Ganja–Mahua Chronicles

by Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, S. Anand

This book is an exceptional document. It charts the journeys of Venkat, an artist from a remote ‘tribal’ village in the Patangarh area of Madhya Pradesh to the art worlds of Bhopal, Delhi and to foreign lands in the footsteps of his uncle, the legendary Jangarh Singh Shyam who died under mysterious circumstances in Japan.

It is a story of survival, both physical and artistic, in the underbelly of cities and in the bylanes of the art market. Written as an autobiography in a wonderfully devised jugalbandi between the artist and his soulmate, Anand, in a dual voice, it charts an unexplored textual territory of narration.

The delightful illustrations combine diverse linguistic modes. They approximate the factual and magical passages of the journeys to sparkle with an unusual incandescence.
—Gulammohammed Sheikh

Venkat Raman Singh Shyam is a renowned artist. Nephew of the legendary Jangarh Singh Shyam, he works with many media and has exhibited widely across the world.

Genres: Indian Literature

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Isha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very special book and a must have. It is about many things, personal and political. It takes us into the mind and heart of Venkat Shyam, the lens with which he looks at art, nature and his roots, while also charting his life story. It also explores how the commodification of art in the market hurts our own relationship with art while creating the illusion of representation of Gond culture which is struggling to hold onto its culture and way of life. Its form is new, fresh, lucid, a blend of poetry, storytelling, critique, with reflections on man's relationship with nature and community and the story of Jangarh. Reading it I experienced all the emotions one does on reading a good book - wonder, calm, beauty, shock, anger, and a slow reflection on life itself. Some passages felt like therapy for an anxious mind. One page made the book slip from my hands in fear and shock and I went back to sleep. I woke up with a bad dream today and reading it helped me regain some sanity.

[Adreeta Chakraborty · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible art, incredible writing. will leave you awe-struck and so, so moved. everyone should have a copy of this book.

one paragraph, among many others, that gave me goosebumps:
“Agni devours the fat of every forest creature, the sap of every tree, the flesh of every fruit– the Brahman greed for ghee is kindled by memories of the mythic Kamadhenu, the golden cow whose butter and meat he has eaten with relish. The lightning ripping this earth is his dirty janeu.“

[Aditi Bhatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting read about the Gond art and artists of Madhya Pradesh. What I liked the most about it was that it was a great combination of reading as well as visual experience. The illustrations within the book were extraordinary and told their own stories. So, I didn't just read the text within the book but also the art within.

[Satdeep Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely blend of folklore, (auto)biography and fine arts.

[Jasun Chelat · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, great book. It's a 10/10 no matter what.
The art is great, the words are great. The whole thing is poetic. The whole book is like a poem.

but i have one complaint.

This is an autobiography...it's also a collaboration. between artist Venkat and Anand. But I don't understand Anand's role in this. Not in the prosaic sense of what did one person do or the other. It's not easy to show your self to the outside world, but then artists sort of do that. You put a little bit of yourself in your art and then someone sees it...but I could not see Anand being vulnerable in this way in this. One time when the phrases started to talk about Venkat in third person I was like who is this guy butting in on our conversation. I would not be as interested perhaps in Anand's story since I picked up this book because of the art mainly...but to let your story pale in comparison to your friend is also a kind of contribution...to stay in the shadow of your friend, without being seen, is a great role in itself. i am not suggesting that it should have been split into two stories or anything...perhaps a silence could have been more meaningful here....a more worthwhile way to collaborate would have been to quietly withdraw. Kabir's metaphor of warp and weft is there throughout this book, but it does not come through in how the story is told basically.

but whatever. I really love it but I guess I am also allowed to have thoughts. I will try and hunt down the finding my way book by juggernaut because i loved this book so much....and i want to look at the art. it seems unavailable everywhere

[Apurva Takle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a while to wrap your head around this book, it almost has a surrealistic quality to it. I found it slightly difficult to connect with this book in the beginning. But once the writer starts describing his journey from his village to metros and international cities, that is when it grips you. His observation of the mundane to the metaphysical are unique but very prescient. The sensibilities he brings to looking at life, one feels can only be possible from an artist. It is a great exploration into central Indian tribal lore which even predates Hinduism, the description of khandavprastha and of its destruction at the hands of Srikrishna and Arjun, the difference between Eklavya and Arjun is very thought provoking. The poetry and bilingual style just adds to the overall reverie of arts this single book provides. Must read.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read another book like this. no words can adequately describe it. get a copy and see for yourself.

[Shweta · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a mediocre account of a brilliant artist. Given the dearth of books on Gond art, I had high hopes from it. But the only redeeming quality is the artwork. Towards the end, I was struggling to finish the book. Truly disappointed!