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Akhanda Bhandari is a well-known name in Nepali media fraternity. Born in Bhojpur district of eastern Nepal, he gained recognition through his influential column ‘Voice of the Voiceless’ in Kantipur daily. Later, he joined Annapurna Post and was appointed as its Editor-In-Chief a few years later. He’s also known for his innovative storytelling particularly with graphic narratives. 

Bhandari made his debut in the world of literature with the novel ‘Malaya Express’ in 2013. The novel delved into the emotional and financial struggles associated with Nepal’s remittance economy. Now, after a decade, he has published his second novel, ‘Bora’, which explores the lives of elderly mothers in Nepal.

Bora, which translates to sack in Nepali, carries both metaphorical and literal meaning in the novel. It symbolizes the burdens shouldered by Yamuna, who labors tirelessly, carrying sacks of sand to finance her son Asal Sharma’s education. It also depicts a troubling scene where Asal and his wife, Nirjala Adhikari, discard Yamuna by packing her up in a sack.

The narrative weaves together the lives of its contrasting characters. Asal is raised by his single mother, Yamuna, after she is abandoned by her husband, Rudra Prasad Dahal. Although Asal grew up witnessing his mother’s hardships and holding her in high regard, he is influenced by his wife, Nirjala, and ultimately abandons her. Nirjala, raised in an affluent family in Kathmandu and a doctor by profession, ironically believes in superstitions. She labels her mother-in-law, Yamuna, as a ‘witch’ and conspires to abandon her. 

Bora is set in various locations—Dhankuta, Jhapa, Itahari, Biratnagar, and Kathmandu. It raises questions about familial bonds and societal values. It examines how Asal, despite being raised amid hardships by his mother and grandmother, succumbs to his wife’s pressure. It delves into the dynamics that lead Asal to forsake Yamuna and how his son, Nirjal, rescues his grandmother from an old age home on the premises of the Pashupatinath Temple.

Like Malaya Express, Bora also ends on a happy note. Both novels are set in the Koshi Province of eastern Nepal and emphasize themes of women’s empowerment. Both novels also talk about journalism. These recurring motifs reflect Bhandari’s passion for uplifting readers and his affinity for powerful female characters and the role journalism plays in our society.

Despite its strengths, Bora isn’t without flaws. There are noticeable inconsistencies, such as the character Rashmi Nepali being described as sipping tea in one instance and coffee in another. The use of English terms like ‘aunty’, ‘please’, and ‘okay’ in dialogues supposedly set in rural Nepal decades ago feels inappropriate.

Nevertheless, Bora is a captivating read. Bhandari has crafted a narrative deeply intertwined with the fabric of Nepali society.  The 471-page novel, priced at Rs 700, is an exploration of the silent sufferings of Nepal’s abandoned mothers and criticizes the tendency of elites to neglect elderly people. The novel also delves into the issues of fragmenting family traditions and the rise of elderly homes in Nepal.

Foodhall is India’s luxury grocer, café, and gifting service with outlets in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. It’s India’s leading gourmet and lifestyle store. I have visited its outlet in Mumbai and, even though I wasn’t much of a cook back then, I had fallen in love with it. I could browse the aisles for hours. Everything looked ultra clean and chic.

 So naturally, when I came across a cookbook that was published by Foodhall I had to get it. In true Foodhall style, the book is beautiful. Even just browsing through it is a delightful visual experience. It’s a slim volume but it has 75 recipes from around the world—there are modern European, Asian, and Indian recipes among others. There’s a section devoted to desserts. I guarantee there is bound to be a handful of recipes no matter what type of food you are in the mood for.

Five chefs have come together and shared their recipes in the book. There’s Gresham Fernandes who’s the executive chef at Fine Dine Impresario Hospitality, the company that owns restaurants like Salt Water Café in Mumbai and Smoke House Room in Delhi. Kelvin Cheung, who has shared the recipes for Kimchi Tacos and Moo Shu Chicken among many others, is a consultant at Bastian in Mumbai. Bastian is a seafood restaurant owned by Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra and it’s a favorite of many celebrities.

Likewise, there’s Zorawar Kalra who is one of the youngest restaurateurs of India. Sabyasachi Gorai, popularly known as Chef Saby, received the ‘Best Chef of India’ award by the then President of India, Pratibha Patil during the National Tourism Awards 2011-12. Pooja Dhingra is a pastry chef who was featured in Forbes India’s ’30 under 30 list’. Her first cookbook, ‘The Big Book of Treats’ came out in 2014 and in The Foodhall Cookbook, she shares 13 of her delightful recipes. From spiced macarons and matcha cookies to kiwi pavlova and a variety of cupcakes, she has you covered on the dessert front.  

I have already marked a few recipes that I want to try out as soon as possible. I’ve even bought some ingredients that I didn’t have in my pantry. I’m that excited about this cookbook that has been designed to perfection. The full-page photographs that accompany each recipe give the cookbook a coffee table book appeal.

 Each chef also shares helpful cooking tips in their introduction—from asking you to let your intuition guide you in the kitchen to recommending a good weighing scale and best quality ingredients. There is a simple chicken salad recipe with sesame seeds that I’m sure will be quite lovely. Titled the ‘Sesame Spinach Chicken Salad’ it needs a handful of ingredients and the dressing can be made from things that you already have like oil, vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. It’s apparently Cheung’s favorite recipe to make as well. It’s light, refreshing, and super quick and simple to make, he says. 

Most of the recipes in the book require minimal effort and time. Only a few require pre-prepping and some diligence. The Foodhall Cookbook can be the perfect guide in helping you unleash your culinary skills.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38818883-the-foodhall-cookbook 

The Foodhall Cookbook

Publisher: Roli Books

Published: 2017

Photographs: Anshika Varma & Foodhall

(except on page 50, Amrita Diwanji)

Design and layout: Misha Oberoi

Have you ever read a book and wished you had read it sooner? Do you have a book that you wish you could forget the story of just so you can reread and enjoy it all over again? Is there a book the lines of which made you feel seen and heard, almost like the author was in your head? ‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’ by Sangu Mandanna is that book for me. I loved every word of it. I wish I had picked it up months ago when I first saw it at the bookstores and not waited for as long as I did. 

The book was slightly reminiscent of ‘The House on the Cerulean Sea’ by T.J. Klune which I had loved. Klune’s story was about a ministry worker who arrives to check in on some children with magical powers. In The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Mika Moon, a 30-year-old witch, is invited to the mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches (Rosetta, Altamira, and Terracotta) how to control their powers. The characters and setting also felt somewhat similar to Klune’s book. But both the books have their own unique charm, and while I’d recommend both to those who haven’t read them, I’d recommend Mandanna’s book if you want a light, feel-good read. 

When Mika arrives at Nowhere House, she meets its inhabitants and is immediately charmed, despite Terracotta’s attempts to drive her away. She knows she’s there to teach the three children and thus only there temporarily but she’s never felt so at ease and at home as she does there. Ian, Ken, and Lucie, the people who reside there, make her feel welcome and loved. Then there’s Jamie (who like Terracotta doesn’t want Mika at the house) who she’s increasingly becoming interested in. She thinks there’s a good heart masked by a brooding personality and scowling face. 

But teaching the children to control their powers doesn’t seem to be the only issue at Nowhere House. Ian confesses that Edward is coming and that’s not good. Edward is Lillian’s attorney. Lillian is the owner of Nowhere House, and the one who brought the children there. She’s a witch and an anthropologist who travels extensively for work. And she hasn’t been back in over a year. Ian worries that if Edward sees the children when Lillian isn’t around and something happens to tip him off to the fact that these aren’t normal children, they will be taken away forcefully as Edward doesn’t like anyone at Nowhere House. He’s always been looking for a reason to throw them out of the house and he will have found one.  

Mika doesn’t have much time to make sure the children learn how to keep their magic in check. Then there’s also the issue of Primrose. She’s the oldest witch, one who is self-tasked with the job of keeping all the other witches safe. She believes the only way to do that is for every witch to stay alone, without the company of other witches since a lot of magic together can be troublesome. There are three (four including Mika) witches living together at Nowhere House and if Primrose were to find out they’d all risk being separated. The only reason Primrose hasn’t figured out yet is because Lillian has cast protective spells over the house. Without Lillian to recast the spells, Mika fears Primrose will eventually find out and enforce her rules. 

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a simple, heartwarming story of found family and love. The characters are endearing, making you want to give each of them a tight hug and tell them that everything will be okay. The writing is good. There are many lines and passages that you will want to mark or reread—they strike a chord. There’s just enough tension in the story to keep you hooked. You want to know how things will unfold but you aren’t stressed about it, which is a really good, comforting feeling when you are snuggled up with a book. 

Fantasy fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60018635-the-very-secret-society-of-irregular-witches 

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Sangu Mandanna

Published: 2022

Publisher: Hodderscape

Pages: 318, Paperback

‘Purush Pariksha’ (The Test of Man) is an exploration of the great poet Vidyapati’s story collection that has been translated from Sanskrit into Nepali by Dhirendra Premarshi, a renowned writer and committed researcher on the great poet and his cultural ethos.

The book was published by Ambar Publication House, New Delhi. It’s a collection of 44 stories of the poet which provides universality, artistry, intellectual values, and the qualities that a man should have to fight against life’s challenges. Vidyapati’s original work has already been translated into Hindi, English, Bengali, and other languages. The current Nepali translation is a first of its kind by Premarshi. 

Premarshi’s work welcomes readers with a preface written by Prof Dr Laxman Prasad Gautam, a faculty member of Nepali Language and Literature at the Central Department of Nepali, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, who takes them through the origins of this translation. 

Prof Gautam argues, “Taking into account the stories written by Vidyapati and their commentaries published in Sanskrit, English and Hindi, the translator, himself, an acclaimed laureate of Maithili and Nepali literature, has succeeded to upkeep the fundamental literary spirits of the great poet’s writings.” He further states that Premarshi’s work is an idealistic translation in recognition of literal and semantic translation of the writings of the great poet, who is often called Kavi Kokil (Poet Cukoo of Mithila).

Purush Pariksha is simple and persuasive, speaking of the translator’s skills, his mastery of language, his devotion towards culture and literature. He makes things easily understandable.

Purush Pariksha would have been authored by Vidyapati during 1412 to 1416 on the direction of Shiv Singh, king of the then Mithila state. King Shiv Singh was Vidyapati’s childhood friend and he was on the throne for four years. This text was firstly translated by Har Prasad Ray in 1815 in Bangla language. It was then translated into English in 1830 by Kali Krishna Bahadur. Chanda Jha took the initiative to translate it into Maithili language in 1885.

The conversation between Subudhi, a monk, and one of the kings named Paravar make up the theme of the book. The literary work provides guidelines for the kings and administrators in their dealing with the officials. For instance, in the fifth chapter, Premarshi provides an instance where Vidyapati had suggested that a king would fail to learn about the overall facts of the incident if he deploys informers who lie. Similarly, if a king favors a wrong person, he would not only commit sins but would also invite troubles for himself.

Vidyapati’s work is not only an exploration of moral lessons but also a political treatise that provides ample practical knowledge about the art of statesmanship. The book can be considered an essential work in propounding the theories of literature, criminal law, administrative law, politics and economics. 

If there is one reason to read Premarshi’s translated and edited work is his endeavor to give conceptual clarity on the writings of the great poet Vidyapati. The book discusses the views, theories and wisdoms propounded by the great poet. His political and administrative theories also find a prominent place in the book. I believe Premarshi’s Nepali translated version of Vidyapati’s Purush Pariksha should be a mandatory reading for sociologists, anthropologists, poets, lawyers, teachers, and students of various subjects, including literature and law.