Launch Of The Coffee-table Book Varsha’s Varanasi

Karadi Tales is an independent children’s publishing house based in Chennai, India focussing primarily on picture books and audiobooks. It was started in 1996 with an intent to create a space for Indian culture in the world of children’s publishing, by a group of writers, educators and musicians. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) December 08, 2018 - A children’s story that adults love; a coffee-table book that delights kids – Varsha’s Varanasi is a book that appeals to readers of all age groups and geographies. Karadi Tales launched this photo-book, written by Chitra Soundar and featuring photography and design by Soumitra Ranade, on the evening of Thursday November 29, in front of an engaged audience that comprised photography enthusiasts, literature lovers, and travel buffs. There was also a day-long exhibition of 57 stunning images of Benares by Soumitra Ranade. Varsha’s Varanasi is the first of the publishing house’s City Series – a series of books that will take readers young and old through unforgettable tours of various Indian cities.

The launch took place at The Folly, Amethyst, Chennai, and began with a recitation of Kedarnath Singh’s poem ‘Benares’ by playwright and poet Anantharaman Karthik, with vocal accompaniments by singer Saptaparna Chakraborty. Following this, award-winning filmmaker Soumitra Ranade took the audience on a behind-the-scenes journey, speaking about the subjects captured by his lens, the incredible beauty of the mundane everyday sights in Benares, and the larger-than-life characters in the book. The visual presentation was followed by a discussion on all things travel, history, architecture, and culture. The panel discussion brought together Soumitra Ranade, eminent dancer C.V. Chandrasekhar, author and historian Chithra Madhavan, and Publishing Director and Co-founder of Karadi Tales Shobha Viswanath. The discussion led to a lively interactive session with audience members who shared their own memories of this vibrant city.

Audience members also got a first look at the trailer of Letters to Ammi, the second book in Karadi Tales’ city series, set in Delhi, written by Aftab Yusuf Shaikh and featuring photography by Adrija Ghosh. The event concluded with a book-signing of Varsha’s Varanasi by Soumitra Ranade. Guests at the event were treated to a taste of Benares in the form of takeaway goodie-bags comprising of Benaresi-style kachoris and lassis.

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