4 books by Indian Authors inspiring Adventure and Wanderlust

Being a bibliophile and a travel aficionado, I started searching frantically on Amazon for some quick reads by Indian Authors and I was more than delighted to go across the options. After going through all the options available on Amazon, I shortlisted these four titles. All these four titles are based on different themes and carry a unique message.

The best part, all these titles are under INR 200, so go ahead and experience these well written journeys as they are sure going to inspire the traveler hidden within you.

These books are perfect for fellow Wravelers – Wanderers and Travelers inspired by Wanderlust.

1.  When The Road Beckons – Ravi Manoram (INR 145)
2.  Born Again on the Mountain : A Story of Losing Everything and Finding It Back – Arunima Sinha (INR 176)
3.  Bucket List of a Traveloholic – Sarika Pandit (INR 163)
4.   Worth Every Gasp : A Lone Woman’s Journey in the Himalayas – Anamika Mukherjee (INR 81)

              

When the Road Beckons – Ravi Manoram

When the Road Beckons by Ravi Manoram is a travelogue of a man who takes the epic journey from Delhi to Ladakh on his Royal Enfield Thunderbird covering places like Srinagar, Kargil, Leh, Nubra Valley, Pang, Pangang Tso lake, Manali and the 5 passes Zoji La, Khardung La, Chang La, Rohtang La and Barcha La Passes. While the book, appears to be the story of a man riding his bike on the difficult roads of the Himalayas, it is also an exploration of true meaning of one’s life. Ravi’s journey to the difficult terrains of the Himalayas tested his nerves and made him fight with his deepest fears. This, in turn, helped him to find out not only his inner strength, but also transformed his personality. His innermost fears slowly but surely vanished, and he became a person who is capable of controlling his own destiny.

Some way or another, the author has managed to write different stages of his journey to the region of Ladakh without creating a monotonous tone. He has the power of observation, certain elegance and a captivating style in his writing. All of these add up to the narrative and make this book a compelling read and kind of an addictive one, as there is the curiosity at the end of the chapter about what will happen next. There are certain moments in the book that will take your breath away. The description of places has been done in such a way that you feel like you are actually travelling to these places. You imagine those places in your mind while taking a break from reading and clung to those imaginations for a long time. This book is a jewel for anyone who has been to Leh before, as it is sure to get all those cherished memories back again.

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Born Again on the Mountain – Arunima Sinha

Arunima Sinha became the first amputee from India and the first female amputee from the world to climb the highest peak in the world, the Mount Everest when she achieved this feat in 2013. Back in 2011, she was a National Level Volleyball player from Indian who was pushed out of a running train by a gang of thieves when she resisted them. She fell motionless on the track when another train passed over her leg resulting in amputation below the knee. 

This book basically describes her unforgettable story of courage, hope and resilience. The accident from the running train has cost her, her left leg and also her sporting career, but these never deterred her in achieving other goals in life. In this book, she explains how the sudden change in events have changed her perspective of life and stabilized her. She recalls the memories when she had no job to support her family and how she hurried her way to Delhi for the job and then the sour incident happened. 

She also says, "Before that incident, I was only a National Player doing quite fine with my game. But after that everything has changed forever. Everyone who previously looked upon me with pride as a player, started sympathising me. I could not bear that. Then, I started to search for something else to achieve despite my weakness. The day I have conquered Everest, showers of blessing started pouring in. That moment, I felt as if I had been born again-Born Again on the Mountain. " 

She also writes in the book regarding the hardships she faced during the rough period, how her goals, dreams and ambitions changed in a split second, the courage she had to gather to move on, the inspiration she created among the others, and how she decided to start an academy for differently abled like her to provide a path for them etc.

With her determination and courage, she made the Everest to bow down before the first female Amputee ever to scale Everest.The story of Arunima – Born again on the mountain – make us to believe that if we have set our mind to achieve something, we should pursue it. Nothing is impossible for a truly determined person.

I must accept, reading this book has created a sense of hope that anyone can achieve anything in life, you have the guts to dream of the impossible and put in all you have got to achieve it. Also this book enlightens you philosophically about how life can change in just a moment and how everything which seemed in place right a moment before was not possible later. This is a book I think everyone must read, so that they can understand their gifted abilities when compared to the disabled and use them to achieve their ambitions.

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Bucket List of a Traveloholic – Sarika Pandit 

This is a must read book for all you who have been bitten by the travel bug and want to get out of your closet and go explore the world on your terms. The cover of the book itself is so appealing that it leaves you intrigued regarding the authors journey.

Here is something from the prologue that I loved a lot –

“When I reached home that night, I woefully pulled out my passport and started flipping through its dog-eared pages. Somewhere midway I recalled the moments that were woven together with each stamp and, slowly, self-doubt made way for satisfaction. It came with the realization that while I still had not saved up for a house, a fancy four wheeler, the latest iGadget or any of those milestones that is somehow supposed to define the lives of most people, each one of my travels had been a saving towards wider horizons and enduring memories of people, places and personal encounters; and I would not have traded them for absolutely anything in the world”.

And reading this I knew, I am in for a treat….and I was not wrong.

The author achieved the goal of traveling to 20 countries before she reached the age of 30, and this book chronicles a few interesting incidents she encountered during her travels.

The book is actually a travel diary of the author, Sarika Pandit – her visit to various countries, her varied experiences in each one of them and ticking off items from her bucket list.

Along with her experiences in the foreign lands, she has also written about how she managed all the travelling inspite of having a full time job. She juggled her leaves, money, itinerary, companions and the like in a very efficient manner. And after each chapter I was tempted to pack up and hit the road immediately! And after I was finished with the book, I was full of envy for this lady called Sarika Pandit. What she had said randomly once during her MBA days – “…….by the time I hit thirty, I shall have all the pages of my passport stamped” – was turned into reality by her, turning all odds in her favour. 

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Worth Every Gasp – Anamika Mukherje 

Anamika Mukherjee, while on a trek in Markha Valley in Ladakh with her husband and friends, suffered from pulmonary edema, and had to abort the trek mid-way. She returned to Leh for rest and recuperation. 

Ok, that's just the beginning of the story. What happened after that is the real thing. While her husband returned home having completed the trek, Anamika stayed back. And, after she had recovered enough, set her sights on completing the trek that she had left unfinished! 

This journey is what the book “Worth Every Gasp – A Lone Woman's Journey in the Himalayas” is all about. Anamika was joined by an acquaintance Ballu, who had in the past accompanied them as a guide on a few treks in Uttaranchal. Yes – you read that right. A lone woman, trekking in the Himalayas with a man who is not her husband!

Anamika spent a few months trekking in the Himalayas. She started in and around the “lower altitude” Manali. This was to get a feel for her readiness for the higher altitude treks in Ladakh. Once she was reasonably sure she could pull through, she got back to Ladakh, where she completed, among others, the Markha valley trek which had been her nemesis last time round. That accomplished, she also spent a few weeks back in Himachal Pradesh, rounding off her adventures with the trek to Hampta Pass with a group coming from Calcutta (from the company Ballu was employed in), and then one final visit to the Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal.

All in all, if you are a travel enthusiast, a trekker, a nature lover or a Ladakh-addict, then this book is for you. I guarantee you – you will not be disappointed.

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