My book "Songs of the Mist" journey across India...

One of the reasons, I am writing the three book series, "The Monk Key" of which "Songs of the Mist", is the first part, is to share the story of one young man's journey to 'find the divinity within'. As the series was conceived on the banks of holy river Ganges, in 1987 and firmed up across my travels to Rishikesh  Varanasi, Ganga Sagar. So it has been my deepest desire to offer it to that divine sources from which it draws its stories, energy and its blessings. 

The another purpose of writing this book has been to reach out to the young generation who, in my opinion are alienated from the deep source of our culture, heritage and thoughts - our ancient scriptures. When asked, if they have read our Vedas, Purana's and Upanishad's etc., they typically reply "What is the point of reading them" due the certain biases rooted in modernity. The book "Songs of the Mist" is one such attempt to share the knowledge and thoughts of Karma Yoga, based on Bhagwat Gita; in order to inspire them to connect proactively with our cultural heritage. At the book's launch at Chennai's famous book store, I shared my thoughts on the same.

My book "Songs of the Mist" was published in Dec, 2016 and within 9 days it reached two thousand ranking amongst millions of books at Amazon. In April 2016, it breached double digit ranking. Within a period of 6 months, I have been blessed with opportunities to fulfil my desire to dedicate the book to its sources of inspiration. From the Himalayas to plains of India, I have had few opportunities to dedicate the book to Holy Ganges, at Rishikesh, Varanasi, Kolkata; Goddess Durga of our ancient temple in the eastern UP village and Buddha Shrine at Kushinagar - a place where Buddha attained Nirvana. Through book readings and launches, I have also been blessed to reach out to the readers of young India.

It gives me a great pleasure to share some of the images and few video clips, chronicling my book's journey across India. Hope you will enjoy it.

Parmarth Niketan - Rishikesh

Sivananda Ashram - Rishikesh

Varanasi

Durga Ji, Buddha at Kushi Nagar and friends from Varanasi...

Book Reading at Leela Palace Hotel organised by
Apparao Galleries

Here is an introduction to my book by the Famous Author, Journalist and Writer, Timeri N Murari at the Leela Palace Hotels, organised by Apparao Galleries in an event called "An Evening of Art, Music and Writing".

"Many of us here yearn for something more in our life. Shashi has provided a spiritual release in beautiful book, Songs of the Mist. It’s unusual and thought provoking book. The book answers questions that we struggle to frame in our daily lives. Shashi’s descriptive beauty of the mystic nature of Himalayas interwoven with sufferings and the heartaches, and struggle of each protagonist, provide eloquent and thought provoking read. Not a book to browsed at glance and to reach books full potential demands commitment and investment of time to savor its subtlety and do grows." - Timeri N Murari

 

Odyssey Book Launch

At the Odyssey Book Launch, the popular Rapper - Blaaze (Baba Rap, Hosanna Rap, Slum Dog Millionaire, Delhi 6 etc.) and Keshav Ji - The Famous Cartoonist of the News Paper Group Hindu, who is foremost Krishna Bhakta echoed my thoughts about our ancient Indian Heritage and culture...

“When you just listen to it (Shlokas etc), …the sanskrit syllables are enough to get you positive energy, without knowing anything about it. … it can only bring peace in a world like this”. – Blaaze

“Our Purana’s (Ancient Vedic Scriptures etc.) give you how to deal with life, how to deal with situations and predicaments, as they have already analyzed and laid it out on platter so that you don’t have to think.” – Keshav ji

Chennai and Kolkata Book Fair

Hope you have enjoyed the journey with me amongst holy places of India as well as my thoughts shared within the video clips. If you would like to read my book "Songs of the Mist" it is available at the following places.

Amazon.in || Amazon.com || Amazon.UK || Flipkart || Google Play || Kindle ||

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Shashi 

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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Hindu Lit for Life 2016                                    

VILLAGE DIARY II : THE OTHER SIDE OF BHAGWAT PURAAN PAATH

IT'S ALL IN THE GENOME...
________________________
Here is what I have captured of the other side of the beautiful and lovely village life in my recent trip to our ancestral home - a village called Godriya, in the vicinity of the place where Lord Buddha attained Nirvana. It was fun to see that our kids also enjoy the place like we all brothers have done over the years... as Puneet always says, its all in the genome....

So walk with me and I hope you will enjoy the journey.

On the way to Gorakhpur from Lucknow...

From Gorakhpur to our village in Kushinagar has a stopover too...
no we did not ran like Animan loves doing, but it was about a
changeover...

The way leading to our ancestral home

As we reached, we were greeted by one of the most beautiful sunset...

And then the time to join in the Bhagwat Paath and party

... and the morning sunrise was even more soothing... from the rooftop

And all set to explore the places around our village, specially the Bansi river

The sugarcane is all cut from the fields, and now being processes to make
Gur

Reaching the no man's land between UP and Bihar border, early in the
morning is an exhilarating experience. Animan is  doing the SRK thing..

A window to nature....

While we were not the only one out experiencing it all...

Then there were things to do... miles to go

Kids to take care of...

Another day, another part of the nature....

A closure to our week of fun and spirituality, with a visit to Buddha
Shrine in Kushinagar, where he attained nirvana

The time for one more last selfie...

Finally leaving you with some of the interesting images from the journey....

And then the Purnaahuti... Homam to close the week long Bhagwat Puraan

lose the week long Bhagwat Puraan

It was a real pleasure to the part of my mother's life long desire to hold this Bhagwat Puraan paath... Wish we all could do this again. 

I hope you have enjoyed the journey with me... if you would like to know more about the Bhagwat Paath, please do check out my previous post....

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Shashi 

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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VILLAGE DIARY - BHAGWAT PAATH

STILL LIFE: From Budha's Enlightenment to His Nirvana - A journey

WALK WITH ME...

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After 7 years of making of the Shiva's Temple, based on the South Indian Temple Architecture - by the sthapati's (The builders of Temples based on Vedic Rituals and style) of Famous Madurai Minakshi Temple  at one of my friend Karuna's village, it was a pleasure to be there once again.... And this time it was to be socially responsible, as Karuna says... and we arranged Sangat Pangat event on the lines of the Famous Acharya Kishore Kunal, where we planned to have food with villagers without thinking about Caste and creed... and I loved it.

The Temple ready to be inaugurated by the (Then) Hon Minister
Sh. Shatrughan Sinha... 2007

Well I keep visiting that temple as being one of the person involved in its making, I feel great as I see the temple has kept up with the faith of the locals here who feel it to be a quite powerful in terms of granting boons. The native villagers, including the politicians who did win an election, after praying here say, that it gives what you ask for... 

As Usual, I take this image Buddha as it inspires me.. and the Guard there
asks me not too..  At Bodh Gaya.

So here I am, tracing my footsteps back in time and took 8 days out of my professional life to be here to visit the temple, Participate in Sangat Pangat Concept of Kishore Kunal to feed 5K people, at one place without the question of caste and creed, then move on to Bodh Gaya to meditate, where Buddha got enlightenment and then visit the place to think about life and death at Kushinagar, where Buddha attained Pari Nirvana ( Buddha died at this place, by such a simple way that suits such a great soul).... 

As we started... me along with Pratham and Karuna (Extreme Right) ... 

I also needed to do a ritual for my Isht Devi Durga at our ancestral place in my village where Durga Ji and Kali Ma have been around for centuries guiding all of us... So here is the story in images for my friends and family... Hope you will enjoy this journey and if you do see the images that touches your heart and encourage you to PRAY, then my job is done... I am sure that the moment any one of the images touches your soul here.. then you are blessed and lucky to have the blessings...

The Sangat Pangat.. (Community Lunch of all caste and creed) that
went beyond 5000 ppl that we planned to 10K. The temple is in the
back ground..

Karuna along with Achraya Kishore Kunal and other dignitaries..
Having food along with 10K people without the question of
caste and creed...

After all the hard work, it was a real pleasure to meet my old friend,
singing folk songs (Kirtan) ...

... and an amazing day ended.. on a high note of being together with
Karuna, Anjani and Pratham. and moved on to Anjani's village for
overnight stay ...

After finishing the work at the temple, the next day visited Bodh Gaya..

The Bodhi Tree.. where Buddha got Enlightenment...

The devotees from across the world.. 

Of course there's no other way to beat the perennial menace
of Mosquito's...  

Under the Bodhi Tree.. 

Picked up Aswani Bhai from Bodh Gaya, who landed there from
Thailand. I was surprised to know that there are 4 daily flights
from South East Asia at Bodh Gaya..

And the next day, finally moved on to my next leg of the trip...
This is how Emperor Ashoka spread Buddhism in India...
Stupa at Kesaria on my way to Village...

And my Durga Ji.. No one knows how old this Durga Ji is...
The structure is new covering her...

And my long standing wish to do this ritual prayers.. 

And Kali ma at our fields.. where the Ashram is going to come up..

And the Ashram Gang... at Kali Temple...

Kushinagar.. Maha Parinirvana Temple... 

The beauty of Lord Buddha is the serenity .....

And the fare well to my village finally... 

On the way, you see the most majestic sights of Himalaya..
Mt. Everest.. Mt. Kailash.. A perfect ending to a perfect trip....

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Shashi

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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