Book Prelude..!!
Title: Travelling Treasures 2.0 [75 Incredible Tales of Things India Gave to the World]
Author: Mala Kumar
Pages: 224
Publisher: Hachette India
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the Author..!!
Mala Kumar is a freelance writer, editor, and author of many books for children. A former editor with the not-for-profit multilingual publisher Pratham Books, her books include Up the Mountains of India, Travelling Treasures, The Missing Rocks of Hampi, Crazy Mazy’s Maths Puzzles, Miss Laya’s Fantastic Motorbike, Paper Play, the Happy Maths series, Rupaiya Paisa series and a biography of Sir M.Visvesvaraya. She writes occasionally on education, culture, environment, lifestyle, people, gardening and the social sector.
Mala Kumar is Bengaḷūru-based editor, freelance journalist, and author of many books for children. Following the success of ‘Travelling Treasures:100 Incredible Tales of How Things Came to India ’, Hachette India has published her next book recently, ‘Travelling Treasures 2.0: 75 incredible tales of things India gave to the world’.
Book Description..!!
From pepper to polo, mangoes to mindfulness, discover what India gave to the world!
A land of bustling ports, stitched ships, wandering monks, and brilliant thinkers, India is where many everyday objects began their journey.
Did you know that the game of chess began as chaturanga in ancient India? That shampoo comes from the Hindi word champo? That comfy pyjamas, fragrant cardamom, golden ghee, and even clever mathematical ideas crossed borders long ago? From the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas to bindis, buttons, kathak and khaki, treasures from India travelled far and beyond.
Packed with tales as tangy as amla and as sweet as sugarcane, this A-to-Z expedition brings you 75 fascinating stories of how things, tastes, games and life lessons journeyed from undivided India to the rest of the world.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
- Take a deep breath. Turn the page.
- Your voyage begins now. Shubh yatra!
- Chess. Zero. Shampoo. Yoga. Pyjamas. They all started here.
A companion to the bestselling Travelling Treasures: 100 Incredible Tales of How Things Came to India by Mala Kumar ― more stories of history, exploration and the objects that shaped India.
To Start…!!
Uttaraṃ yat samudrasya himādreścaiva dakṣiṇam |
Varṣaṃ tad bhārataṃ nāma bhāratī yatra santatiḥ. ||
The country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bhārata (भारत); there dwell the descendants of Bharata.
Incredible India…!!!
India (Bhārata – भारत), a land of diverse cultures and multifarious traditions. The Indian subcontinent is known for its multilingual dissemination. The historic and ethnographic roots of ancient India date back more than 5000 years. Even before India drew its borders, this country was generous in offering its valuable treasures like spices, opium, silk, food grains, tea, textiles, and many more. Drawing on elements like Vedic philosophies, spiritual intelligence, moral erudition, and knowledge hub, in the global arena, India is often recognised as Vishwaguru (विश्वगुरु: Teacher to the world).
My Preamble…!!!
This work was an alphabetical presentation of treasures that India offered to the rest of the world. I always feel proud that the science of Yoga, an ancient physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in India, is helping human beings around the world to improve strength, flexibility, and mental well-being. Also, the Upanishads and Vedic philosophies, which were imbibed in the DNA of India hundreds of centuries ago, are serving as key resources for all the current-day advancements like mindfulness, therapies, focus improvement, stress relief, societal upliftment, and so on.
Book Prelude..!!
Be the mathematical hero Shunya [Zero] that travelled around the world, which stood as a base for physics, astronomy, archaeology, and almost every calculation we carry out, or the richest vitamin C source, आमलकी (Āmlā), which is serving mankind in the form of medicines, pickles, jams, or even as a mouth freshener, and is one of the leading exported items to the world from India, and Bhagavad Gītā, the philosophical dialogue exchanged between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, which originated in Kurukṣetra, India, is still serving as a guide to life, duty, spiritual liberation, and righteousness.
My Takeaway..!!
I am highly confident that most of the things that India has offered to the world aren’t known to the younger generations, and to some extent, to the grown-ups. Mala Kumar has handpicked and penned down these seventy-five things along with their backstory, so that we readers are aware of India’s greatness. To keep it more intriguing, the book includes relevant illustrations. Also, the trivia, notes, summary, takeaways, and highlights at the end are worth mentioning. Vibha Surya’s illustrative excellence is seen throughout the read as well.
Author Accolades..!!!
I sincerely appreciate the attempt of the author to let young readers know about India’s endeavour for the world and to enable the spirit of making the world an ideal living environment. We all know how India stood for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, flood relief, disaster aid, and crisis rescues. Similarly, this work by Mala Kumar is a perfect gesture to let young readers know about India’s pride and glory.
Conclusion..!!
This is one of those books that doesn’t need to be read sequentially; on any random day, any random page can be picked and read to get yourself indulged and appreciate the country’s benevolence. Special mention to Hachette for publishing these fabulous books; indeed, a great help to all of our young readers. This book can equally serve as a bedtime story companion so that the spirit of patriotism can be upheld by our little kids.
The End!
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
May all beings be happy,
may all beings be healthy,
may all beings experience prosperity;
may none in the world suffer
Links & Footnotes..!!
My Handle: Kiran_Kumar_Adharapuram
You can also explore my works -> Here
My Non-Fiction Book Reviews -> Here
My Fiction Book Reviews -> Here
My Self-Help Book Reviews -> Here
