Kurukshetra (Hindi Edition)

The story of Yayati is perhaps one of the most intriguing and fascinating episodes of Mahabharata. Yayati was a great scholar and one of the noblest rulers of olden times. He followed the shastras and was devoted to the welfare of his subjects. Even the king of gods, Indra, held him in high esteem. Married to seductively beautiful Devyani, in love with her maid Sharmishtha, and father of five sons from two women, Yayati unabashedly declared, 'My lust for pleasure is unsatisfied'. His quest for the carnal continued.

It is an irony of fate that despite being an extremely important and immortal character in the saga of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama has always been neglected. There are other characters in puranic literature, including Ashwatthama, who are considered immortal. But where other characters have received immortality in the form of a boon, Ashwatthama received in the form of a curse! 

First published in 1930, Kankal is among the only two completed novels by famous ‘Chhayavadi’ Hindi poet and playwright Jaishankar Prasad. Kankal is his exploration into the prevalent social issues of Indian society, as well as his critique of religious institutions, superstitions, and their role in the exploitation of women.  

This book is about Sahir Ludhianvi, one of the greatest poets and lyricists of Hindi films. Sahir Ludhianvi, whose original name was Abdul Hayee, wrote poems that were different from his contemporaries who limited themselves to singing paeans on god, beauty, or wine. Instead, his poems were about other things: declining values of society, the meaninglessness of war and the subsummation of love by consumerism.

Do Kadam Aur Sahi is an excellent compilation of selected poems by the renowned Urdu poet Rahat Indoori. The compiler, Sachin Chaudhary, has named the collection as ‘selected pearls of the ocean’. The magic that flows from the pen of Rahat Indauri gives a different feeling.

The multi-dimensional aspect of the characters found in the Hindu spiritual world is unlike any other. The Hindu Gods and Goddesses embody both positive as well as negative characteristics. Bhartiya Pauranik Kathaein discusses how these opposing energies are valued equally in the Hindu worldview and how they balance out over time. Not only does this book reveal the essence of the Hindu worldview but also helps interpret ancient stories to inform the contemporary generation.

A young girl was forced to marry a widower of her father's age, who has three sons from his former wife. The plot unfolds to reveal her husband’s suspicion of a relationship between her and his eldest stepson, a suspicion that leads to the death of many family members and destroys the family. 

It is a popular belief that the Ramayana is idealistic while the Mahabharata is realistic. Yet these two epics have identical building blocks, identical themes and identical history. In this groundbreaking book, Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s most popular mythologist, explores the similarities and dissimilarities between the two epics in a ‘playful analysis’. Whether it is the family structure, forest exile or war, the comparison between the two epics proves a startling point - the Mahabharata is in fact a reaction to the events in the Ramayana.

In this classic autobiography, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi recounts the story of his life, entwining memories of his childhood, marriage, experiences in South Africa and later with the freedom movement with his constant struggle to attain absolute truth and his quest to be one with God. Narrated in Gandhi's simplistic prose, Satya ke Saath Mere Prayog: Ek Atmakathaa is a glimpse into the life and mind of the man who would lead his country to freedom and be hailed as the greatest figure of the 20th century.

The story of Ravana and his people has been told innumerable times. This is the Hindi translation of the number one national best seller. This saga is of victory and defeat - a story that has been tainted by India's oppressed and exploited caste for 3,000 years. Unlike the Ramayana, the story of Ravana has never been told so far. But now it's time to speak for the dead and the defeated. 

This Hindi play by Mohan Rakesh debuted in 1958 and is considered the first modern Hindi play. The play received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for best play in 1959. Before this play was written, Hindi plays were either idealistic or didactic, devoid of any connection with contemporary reality; above all their language remained the language of literature, which wasn't suitable for the stage. This play changed it all. Mohan Rakesh went on to write two more plays and left one unfinished at the time of his death in 1972.

A perfect college. Three imperfect students. A caring hostel. Three careless mates. The decisive years. Three ignorant souls. A bomb blast and a close shave. Welcome to life through the gate of BHU.

Kitne Pakistan? is a 2000 Hindi novel by Kamleshwar, a noted 20th-century Hindi writer. A pioneer of the Nayi Kahani (New Story) movement of the 1950s, and later a screenwriter for Hindi cinema, Kamleshwar’s novel, employing allegory and realism, deals with a vast expanse of human history, as it follows the rise of sectarianism, nationalism, Hindutva and communalism. Kitne Pakistan? casts doubts about the true motives of the people who make decision on behalf of and for common people, who throughout history have been bearing the brunt of their decision.

Satyajit Ray is well known for his contributions to Indian literature. His short stories often explore the macabre and the supernatural and are often marked by keen characterization. This collection brings together Ray’s best short stories - including such timeless gems as ‘Professor Hijibijbi’, ‘Ratan Babu aur Veh Admi’ and ‘Bhakt’. A collection of 12 short stories.

This book, written by Prakash Pandit, describes the events in the life of Firaq Gorakhpuri, who was an Urdu poet, writer and critic. He was one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India, and he has written a number of ghazals, nazmas, rubais and stories. Many of his works are still revered for their contemporary relevance, and he was awarded Padma Bhushan in the later part of his life. The number of ghazals written by him is said to be in the hundreds, and a few selected ones are given in a separate section of the book.