My book review- ‘Pahadi’
Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing
– Barry Finlay
By far the thinnest book I have received thus far from Indica Books, ‘Pahadi’ was nevertheless an entertaining read. Written by a 16-year old Arjun Ganesh, the book offers a short and succinct glimpse into the worlds of the mountains. Even though I have lived most of my life in a city by the sea and am a Piscean, some internal force always draws me to the enchanting vistas of altitude.
Not exactly an adult, Arjun seems to have acquired wisdom beyond his years with all the mountaineering. I liked the first line of the Prologue/Introduction in which he states, ‘Mountains are strange things. They turn adults into children, and children into grown men’. Probably self-referencing there, Arjun shows signs of both- the supposed ‘maturity’ of adulthood, and the fun and excitement of a child as he explores the world. Einstein himself advised all budding researchers to keep the inquisitiveness of children well into old age.
The Indic ethos and the Puranic/Itihasa mindscape is intextricably linked with mountains and their elevated landscapes that have proved to be a magnetic draw for seekers of salvation and peace. Hippies from the West and Israel in particular have found another den in the Parvati valley in Himachal Pradesh apart from the usual suspect, India’s sunshine state of Goa.
Arjun’s concerns are more earthly though. Starting with Sinhagad in Maharashtra, he traverses the country and the world including Malaysia and New Zealand ending with the tough environs of Goecha-La in Sikkim. He discusses the challenges he had to face along the way along with rigorous physical training that ensures he keeps up the climbing without any hiccups. Cinematic inspiration also plays a part, as Arjun mentions both Bollywood and Hollywood in different places. The great Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare recently glorified in an Ajay Devgan biopic, and Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy that any partial cinema buff also knows was shot in New Zealand.
Arjun manages to bring the wonder and sheer exuberance of the mountains come alive in the book. My gripe here again is the length, would have liked to read a lot more. But given the age of the writer, believe he can come up with more at a later age.
