India is a diverse land of traditions, culture and a blissful sanctity of literature. With plenty of renowned and heart touching Indian novels on the count, here are the top 5 books by Indian authors that will make you feel evocative:
- Chitra Banerjee Divakarunis’s – “The Palace of Illusions”
We all grew up with the teachings of the Mahabharata, but the Palace of Illusions is a revisited version of the epic, from the eyes of Draupadi (Paanchali).The novel disillusions the view of a mythical woman and summarizes the viewpoint of the former that lives in a male dominated world. The novel has a strong flavour of connection with today’s world.
- Kushwant Singh’s – “Train to Pakistan”
Published in 1956, this masterpiece of literature could never be forgotten. Standing on the painful plot of the Partition of India in 1947, Singh digs deep into the rivalry of religious hatred between the Sikhs and the Muslims. The piece is a horrific showcase of reality and a sweet delight of love blossoming amidst all the odds.
- Suketu Mehta’s – “Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found”
A finalist for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize Award, the Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found, gives a truthful insight to the glamorous looking metropolis. Touching the unexplored versions of the city like the criminal underworld, rival community gangs, life of bar dancer, abuse and everything else- the story probably paves way to the charts of Bollywood.
- Aravind Adiga’s – “The White Tiger”
No, this ain’t a story about the real tiger, but it’s definitely a story of heroism. The White Tiger is the 40th Man Booker Prize Winner and the story revolves around the life of a villager, Balram Halwai. His journey from an extremely impoverished person, who often has to witness issues of casteism, corruption and loyalty, to establishing himself a successful entrepreneur, is an unspoken voice of the people of India.
- Kiran Desai’s – “The Inheritance of Loss”
The Man Booker Prize Winner of 2006, the Inheritance of Loss is an extremely heart touching and claustrophobic book that reflects what is true. The plot is placed in 1986 where the two main characters, Biju and Sai shows shades of conflicts between two groups and loss of identity related to post- colonialism.