New Delhi, 10th February 2015: “The Beckoning of Gyanganj” a fiction written by Chandan K. Pathak has been released in the capital. The event took place at the India habitat Centre in the presence of many eminent personalities. Film actor Adil Hussain graced the occasion as the chief guest. Anamika Yaduvanshi- Life Coach & Motivational speaker and president of Astitva Foundation, John Uche Jesus- Nigeria born Indian Fashion designer & CEO of Diamond Ark, Avininder Singh- well known hospitality professional & Asst. Prof. Manjeet Baruah- North East Studies from JNU were among others who attended the programme.
Gyanganj is a mystical abode of immortal beings located in the remote Himalayas. It influences series of events from two eras and results in “The Beckoning of Gyanganj,” a cocktail of Himalayan adventures, spiritualism, love and romance, hatred and politics, sufferings and revolt. The challenging high altitude treks undertaken in remote Himalayas by Ravi and his fellow trekkers where lurked unknown dangers and challenges in every step and turn, the mysteries related to Gyanganj, the divine and immortal saints living there; the spiritual pursuit and associated challenges of Swami Raghunath; all seem to have some strange connection. The seed of love that germinated in Princess Lata’s heart for Swami Raghunath and the curse of Queen Damini would have their karmic impact on several lives from the two eras. The sufferings of poor peasants at the hands of demonic Akash in the kingdom of Mayurpura, the failed and annihilated protests of the youth, and their merciless killings by king’s army make one lose hope of possible redemption. Strange turn of events, mysterious acts of destiny make Ravi, Lata, Swami Raghunath and Risha wonder what lies ahead!
Author’s inspiration for writing this book?
Having travelled to the Himalayas number of times in search of elusive true-saints and at times even contemplating to retire to a cave there to meditate for the rest of his life to attain spiritual knowledge, there was a phase of Mr. Chandan K. Pathak’s life when he juggled with the materialistic and spiritual influences with lots of challenges.
In his younger days he was fascinated by the story of a princess falling in love with a common man and the common man’s heroics to win her from the clutches of the ruthless king. Also there were other stories wherein a king or a prince would invariably torture the common people, exploit and at times mercilessly kill them; left a deep imprint of sadness in his mind.
Through this book, he has tried to weave his own story encompassing all these aspects centering on love, romance, spiritualism and politics. He sincerely hope’s that this effort of his will reach out and appeal to the readers of all age groups.
Why Gyanganj?
Chandan K. Pathak has read earlier about Gyanganj and Shambala on several occasions and subsequently developed quite a bit of curiosity about this sacred and mystical place. There have been many instances in the past when chosen rishis have claimed to visit this holy place and shared their amazing experiences. Gyanganj is truly a mysterious and heavenly place based on all these accounts that he has read. He genuinely wishes that the immortal and divine saints of Gyanganj would come to the fore and guide today’s corrupted and ruthless world to raise its level of vibration and purity, the same way that they helped the people of Mayurpura in “The Beckoning of Gyanganj’.
About the author:
Chandan K. Pathak was born and raised in Guwahati, Assam. He is an oilfield professional and is settled in aamchi Mumbai. A wanderlust and spiritual explorer at heart, Chandan has a strong desire to experience the life of an ascetic in the Himalayas at some stage of life. The hatred and killings all over the world in the name of religion pains him immensely. Writing is a passion which Chandan acquired at the later stage of life and he has a strong desire to contribute meaningfully to the world of literature in coming years.
‘The Beckoning of Gyanganj’ is his second book. His first effort ‘Footprints’ was a collection of short stories which were earlier in form of blogs. It was published by Leadstart Publishing in 2012. Most of the stories are based on real life experiences of the author while there were some fictional ones as well.
Mr. Pathak is currently working on his third novel (untitled) which is loosely based on a real life story from 1980s. He also intends to write a self-help book in coming time.
Sale proceeds
Author Chandan Pathak’s other interests include social work. He tries to contribute towards rural education within his limited capacity through Udaan Charitable Trust.
All the proceeds from the sale of ‘The Beckoning of Gyanganj’ will be used for this purpose.