HT Picks; New Reads

The reading list this week includes a volume on the history, philosophy and beautiful artworks of the Pushti Marg faith, a book that examines why India’s foreign policy is often characterized by multiple hesitations that may impede the nation’s growth to power, and a novel that intertwines past and present to tell the tale of two unforgettable characters

Paintings and textiles of the Vallabha Sampradaya

A volume on the history, philosophy and artworks of the Pushti Marg faith, a book on what ails India’s foreign policy, and a novel that tells the tale of two people separated by 80 years make it to the list of interesting reads this week. (HT Team)

380pp, ₹4,500; Niyogi Books (On the history, philosophy and beautiful artworks of the Pushti Marg faith)

This book explains the philosophical concepts of Shri Vallabhacharya and how these were expressed in beautiful artworks and describes the history of the Pushti Marg faith and the role of some of its prominent members. Full of stunning images of paintings, pichvais and artefacts created for personal worship and the shrines of the deity, Shrinathji, this original and extensively researched work delves into the core of the theology of this form of Krishna. It explores how the system of beliefs was expressed in an organized religion and rituals that resulted in the production of sacred objects including shrine textiles. The book showcases many rare paintings and textiles, reveals the provenance of the most important pre-Mughal manuscript, Palam Bhagavad Puran, and that of Golden and Kalamkari pichvais. That many of the beautiful artefacts, depicting aspects of the worship of Shrinathji, were created by Muslim artisans is a remarkable example of the syncretic culture of India. The author has analyzed the influence of the Vallabha Sampradaya on Indian paintings in minute detail. As a member of a family that has devotedly followed the tenets of Pushti Marg across many generations, she is uniquely placed to offer an insider’s view of its philosophy, an in-depth understanding of its practices, and a museologist’s perspective on the exquisite artefacts inspired by this faith, which are now displayed in collections worldwide.*

Domestic Politics and India’s Foreign Policy

268pp, ₹1150; Orient Blackswan (On why India’s foreign policy is often characterized by multiple hesitations, delays, and diversions that may ultimately hamper its growth to power.)

One of the most important developments in today’s changing international system is the emergence of India as a rising power. However, Rajesh Basrur finds that India is beset by serious domestic constraints. Subcontinental Drift explains why India’s foreign policy is often characterized by multiple hesitations, delays, and diversions that may ultimately hamper its growth to power. He analyzes the concept of “policy drift” through the lens of neoclassical realist theory to explain why this drift occurs so regularly in Indian foreign policy and how it affects India’s quest for major power status. Using four cases — the India-US strategic partnership, India-Sri Lanka relations, India’s nuclear strategy, and crossborder terrorism — Basrur identifies two basic explanations for India’s indecision on critical issues, one material, the other ethical. He develops a fresh theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between India’s foreign and domestic policies and introduces a series of theoretical refinements to neoclassical realism. Subcontinental Drift also provides advice on how policy makers might lower the costs of policy drift. This innovative analysis is essential to understanding the constraints around India’s foreign and domestic security decisions and how they will impact its rise.*

261pp, ₹599; Bloomsbury (Intertwining past and present to tell the tale of two unforgettable characters.)

Vienna, 1938. Samuel Adler is five years old when his father disappears during Kristallnacht — the night his family loses everything. As her child’s safety becomes ever harder to guarantee, Samuel’s mother secures a spot for him on a Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England. He boards alone, carrying nothing but a change of clothes and his violin. Arizona, 2019. Eight decades later, Anita Díaz and her mother board another train, fleeing looming danger in El Salvador and seeking refuge in the United States. But their arrival coincides with the new family separation policy, and seven-year-old Anita finds herself alone at a camp in Nogales. She escapes her tenuous reality through her trips to Azabahar, a magical world of the imagination. Meanwhile, Selena Durán, a young social worker, enlists the help of a successful lawyer in hopes of tracking down Anita’s mother.Intertwining past and present, The Wind Knows My Name tells the tale of these two unforgettable characters, both in search of family and home. It is both a testament to the sacrifices that parents make and a love letter to the children who survive the most unfathomable dangers — and never stop dreaming.*

*All copy from book flap.