Nalini Ramachandran – författare

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS . . . NOTHING!

Then, the earth met the sky. The sun married the moon. Birds were gifted the night. Beasts prowled the forests. And people? Well, they just burst out of their dark underground dwelling and came to live on land. They cooked for the gods and ate with the tiger. They fought shape-shifting ogres and honoured the first sorcerer. And oh, they conjured up a trove of astounding tales . . . of the extraordinary origins of the world, its wonders and its vivacious beings.

Treasured and passed down through generations by indigenous communities from different parts of India, these rare and untold creation myths piece together the mysteries of life and evolution.

Get ready to be spirited away, for it''s time to go back to the beginning!

In the east, a pirate king finds his plans foiled by a formidable force of nature.In the north, a majestic mountain range emerges from a demon''s tantrum.In the west, a sea keeps a city safely hidden in its deep waters.In the south, the avatar of a god gives a forest its name.Long ago, before science came up with explanations for the events that occurred in nature, people turned to stories to make sense of the wondrous workings of the natural world. And so, a life-giving stream became the gift of a goddess, a hot spring arose from the breath of a celestial snake and a heap of broken boulders served as a testament to a divine battle. Zigzagging through myths, folklore, local history and geological theories, this extraordinary book draws fascinating connections between ancient tales and the science behind the spectacular geography of India. Join Nalini Ramachandran on a most unusual, adventure-filled expedition up, down and across the country''s varied terrain!

To some, elephants are the guardians of forests; to others, they are sacred symbols - worthy of being worshipped. They were comrades-in-arms to kings and queens in one time, and objects of entertainment in another.Drawing from contemporary accounts, world history and mythologies, this enlightening book, peppered with fascinating facts and gorgeous illustrations, explores the complex relationship between elephants and humans across the ages.Here, you will meet elephants who can fly and vanquish nightmares, turn the tide of a battle, trek up mountains and swim like champions, avenge wrongs and form lifelong bonds.Funny, joyful, often profoundly moving and sometimes downright heartbreaking, Trumpet Calls takes you on the wild and wondrous trail of the most majestic creature on earth.