Kamla Kapur’s Book ‘Ganesha Goes to Lunch’ released

By: Avnish Katoch

Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Academy organized the book reading of “Ganesha Goes to Lunch” by the author Kamala K Kapur at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, here today.

“Ganesha Goes to Lunch: Classics from Mystic India” has been published by world famous US based Mandala Publishing. Mr. Ramgopal Bajaj an eminent theatre director was the chief guest on the occasion.

Kamla K. Kapur, born and raised in India and educated in the USA, is a poet, playwright, novelist and educator. The Deccan Herald proclaimed her “a serious poetical voice of our times.” Kamla’s plays, produced in New Delhi, have earned her two Indian National Awards. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in anthologies in the US and in India. She was on the faculty of Grossmont College in San Diego, California, and at Delhi University. Her book “As a Fountain in a Garden” was also released earlier in 2005.

Currently she divides her time between California and Himachal Pradesh, India in the Himalayas, called the “Valley of the Gods” , where she lives with her husband Payson R Stevens, who is an earth scientist and an artist.

Kamla K. Kapur’s book ‘Ganesha Goes to Lunch’ brings for its readers 24 insightful tales from the traditional Indian stories.

“Like myths around the world, the book offers both a window into a fascinating culture that has endured for thousands of years, and a code for living that can be applied to the modern world” says Kamala K Kapur.

“They are reminders from spaceless eternity of the fabric of which we are made. Awaken us, and help us live with, and within, the mystery that is the matrix of our being.” she added.

Chapters introduce provide a comprehensive history of the major gods in Indian mythology. The stories themselves, recreated and embellished, reveal timeless insights into the human condition.

Shiva and Parvati’s wedding portrays a love that includes, but transcends the battle of the sexes. Vishnu’s incarnation as a boar demonstrates the strength of the bonds of attachment that even the gods can not escape. Brahma’s entrapment in the web of Maya leads him to free himself with his mind. Krishna’s compassion for a little bird ensures that creation continues even within the destruction of war. Markandeya’s fall out of Vishnu’s mouth into the ocean of chaos, humbles him in the face of the mystery of life.

The book includes the most fascinating, immensely readable and instructive tales from the ancient Indian history.

For Further Details:

Kamala K  Kapur, M: 098152 22519, kamlapayson@rediffmail.com