Honest review of the book 'Dakshin' based on morals and South Indian culture

The Tale Of The Mynah Who Never Gave Up

On a flying carpet, we set sail. We head southwards - and traversing the geographical diversity of the Deccan, we meet unusual characters who leave us with a lesson or two about life. But more importantly, they remind us that most remedies for tough times inhabit the comforts of our childhood. Did we forget to lean on them along the way? Nitin Kushalappa MP proffers a similar buttress - a collection of ancient stories called Dakshin.

Illustration from The Cat And The Fly's Delicious Congee; Pics Courtesy/Puffin Books

A little mynah has spurred a series of events to get help for her locked up babies; a cat gets a stomach ache after gorging on some delicious congee; a village tries to convince the last sun to shine on them; and that eventually, Narayana would marry Madevi and return to the skies. Some stories tell us that patience is a virtue. Others chide the greedy as it leads to suffering. The compilation also highlights the importance of keeping one's promises. While these morals never lose their power to shape a conscience, Kushalappa's writing strikes the reader through its detailed and in-depth research.

The narrator narrates the 15 stories in the garb of a historian - the kind that collects fragments of the past to effect a whole. Each tale begins with an excerpt - a verse, a song or a few phrases - to contextualise the lore that follows. "One-ry, two-ery, tickery, ten/Japo, Japo, Englishmen..." - we are told this is the Indian
version of a counting rhyme that was once popular in the USA and the UK. Kushalappa also meticulously traces how he came to know of these discreet oral pieces.

While the illustrations inside the book in white, grey and black focus on dramatic scenes, the colourfully designed cover embodies our journey - one we embark on by riding on a flying carpet.

A book for tweens and teenagers, we do feel Dakshin could have included an author's note that personally addresses its readers. The cultural variety of south India, and their ethnographic richness follows as is.

Title Dakshin
Author: Nitin Kushalappa MP
Illustrator Pari Satarkar
Genre Myths and fables
Publisher Puffin Books
Cost Rs 299