An Audience with Lama

by Abhilash

In August 2010 the city of Leh was ravaged by a cloud burst. Amidst the destructive facet of mother nature we also witnessed true grit from the survivors. One of the survivors who grappled onto life was Abhilash. He recorded anecdotes and messages of fellow survivors and weaved them into a tantalizing narrative.

A story that expanses a road trip across the picturesque landscape of Khardung La, laced with mystic spiritualism of Tibet. Aptly titled "AN AUDIENCE WITH LAMA" This piece of biographical fiction coupled with real life events makes a perfect anytime read.

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2013

About the author

Abhilash is a young Vaishnava monk residing in New Delhi, India. He studied Mass communication at Xavier’s college Mumbai. After graduation he developed an interactive learning module for National Handloom and Handicrafts Museum (NHHM). A recipient of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Yuva Dhara Youth internship and Gandhi Fellowship Program, he has previously collaborated with United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In his leisure time he conducts creative writing workshops for underprivileged children.

Reviews

[Hemant Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of us have un necessarily complicated our lives trying to measure up to d benchmarks set for us by the society. But these benchmarks are all demons of our own creations. in our bid to live up to these perceived expectations we muzzle our inner self and make uncalled for sacrifices and at the end all we are left with is regrets. If only we realised we are absolutely perfect with our own set of imperfections. We dont hv ne1 to answer but for ourselves.The author beautifully portray s this thru d journey that hrijan undertakes. He moves out of his well protected comfortable life. Just to b himself

[Purba Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is 3.7
First of all, I must congratulate the author for writing a beautiful book that is a blend of adventure and spirituality.All the characters are different from each other, yet very interesting and relatable. The landscapes described in the book will make you fall in love with the places. While leafing through the pages, I literally felt that I have also traveled to Manali, Keylong and Leh with the narrator.
On the downside, some portions of the book were a little dragged. Another drawback that I found in the book is that it becomes difficult to understand who is talking among the ten characters. With proper and frequent change of paragraphs, this problem could have been avoided. The author has done a decent job in this book. This book is recommended for people who love spiritual fictions and books on journey of rediscovering oneself. Read the full review at: http://purbareviews.blogspot.in/2014/...

[Doctor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title and the beaming face of His Holiness Dalai Lama silhouetted against the wealthiest of nature on the cover was suggestive of a spiritual discourse or political pamphlet.It was neither. It is a fictional account of an adventure of a group through the perilous routes and dangerous weather conditions.Enough for a story of grit and suspense.The writer has left his mark in the pages with a few words of worldly wisdom.The reference to mundane things like sex, drink and wives left at home appear to be out of place since they fail to take root in the form of a sub-plot. The abridged version could be the culprit for this.(I wonder, why this truncated version!)
But slips,sloppy editing and punctuational lapses cause serious impediments for any smooth reading.
I thank the publisher and goodreads for this give-away.

[Sunny Cyrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not an avid reader so I only pick up titles which use simple language, realistic plots and have a destressing effect. This book is one book I can carry around all day, read it in the subway, taxi, bus. Very light to digest and more importantly there is always a lot of action happening. I fail to recall any phase of the book wherein the pace of narrative subsides. It is a rollercoaster from the first page. For once in my life i feel that the author should have increased the number of pages, in fact I would like to know in greater depths about the back story of all the characters.

[Agnivo Niyogi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Audience With Lama is a fictional account of a group of adventurers who are stranded in the Leh cloudburst. This is their story of survival against all odds through perilous weather and surprises that life throws at you. This book is an expression of the travails of life, the challenges one faces, the fears and insecurities of the human mind.

Full Review Here: http://antorjatikbangali.wordpress.co...

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an good book overall. I personally found it a little annoying where there were grammatical errors. But otherwise, a good theme, and moral brought out well. It was brief, some scenes were described well, while others were a bit overdramatic. Pick it up if u enjoy Indian writing:)