Title: Amir Khusrau: The Man in
Riddles
Author: Ankit Chadha
Illustrated: Urmimala Nag
Publisher: Penguin India
ISBN:
9780143426486
Genre: Fiction, Poetry
Pages: 96
Source: Flipkart Review Program
Rating: 5/5
INTRO
Have you ever skipped your heartbeat
while holding a book? I got that feeling, once I received this beauty Amir
Khurau: The Man in Riddles by Ankit Chadha. Literally I was holding it like a
baby and my eyes stuck on its cover, inner pages led me into a new world, world
of colourful imagination, secret lanes, magical pauses, and the utter desire to
solve those riddles without turning the page.
Structure
Basically Ankit Chadha compiled the mesmerizing
verses of Amir Khusrau, actually twenty riddles with bit of cultural description
of his era, each page accompanied with beautiful illustration by Urmimala Nag. Though I am not much aware of Khusrau Yet, I
easily connected with this book; few riddles were reminiscent of my childhood.
Core
Amir Khusrau, was an eminent poet of medieval
India, known as Tuti-yi-Hind (Parrot of India), he contributed to Indian
classical music, Sufism, Qawwali, Persian Literature. Many lyricist still using
his verses to enhance the beauty of current songs by giving them sufiyana touch
like..
Here Ankit Chadha spotlighted Amir Khusrau
as—when reading khusrau’s poetry, it is evident that the
poet intends to convey two meanings one that has to do with everyday world
while the other delves into other worldly.
Also, Ankit didn’t forget to reveal
the soulful relation between Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the great sufi saint and
Khusrau. While reading this book I could sense that Khusrau was a major cultural
icon and as far as I know, he was the founder of Ganga-Jamani Tahzeeb, His
prolific image stands him among the world cultural History.
Ankit rejuvenated the soulful work of
khusrau in such a profound manner. The best thing about Ankit’s book, You don’t
need to be literature-friendly, even a kid will learn and enjoy it. I read this
breathtaking beauty within an hour, avoiding everything.
All in all, Amir Khusrau: The Man in Riddles
is gorgeously honest. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this book. Exquisite!
Reader’s
Moment
Here, I want to pick a little piece—
Dil ka to
dumbal bhayaa
Aur nainon
ka naasoor
Jo okhat se
dukh katey
Toh main bhi
karoon zaroor
Ishq
Translation:
The eyes are
ulcers
And the
heart is a boil
If seeking a
cure helps,
Then I shall
toil.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Ankit Chadha is a writer and storyteller,
who specializes in weaving research-based narratives for performance in the
oral art of Urdu storytelling—Dastangoi. His works revolve around Sufi poetry
and history education.
