Indian Balm: Travels Amongst Fakirs and Fire Warriors

0.0

Indian Balm is the captivating account of a journey Paul Hyland made along the little-known course of the sacred river in : a pilgrimage through both his past and ?s present. It is the story of the search for his ancestors - missionaries and traders - who first landed on the generations ago, and of their Balm, a wonder cure for all sorts of ailments and afflictions. Travelling to the home of his cousin, the last of his family to remain in the country, Hylandencounters snake charmers and sadhus, bogi men and horn dancers, and experiences both ancient rituals and the most simple aspects of dally life. An extraordinary and above all unique journey, Indian Balm illuminates the best, and the worst, of this magical country. ?Indian Balm sheds vivid and dramatic light on this unsung Indian province. A richly rewarding read.? -John Keay ?Paul Hyland went off the tourist track and up the river his forebears adopted...His experiences-good, bad and never less than colourful -are revealed in Indian Balm which captures the spirit of this south eastern area of the subcontinent and makes a thoroughly engrossing read.? - Choice ?Book of the Month?

0.0

Paul Hyland was born in a month after gained independ?ence. An award-winning poet and travel writer, his books Purbeck and Wight are modern classics. Table of Contents Holy Fools: Devon Coromandel Landfall: Madras Murder Metropolis: Vijayawada Heavenly City: Amaravati Auspicious Days: Machilipatnam A Sight?s March: via Kaikalur Dandy Fever: Narsapur Carols and Fire-Crackers: Narsapur Fabled Madapollam: Madhavayapalem Ancestor Worship: Bowdenpeta Luminous Force: Dowlaishweram Looking for the Dead: Rojahmundry Waiting for Trains: Nidadavole Fire Warriors: Narsapur Bogi Men: Narsapur Sign of the Crocodile: Narsapur Helping the Police: Narsapur Bricks and Water: Muskepalem The Birth of Time: Tanuku A Greedy Goddess: Hyderabad The Old Kingdom: Golconda Politics and Honey: Narsapur Bits of Business: Madras Presidency Shadow of the Pagoda: Palakol Tiger Prawns: Kakinada Teeth and Trousers: Kakinada French Bread: Yanam The Light House: Antarvedi Holy Dip: Antarvedi Juggernaut: Antarvedi The Solitary Reaper: Mogaltur Eastern Ghats: Sakhinetepalli No Brakes: to Polavaram The Current: via Porsammagandhi Shiva?s Hill: Sivagiri Jungle Juice: Takuru The Hungry Sisters: Perantapalli The Horn Dance: Pedagudem Keeping My Head: Geddapalli Thriller: Sivagiri Index.