Tamarind City - Where Modern India Began : A Book Review.

Title: Tamarind City – Where Modern India Began

Author: Bishwanath Ghosh

Publisher: Tranquebar, Westland Publishers

ISBN: 978-93-81626-33-7

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 315

Source: Publisher

Rating: 4/5

'While in other big cities tradition stays mothballed in trunks, taken out only during festivals and weddings, tradition here is worn around the year'

This is how Bishwanath Ghosh has described India's Tamarind City in this adventure of a book. I am not much into Non-Fiction travel genre but thanks to BlogAdda, it might soon become a favorite. It may seem as just another book describing a busy city at first but when you stat getting the gist of it, you'll know it is much beyond that. The author has lived through every word written on the pages of this travelogue. Bishwanath Ghosh has explored the many known and unknown facts about the city, its history, the wide variety in the nature of the people, from ghosts to pictures of yesteryear's filmstar Rekha with her step sister. In short, this book is all that you thought it would be and much more. You might notice that the explanation and research is not very exhausting, fine details are mentioned but they do not interrupt your virtual tour of the city.

The marriage of tradition and technology is what defines this city in the exact words of the author. I'd rather say it is the love child of this knot.

Ghosh successfully displays a vivid range of emotions that this city might carry deep in its heart. He sometimes talks about it as a muse and sometimes as a lover. The modern and traditional aspects of the city have been highlighted very well by Ghosh without favoring any purposely. He also says that there are many misconceptions that burden the shoulders of this city, and many of them fail to possess any solid grounds favoring their truth.He has not forgotten to mention the fact that Chennai is one such metropolitan that is taking its time to evolve and grow. This book is a live portrait of what Chennai is all about for those who have never been to this part of our country's diversified culture. To put Chennai in a summary form, I would say, it is a city that educates, entertains, survives and thrives. The flowershops, temples, beaches and women drawing kolams outside their houses give it a mass appeal.

Not spoiling the book's raw appeal any further for you, I would strongly like to recommend this book to those who would like to know more  about this Tamarind City.

And at the end, I'd still rather call it Madras.

About the Author [Source : Internet]

Bishwanath Ghosh was born on 26 December 1970 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where he began his career as a journalist before moving to New Delhi to work with Press Trust of India and The Asian Age. In 2001 he relocated to Chennai where he spent seven years at The New Sunday Express and three at The Times of India. He is currently a deputy editor with The Hindu. In 2009 he wrote the bestselling travel book, Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop But Never Get Off, also published by Tranquebar.

This book was received as a part of Blogadda's Book Review Program. Sign up for the Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers.

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