The Garden of Tales: The Best of Vijaydan Detha

by Vijaydan Detha, Vishes Kothari (Translator)

A seth who lends money by mortgaging the borrower's next birth...
A bride who, after the wedding, discovers her husband is actually a woman...
A jogi dwelling in the skies who quells his lust by imprisoning women in his Cloud Palace...



Vijaydan Detha is undoubtedly the most important writer of Rajasthani prose in the twentieth century. He draws the reader into the complex and quirky world of the common folk of Rajasthan, while bringing alive the magic of folklore and fable. Traversing landscapes that are both earthly and cosmic, his tales, while being about the rich and poor, the saint and sinner, are also populated by trees, animals, the wind and the rain, gods and goddesses, and even ghosts. And between them, they explore humanity in all its myriad love and desire, innocence and cunning, wisdom and folly, greed and deceit, righteousness, valour and the illusion of power.

Translated masterfully by Vishes Kothari, The Garden of Tales is a definitive selection of Detha's work that will amuse and absorb you until the very last page.

Genres: Short Stories, India

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2023

Reviews

[Anand Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good compilation of stories from Rajasthan ... Vijaydan Dheta ( popularly known as Bijji ) is one of the foremost Rajasthani authors and took on the task of touring the length and breadth of the state to collect and document the widely available and rich oral literature . He spoke to people from all walks of life and wrote down the stories narrated . This translation by Vishves Kothari contains some of those stories ( of fairies , talking animals, rich kings , commoners and many others ) and makes for a good read

[Apurva Nagpal]

It’s slowly becoming the year of short stories for me and I have nothing to complain when they’re this good!

“A seth who lends money by mortgaging the borrower’s next birth…
A bride who, after the wedding, discovers her husband is actually a woman…
A jogi dwelling in the skies who quells his lust by imprisoning women in his Cloud Palace… “

The Garden of Tales (tr. from the Rajasthani by Vishes Kothari) is a collection of 18 classic short stories by one of the most legendary Rajasthani writers, Vijaydan Detha and here’s why you should read it too!

The stories are based on the common Rajasthani folklore and myths, peppered with elements of magical realism and rich with traditional and cultural references it keeps you hooked till the very last page.

Detha’s prose is whimsical and he masterfully plays with the terrestrial and supernatural, giving life to the trees and animals, wind and rain, gods, goddesses and even ghosts; very much like the tales that we’ve grown up listening to in our childhood.

Like the translator mentions in the introductory note, that Detha’s world is ‘fantastic yet problematic’, the stories expose the social constructs like caste and gender, the differences of rich and poor, greed, deception and sin; making the reader aware of a harsher reality behind the magical facade we see on its surface.

The translation felt seamless and beautifully narrated, retaining some of the terms used in the original Rajasthani language.

It’s hard to pick one favourite from the collection but here are a few that I absolutely loved-
‘New Birth’, ‘Aasmaan Jogi’, ‘In The Donkey’s Skin’, ‘Kanha the Cowherd’, ‘Mortgage Of The Next Birth’, ‘The Truthful Thief’, ‘Double Lives’ and ‘The Creed Of Crows’.

One of the finest Indian translated collections I’ve read in a while and highly recommend💯

[Craartology · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everytime I read a collection of stories or a novel that’s translated from any Indian language I find myself immensely grateful to all those who worked to get this marvel into my palms. The rich history, culture and way of life come alive through these pages for me to explore avenues I’d never known before.

The Garden of Tales is one such marvelous collection of folklore from and around the region of Borunda in Rajasthan.

Detha’s collection has a rustic landscape and mostly rural characters with their lifestyle described meticulously making this collection surreal yet magical. Surreal for the morals the stories deliver and magical for the simple yet mesmerizing plots. Stories of the common folk and noble add vibrancy and diversity to this collection and it’s tough to select one favourite!

Verdict: Culture- 💯

I’ve enjoyed reading this dreamy collection. Also, look at the stunning cover! 😍

Insight- 💯

Writing and translation- 💯

Recommended! ✨

[Mugdha Mahajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Garden of Tales" by Vijaydan Detha, masterfully translated by Vishes Kothari, is a captivating collection that immerses readers in the enchanting world of Rajasthani folklore. Detha skillfully weaves together stories of rich and poor, saints and sinners, infused with the magic of mythology and the beauty of nature. The rural landscapes and diverse characters bring a rustic charm to the collection, while the plots deliver profound moral lessons in a simple yet mesmerizing manner. As a reader, I found myself grateful for the opportunity to explore the rich history, culture, and way of life depicted within these pages. Each tale is like a hidden gem, offering vibrant diversity and leaving me unable to pick a favorite. With its dreamy atmosphere and stunning cover, "The Garden of Tales" is a book that captivates the imagination from beginning to end.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not remember the last time I read a book on folk tales.
On my last trip, I got this copy and decided it was time to get to it.
Originally, in Rajasthani Language, now translated to English, these are traditional tales from Rajasthan, India.
The story characters are all simple common folk, from potters, to cowherds, magical realism, snakes, witches, and farm animals.
They explore the many aspects of humans, love, desire, innocence, greed.
I did enjoy a few stories – because I had never come across them.

The story about the kumbhar (potter) parents - is a good one too.
Aasmaan Jogi: Features a yogi who lives in a "Cloud Palace" where he imprisons women.
The Creed of Crows: Explores themes of greed, cunning, and the illusions of power.
Kanha the Cowherd: A story that weaves together magic and the empowerment of the oppressed.
Mortgage of the Next Birth: Features a moneylender who mortgages a borrower's next life.
The Truthful Thief: A thief takes an oath to always tell the truth.

Do pick up if you have not come across these particular folk tales, based in India - Rajasthan.

[Riti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky collection of tales, Garden of Tales is translated tales of Vijaydan Detha that are set in villages of Rajasthan.
I was transported to a different era while reading them; tales that sometimes have logic that doesn't work for the current times, tales that reminded me of olden dadi-nani tales such as khichadi khichadi and Raja ke bokad Kaan, tales which are interspersed with the guile of some people, the cleverness of the others, of divine gods and heavenly abode, in which animals talk and are sometimes protector of their masters, in which devil lives in a cloud palace and in which one mortgages their next life in exchange of a loan. Told akin to folk tales we read in childhood that carry a lesson or a moral or sometimes delivers nothing but tickling laughter or spine chilling shivers. In which folly of some people are balanced only by smarts of others, yet some in which morals are somewhat compromised and in other where one just cannot do wrong or speak an untruth. https://itchingtoread.blogspot.com/20...

[anil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too good.
One of the best Indian writers of twentieth century.
While almost all stories were superb there were at least two stories that were a refreshing and fascinating. Despite touching topics that bordered on conventional immorality, that too at a time when the stories were published, it is both the author and the publisher’s bravado to have written or published it.
I doubt if it could be done today.
Notwithstanding a lot of stories touched upon social issues that needed introspection.
Besides these there were some very short and sweet gems of stories as well.
All in all this book is way ahead of its time and hence timeless. The cost of the book is too less for the entertainment it provides.
Loved it.

[Khyati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to love this set of collection.

I am familiar with the stories having read them in original language. It's a mixed bag of magical realism and moral value intended stories.

Translation is fine ..nothing wrong with that. Inclusion of stories from previous collection and a few unnecessary ones didn't work for me. Out of 18, 5 turned out to be good. Rest were just average.

I liked the previous set of stories more.

[Debojit Sengupta (indianfiction_review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading folk tales is such an awe inspiring experience, these age old tales carry a sense of purpose which will keep your eyes glued to the stories. I had no idea of Rajasthani Folk Tales, this book opened up a new horizon for me. It is brilliantly written and expertly translated, few original words are left as it is. Some stories are wondrous, some are really painful, I would recommend everyone to read this book once.

[Kartik Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Panchtantra on recreational drugs. A rompy collection of short stories that reimagine the folktales of Rajasthan. From its rich oral and literary tradition, these are Vijaydan Detha’s widly imaginative stories that are equally entertaining and profound. Loved it!
Also, really enjoyed how there was also a lesbian love story in the collection. Looking forward to more Detha in English.

[Mili Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this stories from Rajasthan