You must read them before you die --My Favourite Four Books

           Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe 

  Robinson Crusoe was introduced to me at an early age, I was hardly eight - nine years old. That was the first book that thrilled me then and it still thrills me. Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe in the year 1719. It is the first person narrative of a fictionalized character who ,after his initial journeys to the sea and South America, finds himself washed upon the shore of a deserted island near the mouth of Orinoco river.

        The story has been perceived to be based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who lived for four years on the Pacific Island called 'Mas a Tierra', now part of Chile. This book has everything an adventure novel needs -- big ships,piracy, slavery,trade,isolation and uninhabited islands. We experience isolation and loneliness first -hand, and we see the relationship built between Crusoe & Friday from its inception. Robinson Crusoe also examines morality and a test of faith,survival, and the ability of man to rise above his circumstances. As an adventure novel,you won't get better than this !

Sri kant by Sarat Chandra

               First published over eighty years ago and could perhaps be called the first modern Indian novel. This too was introduced to me at an early age most probably soon after I finished Robinson Crusoe. Everybody in the family was compulsive reader and this encouraged me to adopt reading as a hobby at an early age. Since then ,I have read this novel many times .Last one was just few months back in eBook format.

              Sri Kant ,the narrator, is an aimless drifter,a passive spectator who can not survive without the support of an individual stronger than himself. As young man he travels to Burma looking for new experiences. Through his dynamic and rebellion female characters, Sarat Babu brings alive nineteenth-century Bengal,a prejudiced -ridden society that needed to be radically changed.Sri Kant set the precedent for socially conscious writings in modern Indian literature.

The Last Time I Saw Tibet by Bimal Dey

I had not heard this name Bimal Dey and his work before 2012. I just selected this book from Universal Shop ,Lucknow shelf for my mother. I was simply mesmerized after reading few pages and finished full in one sitting Since then I have recommended this book to many people .Mr.Dey is the traveller, the author, the self-taught philosopher, the philanthropist and the yoga teacher. The original book -Last Passenger Of Mahatirath in Bangla (Hindi translation :महातीर्थ के अंतिम यात्री) is written by Bimal Dey.This book has been accepted as an excellent masterpiece of Bangla and adopted by Dharmaguru Dalai Lama as 'Reference Book '

In 1956.Tibet's doors were closed for outside world.Bimal commenced his voyage with a visit to Tibet.Book brings details of this trip to that great mystic land of the Lamas.He never lost his faith in mankind during his wanderings.All the wonderful places,people he met ,the varied experiences he had to go through in search of his existence,are simply and sincerely narrated in this book.Love,adventure, tolerance, life and deaths which he has to see and feel so often in that tour,has only strengthen his attitude towards philanthropic ways.

Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Biography by Gunakar Mule

Late Gunakar Mule was the best known for his writings on the scientific subjects in Hindi but in my opinion this book is his masterpiece creation.

Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan or Kedarnath Pandey who is called the father of Hindi Travelogue Travel literature because he is the one who played a pivotal role to give travelogue a 'literature status'.He spent nearly forty -five years of his life on travels.This book reveals all aspects of the life of this wonderful noble soul.I have just finished this book .Pinterset has included this book in the list of top 20 Hindi Biography that you must read in lifetime.

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