“Capturing Wildlife Moments In India” : The title,
for this once, doesn’t say it all; in fact, it doesn’t suit the book. Reading
just the title, one would think that the book is a set of photographs, a set of
images to be leaved through…nothing could be farther from the truth, for in
your hands is an experience, a lifestyle and a trigger for your desires and
your imagination… welcome to one of the most captivating and invigoratingly
refreshing reads I have encountered in a long time; welcome to the lanes of my
memory, my unfulfilled desires and my views on this one of a kind book!
THE
AUTHOR {From the book}
Ashok Mahindra
is a Chartered Accountant who qualified from England and Wales and from India.
He retired as Co-Chairman of Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, and as Senior
Partner of A.F. Ferguson & Co. in 2008, after a career of 39 years. Ashok
Mahindra is now a wildlife photographer. Through his 120 photographs in this
book he has shown the rich heritage and range of wildlife and its habitats in
India. In addition, the book indicates the continuing threat to wildlife in
India and sets out how it could be more effectively preserved.
THE
REVIEW
The
book sets out to, in the words of the author in the preface, create a greater
awareness of the danger to the wildlife in India, and to promote the
preservation of that wildlife. Its highlights are, as the marketing of the book
claims very aptly, the images, which are a treat; but there is more, much, much
more – from the practical to the experiential and from the mundane to the
esoteric;
The
book acts as a quick guide and a quick chronicle on places to visit in India –
places where you can relax, and enjoy being one with nature, places where you
can experience the full beauty of nature; places which are both famous, and not
quite so famous. It isn’t a guide on what you can find in each place – this is
not a tourist guide; it is more of a travelogue, an experiential and highly
engaging travelogue on the wildlife circuit of India.
This
is a book you can get lost in, and forget about everything; this is a book
which you can just dissolve into; this is a book you can read again and again
and then again; and each reading is bound to transport you into a differing
reality, an engaging memory, an unfulfilled desire or a raging ambition. This
is a book to make you pause in wonder at Mother Nature, and sigh in deep and
heartfelt melancholy regret at the ugliness of the modern concrete jungle!
It states
as an objective the conservation of wildlife, which it achieves in a very different and indirect fashion; it
kindles in you a desire to experience these sights yourselves, and a keenly
felt regret at the meaninglessness of our metro lives and concrete jungles;
that, to my mind, is a far better way of going about Wildlife Conservation –
getting people interested in the wonders that Mother Nature has to offer us! It
also acts as a to-visit list of the top wildlife hotspots in India, places to visit, and
introduces you to an aspect of India you would not have thought too much about
This
is a book that hits you hard in the gut, and makes you face the futility of
modern life, the meaninglessness of the corporate race and the pull of Mother
Nature… as I said, this is an experience to be lived, so that your inner
dormant desires are kindled, and a new joy can be experienced. This is a book
that, given its wandering travelogue
style and lack of focus on one area or theme, takes you back to Mother Nature, and
introduces you to its myriad wonders from Animals to Insects to Birds to
Scenery, and from colours to joy all in one short sharp read! The fabulous
interleaving of themes, with a Tiger on one page, then a Neelgai, or a mound of
termites, or a mangrove picture, achieves the objective of keeping your
attention riveted, making for a unputdownable book…
THE
IMAGES
This
is the frontispiece, the piece-de-resistance, as it were : the images are
simply mind-blowing; they will take your breath away. The clarity, detail and
framing of the pictures is one thing, which everyone will note; my request to
everyone is try and merge & blend into the image and the captured moment,
and experience it to understand… the patience, effort and planning that went
into each image taken, the beauty of the moment and the sheer power of Mother
Nature!
Here you
will find the entire life cycle of the Large Cats, here you will find the life
of the Tigers – how they live, their territorial habits in short and sharp
comments on the images; you will find, for the first time, these large cats in
their old age, as well as their resplendent youth; you get to understand the
meaning of the immortal line by Kavi Neeraj : Umra Ke Chadhaav Kaa Utaar Dekhte Rahe in the lives of the tigers
covered!
Here you
will find the lovely and unbelievably scenic images that you will want to
savour, and wish you had a copy for your desktop, laptop or mobile screensavers
– a veritable cacophony of colours blending to create stunning beauty; like the
Cormorants on Page 54, or the House Sparrow on Page 61, or especially the Blue
Jay on Page 104, or the Red Junglefowl on Page 111…
But most of all, the stunning beauty of two
mind-blowing images has the power to transport you into the book, into the
location – one at the start, and one at the end : a stunning set of images of
the Jungle… images of transcendental beauty, that kindle the joys and memories
of your own visits {Pench, in my case} to the Jungle, and the memories of of
the location of that wonderful number in Kabhi Kabhi – Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein, Khayaal Aataa Hai, such is the power of
these images! The captivating beauty of these two images takes you into the
forest, enables you to forget the world and blend into the magic of these
images caught by this extremely talented photographer!
Just one request : the book is priced at Rs. 1450/-, which is a tag towards the higher side, and is targeted at a different segment; there is a market at lower price-points as well, people like me who love Books, who love the beauty of nature, and would buy these books at a more affordable price point. If the publisher or the Author is reading this, please make a note of this feedback...
It is being published by Oxford University Press(OUP) & Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS).The book will be available at most of the major retail outlets across India and also through online retail sites like Amazon, Flipkart etc.It will also be available for sale through the BNHS website and is priced at Rs.1450.
This post is a part of the book review program of at Saevus Wildlife India in association with The Hemchand Mahindra Wildlife Foundation for the book Capturing Wildlife Moments in India"
This post is a part of the book review program of at Saevus Wildlife India in association with The Hemchand Mahindra Wildlife Foundation for the book Capturing Wildlife Moments in India"
Beautiful review of this wildlife moments...
ReplyDelete