Thiruvananthapuram: The New York Times has marked literary works that evoke the glory of Kerala, famous for its rich history and natural remedies, through its 'Read Your Way Around the World'. It is a series by the news house to help readers and travellers to trip the world through books.
This time the NYT series suggests books to inspire and learn more about Kerala for anyone travelling to the south Indian state.
In the series, the American author Abraham Varghese recommends literary works such as Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's 'Puvambazham', MT Vasudevan Nair's 'Asuravith' and Zakaria's 'Bhaskara Patel and My Life'.
Varghese suggests the titles of the books by praising the unique natural experience that awaits those who are about to travel to Kerala. He says that those who come to Kerala from other parts of India will feel that they have landed in another country, and that makes the title of God's own Country meaningful. He also shares the wonderful experience of reading a book while sitting on the deck of a houseboat sailing the backwaters while enjoying the natural beauty of Kerala.
Varghese further recommends for travellers the books written by explorers and historians over the centuries, along with Malayalam literary works translated into English and other languages. The list includes books that delve into how Kerala, famous for its spices, first attracted Arab traders and later Westerners, including the Portuguese, Dutch, French and English.
For first-time travellers to Kerala, Varghese suggests VS Naipaul's 'India: A Million Mutinies Now' and Sunil Khilnani's 'The Idea of India' to provide a brief intro to the Country. Shashi Tharoor's 'Inglourious Empire: What the British Did to India', Latika George's 'The Kerala Kitchen' and Benyamin's 'Goat Days' are the recommendations that follow.
Nigel Cliff's 'Holy War: How Vasco da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations', Tanya Abraham's 'Fort Kochi: History and Untold Stories', Salman Rushdie's 'The Moor's Last Sigh', NS Madhavan's 'Litanies of Dutch Battery', Jack Turner's 'Spice: The History of a Temptation', Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things', VK Madhavankutty's 'The Village Before Time', Anita Nair's 'The Better Man', There is a long list of titles related to Kerala such as 'Pulayathara' by Paul Chirakkarode, 'Kocharethi' by Narayan.
Kerala Tourism Minister PA Muhammad Riaz said that it is exciting to know that Kerala has been included in the New York Times 'Read Your Way Around the World' series'. It is a guide for travellers interested in history and culture, the minister said, adding that this will bring Kerala into the limelight, which is actively promoting literary-heritage tourism.
American writer and doctor Varghese's roots are in Kerala. Parents are Malayali. The author of several books that have captivated readers, including 'Cutting for Stone', he is the Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at Stanford University.
One could read the NYT article at Read Your Way Through Kerala.