each character of the concerned stories, which explains the contents of the story to the reader.
The author has described these stones in a lucid and limpid style for quick and easy understanding of the reader Pages of the book are well laid in proper margin and classic symmetry and defined font of the text.
Chapters of these stories are off beat and absorbing. These provide a range of glimpses into the interesting and stirring portrait with insight about the folk tales of Kashmir which were rolled down generation after generation through the word of mouth. Story telling of sharing was the only media of entertainment available with the people of the mountain- girdled valley for ages who led a contented life. Especially, in harsh winters, when nights were long and electric supply was cut off, all family members were huddled around oil lamps in a single room with doors and windows shut, verbal expression of the stories by grannies with a ting of modulation of voice and gestures were moments of ecstasy for children, who listened with rapt attention and fancied these in their own imagination.
Credit goes to the author for compiling and consolidating these stories in book form, now readily accessible to readers having proclivity for art and culture. The book is easy to carry in a pocket or purse. The author is a budding whole-time writer who has contributed many creative spellbound stories woven especially around women's suffering and neglect and are published in various anthological publications of Readimonia India's first composite novel "Cross and Knotted" is her maiden co- authored book, which was shortlisted as the Limca Book of Records. Her other women-centric short story featured in "Defiant Dreams" which is listed with the Commission on Status of Women, UN and Oprah Book Club. Her third anthology "When They Spoke" which has stories on the personification of inanimate objects, is in the market. Besides that, she regularly writes in the opinion column for Jammu-based Daily Excelsior and other papers.
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Courtesy:- Muskan Bhat and koshur Samachar May,2018