HT Picks; New Reads

On the reading list this week is a pioneering work on the lost textile traditions of Bengal from the 16th to the 20th century, a novel about the teeming metropolis of Calcutta in the last moments before multiple disasters strike, and a book that provides profound insights into the practice of fasting

Of lost muslins and Balucharis

This week’s pick of interesting reads includes a volume on the lost textile traditions of Bengal, a novel set in Calcutta, and a book about fasting. (Sanjeev Kumar)

360pp, ₹4950; Mapin Publishing (A pioneering work on the lost textile traditions of Bengal from the 16th to the 20th century)

The famed Bengal textiles which once ‘clothed the world’ have received little scholarly attention. With the systemic destruction of Bengal’s textile industry, prompted by the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the muslins and Balucharis of Bengal were lost in obscurity. The partition of the Indian subcontinent and the consequent varieties of cultural and social identity in present-day India and Bangladesh have contributed to this neglect. This pioneering publication explores in depth the lost textile traditions of Bengal from the 16th to the 20th century and traces its impact on the historical and cultural aspects of the region.

This book is conceived as a dialogue between historians, anthropologists, art historians, textile practitioners and textile scholars who bring their diverse perspectives and expertise on the fundamental catalysts of change in the textile tradition of Bengal. The book serves as a public history, with engaging chapters presenting a unique perspective on the textiles of wider Bengal supported by superb illustrations of textiles, maps and trade documents from the past, most of which have never been published before. This volume will inspire the reader, reorient scholarly attention and provoke a rethinking of the nature and history of Bengal textiles.*

Mapping a pause at a historical juncture

920pp, ₹1499; HarperCollins (A novel about the teeming metropolis of Calcutta in the last moments before multiple disasters strike)

The world is at war. And at the Great Eastern, Calcutta’s most luxurious hotel, amidst the feasting, dancing and laughter, we witness the metropolis in the last moments before multiple disasters strike.The story begins in August 1941, on the day Rabindranath Tagore dies. The city has come to a standstill as thousands of people line the streets to pay their respects. Among them are: Nirupama, a student of history and a volunteer with the Communist Party of India; Imogen, a young Englishwoman whose father is an official with the Raj; Kedar, the scion of a wealthy family, who dreams of painting like Cezanne; and Gopal, a young but experienced pickpocket, who finds himself promoted into a dark, dangerous world.Their lives intertwine with those at the hotel: an American soldier who plays jazz at the nightclub; a genius French chef; an heiress fleeing from the nightmare in Europe; and a group of military officers running a secret intelligence operation.Singularly ambitious and attentive, Ruchir Joshi’s Great Eastern Hotel maps this simmering pause at a crucial juncture in history, and offers new contexts to the upheavals of our present, raising vital questions about political commitment, nationalism, love and art.*

Facets of an act of self-deprivation

320pp, ₹599; Bloomsbury (From weight loss to worship, fasting is many things to many people in this book that provides profound insights into the practice)

Fasting has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons – from weight loss to detoxing, to the faithful who fast in prayer, to seekers pursuing mindfulness, to activists using hunger strikes as protest. Based on extensive historical, scientific, and cultural research and reporting, The Fast illuminates the numerous facets of this act of self-deprivation.It looks at the complex science behind the jaw-dropping biological changes that occur inside the body when we fast. Metabolic switching can prompt repair and renewal down to the molecular level, providing benefits for those suffering from obesity and diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and more. Beyond the physical experience, fasting can be a great collective unifier, and it has been adopted by religions and political movements all over the world. Fasting is central to holy seasons and days such as Lent (Christianity), Ramadan (Islam), Uposatha (Buddhism), and Ekadashi (Hinduism).John Oakes interviews doctors, spiritual leaders, activists, and others who guide him through this practice-and embarks on fasts of his own-to deliver a book that supplies anyone curious about fasting with profound new understanding, appreciation, and inspiration.*

*All copy from book flap.