Divya Narain

Book Review: The Battle of Panchavati and Other Stories from Indian Scriptures

Originally posted on Wanderingg Soul:
Title: The Battle of Panchavati and Other Stories from Indian Scriptures Author: Divya Narain Upadhyaya Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Genre: Mythology Pages: 163 Rating: 5/5⭐ More about the book: (BLURB) The Battle of Panchavati and Other Stories from Indian Scriptures is a collection of some well-known stories from Indian Scriptures drawn…

Book Review – The Battle of Panchavati and Other Stories

Originally posted on Bongreader:
Book Name – The Battle of Panchavati and Other Stories from Indian Scriptures Writer – Divya Narain Upadhyaya Edition – Kindle Short Summary -: This book ‘The battle of Panchavati & other stories’ is a collection of 7 different stories from hindu mythology. They all shared the stories related to different…

The Reunion XXX – Visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple

And thus, the cars sped that morning once more, through the crowded and familiar streets of Varanasi. Crowded, but less crowded than we remembered them, and much cleaner. Familiar, but less familiar than before. It pained me to realize that I had started to forget the streets of Banaras and, if left alone, may not…… Continue reading The Reunion XXX – Visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The Reunion XXIX – Jyotirlinga: The Pillar of Light

Next morning when we woke, I felt light-headed and happy. No, it wasn’t just the drink we had last night, it was something else. Yesterday, I had exorcised the ghosts of my past, made my peace with God, bowed my head in acceptance and vowed to start afresh. I could feel the bitterness of the…… Continue reading The Reunion XXIX – Jyotirlinga: The Pillar of Light

The Reunion XXVIII: It’s a late night

I had walked away from Rahul Joshi, my head still reeling with the talks we had had. But I was glowing inside, happy for him and amazed how each one of us had travelled his or her own path and reached his or her own destinations; and such amazing ones too!!! I will always remember…… Continue reading The Reunion XXVIII: It’s a late night

The Reunion XXVII: A New Perspective

Meanwhile the girls of our batch had something of their own cooking. Most of them were dressed in formals – Indian suits, lehnga-chunnis and ghagharas etc. and they giggled and chatted and gesticulated. They had prepared something and were ascending the stage for the presentation. Alka, Srabani, Neeti, Ruchi, Puja, Payal, Meenakshi, Stuti, Monica, Rajul…… Continue reading The Reunion XXVII: A New Perspective

The Reunion XXVI: Dinner with Family and Friends

That night’s dinner was in the hotel itself, which was a relief since none of us had the strength to go anywhere else after the day’s excursion. We had rested a little after coming back to the hotel and then had started getting dressed. I felt happy. My little talk with Hanumanji, the stone deity,…… Continue reading The Reunion XXVI: Dinner with Family and Friends

The Reunion XXV: The Tryst with Destiny – 2

My life in college had always been public. I had wanted it that way, and destiny had willed it that way. For long I had lived cooped up inside my home, inside my mind, inside others’ rules and expectations. In college I had broken all shackles and come out and exposed myself to public eye.…… Continue reading The Reunion XXV: The Tryst with Destiny – 2

The Reunion XXIV: Tryst with Destiny

The story thus far has meandered towards its inevitable end which, though still far away, is now in sight. The climax remains, the crescendo is yet to be reached, the crux of the matter is yet to be touched, the truth is yet to be told – not the whole truth, not the complete truth;…… Continue reading The Reunion XXIV: Tryst with Destiny

The Reunion XXIII: Dhanwantari Hostel-2

We moved along again, descending from the second floor, using the flight of stairs at the west end of the spine, and reached the ground floor. On the ground floor, we moved from the west end towards the middle of the hostel once more, headed for the mess hall now, and the adjoining canteen. Moving…… Continue reading The Reunion XXIII: Dhanwantari Hostel-2

The Reunion XXII: Dhanwantari Hostel

Dhanwantari hostel was also shaped like a square bracket, with two additional limbs jutting out from the outer surface of the bracket making it seem like a crab if one could get an aerial view of the hostel. Inside the bracket, right about its middle, where the belly of the crab should have been, was…… Continue reading The Reunion XXII: Dhanwantari Hostel

The Reunion XX: Walking down the Memory Lane

After lunch we piled up inside our cars again and drove inside the main BHU campus. What was on the agenda now? The best part – visit to the IMS, the hostels and ‘my’ temple. As the cars entered the main gate of the Institute of Medical Sciences, IMS, our Alma Mater, I felt as…… Continue reading The Reunion XX: Walking down the Memory Lane

Everyone needs Winnie the Pooh!

Grind, grind, grind. Life has been like an interminable grind ever since Corona. There has been no ‘work from home’ for us doctors! No holidays, no vacations, no leaves of absence. While the world stayed indoors, we have gone out and done our jobs; and it has taken its toll. Life has become a grind.…… Continue reading Everyone needs Winnie the Pooh!

The Reunion XIX: The Alumni Function

The main alumni function was to be held in the auditorium of the newly built Trauma Centre, adjacent to the main campus of BHU, over a land which had lain fallow for several decades till recently. The new campus, which housed the Trauma Centre, part of the Institute of Medical Sciences – our Alma Mater,…… Continue reading The Reunion XIX: The Alumni Function

The Reunion XVIII: Night at the Assi Ghat

Some of us boys stayed back at the club however, having sent our families to the hotel in different vehicles. The night was still young, and we wanted to make the maximum of it. We were in Banaras after such a long time that we wanted to drink in every moment, savor every second of…… Continue reading The Reunion XVIII: Night at the Assi Ghat

The Reunion XVII: Song and Dance

As the evening wore on, we noticed that Amita and Sridhar had taken charge of the sound system and were preparing to begin the performances for the night, mainly by the children. The chairs had been arranged neatly in rows in front of the backdrop, with an aisle in between, and most of the women…… Continue reading The Reunion XVII: Song and Dance

The Reunion XVI: At the Banaras Club

I have faint memories of the Banaras club, having attended a few parties there during my college time. That night, however, I could not recognize it. Maybe it had been too long, I thought, as I got down from the car inside the Banaras club. The banquet hall was on the first floor of a…… Continue reading The Reunion XVI: At the Banaras Club

The Reunion XV: A Lunch Date

Later, as we exited the temple, Appu and Sutanu pulled my leg that I had myself become adept at delivering sermons and that maybe I should consider a switch of professions. I took the friendly jibe as a compliment. Yes, I had lately become quite interested in religion and religious literature. For several years now…… Continue reading The Reunion XV: A Lunch Date

The Reunion XIV: At the Vishwanath Temple

All the Shiva temples across India will have a small furrow like conduit cut out into the floor on one side, which serves to drain out the water or milk or other fluids which are used to wash the ‘lingam’; the ceremony being called ‘abhishek’ or anointing. This conduit runs from the base of the…… Continue reading The Reunion XIV: At the Vishwanath Temple