Book: Rambles Into Sacred Realms
Author: Krish V Krishnan
Publishers: Inkhorn Publishing
I am fond of sketching and I love to write when inspiration strikes though I often find myself short on time to write and sketch simultaneously. I have lamented and given excuses when asked why I wasn’t sketching enough.
Now here comes a book ‘Rambles Into The Sacred Realms’ with stories of travel all around the world, of forgotten sacred practices, of hidden ancient temples, of folklores and of rituals to please Gods and goddesses.
And it is not a simple travel story to various sacred sites around the world… instead it is where prose and art has joined hands and superbly so…
Author, Krish V Krishanan’s labour of love describes his journeys into the mystic worlds in twelve chapters….
…the scary subterranean caves of Mayans in Belize where wading through the swift waters of creek brought him face to face with stories and skeletons of people sacrificed on altar to end extensive famine…
…the mysterious expanse of Angkor Wat where the nature has taken hold upon the ancient temple ruins becoming one with the enormous stone statues of Lord Shiva and dancing apsaras….
…the abode of Lord Shiva in ancient city of Varanasi and the many ghats along the sacred river Ganga milling with devotees praying for that final release from the human world of suffering into the land of Gods and eternal bliss…
….the Guatemalan wildlife and pyramids and temples of Tikal…
…the sacred site of Goddess Pele with erupting lava at Hawaii…the giant boulders arranged in mystical circle with a definite purpose of their existence still a mystery at Stonehenge in United Kingdom…
….Petra and its red stone wind sculpted rocks, Bedouins, Wadi Rum and tombs at Jordan….the holy cities of Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem where the stories of Chritianity, Islāmic and Jewish faith originate, seaport of Jaffa in Israel…
…the land of Pharaohs, Sphinx and grand mysterious pyramids at Giza, the temples of Egyptians….Greek temples and oracle…pyramids at Mexico…Buddhas at Thailand…
He has brought his travel experience alive not only with the elaborate prose but also with his drawings in various media. Peppered with historic facts, travel tips, folklores, story around his art and illustrations and details about the art material and techniques makes this book stand apart.
It is neither just a travelogue nor just a book of art….this concoction takes the reader on a wonderful journey with vivid imagery in words and colours.
The only regret I have in reading this book is that I don’t have the paperback version of book and I really would have loved to have it.
After reading this book, now the thing is that I can not any more lament about not finding time for art and writing simultaneously. I am quite inspired to take offbeat journeys and revisit my artistic side….and the author’s aim to make readers want to travel and paint seems to have been accomplished.
If you have a thing for great prose and good art, this is the book for you.
Shoma Abhyankar 
This book was published in the US by Shanti Arts Publishing. The links in this post to Goodreads and Amazon land on the US edition. In the US and Canada this book may be purchased through Amazon or the publisher’s website http://www.shantiarts.com.
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