From Prinsep Ghat to Peer Panjal: Kolkata & Kashmir Poems

Author/Editor:
Gopal Lahiri, Santosh Bakaya
When two poets - one from Kolkata and the other from Kashmir, merge their poetic voices together, believe me, one starts believing in magic! The City of Joy, Kolkata, proud of its lineage, pulsates and throbs, juxtaposed exquisitely next to the Paradise on earth, Kashmir, equally proud of its lineage. The Dal Lake, and Prinsep Ghat shimmer in golden hues as the twin pens script a saga of beauty and peace.

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(8 customer reviews)
From Prinsep Ghat to Peer Panjal: Kolkata & Kashmir Poems
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Print length : 98 pages
Publication date : April 9, 2021
Language : English

KINDLE EDITION Available in: India | USA | UK | Canada | Australia | France

When two poets – one from Kolkata and the other from Kashmir, merge their poetic voices together, believe me, one starts believing in magic! The City of Joy, Kolkata, proud of its lineage, pulsates and throbs, juxtaposed exquisitely next to the Paradise on earth, Kashmir, equally proud of its lineage. The Dal Lake, and Prinsep Ghat shimmer in golden hues as the twin pens script a saga of beauty and peace. Before our very eyes, the wilted flowers of memory are resurrected and get a makeover, drenched in hues of sublimity. One finds oneself trying to decipher the undulating contours and nuances in the poems as though counting the ripples and waves of the Lidder and Hooghly.

Playful and intense, real and surreal, nostalgic and wistful, the poems in this collection are a visual treat – it is as if all the senses are tingled and the olfactory senses, long-clogged get a new lease of life as the forgotten smells are remembered once again. All the ancient bruises and scars seem to get the much needed healing touch, as the fragrance of parijat and yambarzal [daffodil] erupts magically. In the backdrop the Hooghly and the Lidder continue to create an unending symphony – immensely soothing to ears calloused with years of a jarring cacophony.

So, get ready to listen to this disarming duet, which erupts from some innermost recesses of two sensitive poetic hearts, their alchemy almost palpable in these poems. Together they create new metaphors, and along the way, succeed in infusing jaded and tired symbols with a new and robust symbolism- and the captivated reader finds himself/ herself calmly drifting towards self-introspection and soul-stirring epiphanies, looking around with new eyes to find hope and innocence holding hands and pirouetting, silhouetted in a new morn’s eastern horizon.

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From Prinsep Ghat to Peer Panjal

 

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8 reviews for From Prinsep Ghat to Peer Panjal: Kolkata & Kashmir Poems

  1. Avatar

    Asha G Kumar

    Really loved these lines

    “It is really very difficult to choose my favourite poem from your poems on Kashmir, but I really loved these lines from your poem ‘At Kheerbhavani’ in From Prinsep Ghat to Peer Panjal .

    “The huge chinar trees looked on with a phlegmatic equanimity,
    and a squirrel stopped in its tracks,
    eyes darting here and there, curious,
    while I eavesdropped furtively.
    A golden oriole hidden in the chinar trees sang a sanguine song soulfully.
    A song about the sylvan past, which alas, did not last”

  2. Avatar

    Amazon Customer

    What a collection of sublime poetry

    What a collection of sublime poetry the book is !

    Both the poets have done a great job . One wants to keep reading and re- reading the poems , they leave you with a soothing effect .

    Lahiri’s poem Chai Jai is so evocative a poem, with such powerful imagery that one wants to immediately dash to the beautiful place , and sip tea , taking in the exquisite decor and the breathtakingly spectacular ambience .

    Blue Pencil has done a commendable job .

    It is a wonderfully produced kindle edition enriched by some lovely pictures of Kashmir and Kolkata.
    Both poets have turned painters painting Prinsep Ghat, the Alleys of Kolkata, the taxis plying the congested streets of Kolkata, Dal Lake , Lidder River , Boulevard, Kheer Bhawani ,Shankaracharya in such lovely hues that you want to book the first flight and touch and retouch , inhale the fragrance of the beautiful places.

    You close the book with a sigh, craving for some more poems from the two poets.

  3. Avatar

    Amazon customer

    Wonderful Verses

    What a collection of sublime poetry the book is !
    Both the poets have done a great job . One wants to keep reading and re- reading the poems , they leave you with a soothing effect .
    Lahiri’s poem Chai Jai is so evocative a poem, with such powerful imagery that one wants to immediately dash to the beautiful place , and sip tea , taking in the exquisite decor and the breathtakingly spectacular ambience .
    Blue Pencil has done a commendable job .
    It is a wonderfully produced kindle edition enriched by some lovely pictures of Kashmir and Kolkata.
    Both poets have turned painters painting Prinsep Ghat, the Alleys of Kolkata, the taxis plying the congested streets of Kolkata, Dal Lake , Lidder River , Boulevard, Kheer Bhawani ,Shankaracharya in such lovely hues that you want to book the first flight and touch and retouch , inhale the fragrance of the beautiful places.

  4. Avatar

    Navin

    Loved it!

    It did not take me long in finishing reading these exquisite poems by two poets I greatly admire .
    With masterful strokes and powerful imagery both the poets have recreated scenes for us – be it lovers whispering into each other’s ears at Prinsep Ghat, the hustle and bustle of Kolkata alleys, the yodelling pigeons, the ever-present cabs of Kolkata, the shikaras plying in the world famous Dal Lake of Kashmir, the pines, fir, oak trees, the Lidder River, the pheran clad women in houseboats – wow !!
    After every poem this is the exclamation that erupts from the mouth.
    The pictures that are part of the book have enriched the book beyond measure.
    Hats off to Dr. Santosh Bakaya, Gopal Lahiri and Antara Nanda Mondal for offering a world weary people a poetic feast to rejuvenate the senses.

    And yes, the introduction by Dr. Sutanuka Ghosh Roy and the foreword by Dr. Ayaz Rasool Nazki are the icing on this poetic cake .

  5. Avatar

    Namrata Dey

    Awsome Nostalgic Poems

    Blue Pencil has done it again! Earlier it was a poetic collaboration between Dr. Ampat Koshy and Dr. Santosh Bakaya – Vodka by the Volga, which became an international bestseller the very second day of its launch- now Prinsep Ghat and and Peer Panjal – poems on Kashmir and Kolkata has also done an encore !

    I have had the honour of reading both books, and they enriched me beyond words.

    In Prinsep Ghat and Peerpanjal, you become a part of the word pictures that the poets have beautifully painted.
    Every poem is so evocative, so heartwarming, so nostalgic.
    Hope for more poems from the two.

  6. Avatar

    Ipsita Ganguli

    A journey of Love

    This book of poems is an expression of a myriad emotions both for the reader as well as for the poets.
    A tale of two destinations, forever etched in the heart and memories written ( by the poets) and received ( by the reader) as sweetness to be savoured and cherished.
    Heartfelt, fleeting imagery , reminiscings and feelings come together to us through a journey of love
    Love for the roots and for places that make us who we are.

  7. Avatar

    Sarthak

    Great book. Hope there is a printed version soon.

    The moment I finished reading the book, I opened it again, wanting to read the poems once more.
    I was one of the cyclists on the Boulevard in Srinagar, found myself sitting in a shikara in the Dal Lake, could see myself watching the sun reflecting off the Peer Panjal, even saw myself among the happy houseboat women as the Jhelum rippled in a peaceful clime making me almost touch the peace that reigned in this land of the Sufi saints.
    Bakaya has created beauty with her pen. So has Lahiri. He has recreated the City of Joy for us, in powerful verses which leaves a lingering fragrance.
    Great job Blue Pencil!
    The Foreword by Dr Ayaz Rasool Naxki and the introduction by Dr.Sutanuka Ghosh Roy are as beautiful as the verses .

  8. Avatar

    Shalini Samuel

    A delightful read

    The book is organised so well. First part contains poet Gopal Lahiri’s poems on Kolkata. The poems are crisp and takes us through the lanes of Kolkatta, the Hooghly river, Park Street, sunshine, the trees, river bank and a lot. It gives us an insight of the real stories of Kolkatta. I thought I have nothing other than Rabindranath Tagore, trams and Aurobindo to talk about when I meet a friend from Kolkatta. The pictures and the poems gave me a different view that there is more in Kolkata.

    Dr. Santosh Bakaya writes about her memories of beautiful Kashmir. Her poems have vivid imagery and truly a delight to read. She has organised the poems as a series. It gives a feel like we are travelling with her from one place to other. Her pen clearly brings out the beauty of Kashmir, the once lively life, and she didn’t forget to brush on how life was so peaceful long ago. The people in her poems are hard to forget so are golden oriole and chinar trees. It makes the reader want to see that beautiful Kashmir again.

    If you start reading the book you will never keep it down. Both poets play with the curiosity of the reader and these poems are going to rest in my mind for long. I am sure I will read it again on a rainy day with a cup of coffee. Fantastic book.

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'Review of “From Prinsep Ghat To Peer Panjal.”'
While reading the poems, I could feel what this ‘sense of direction’ implied. Both the sensitive poets believe in nature, peace and the power of love as an antidote to the cynicism present in society. The poems of both are a riot of colours.
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About the Author/Editor

Gopal Lahiri is a Kolkata-based bilingual poet, critic, editor, writer and translator with 22 books published mostly (13) in English and a few (8) in Bengali, including three jointly edited books. His poetry is also published across various anthologies as well as in eminent journals of India and abroad. He has been invited in various poetry festivals including World Congress of Poets recently held in India. He is published in 12 countries and his poems are translated in 12 languages. He is the recipient of the Poet of the Year Award in Destiny Poets, UK, 2016, Setu Excellence Award, 2020, Pittsburgh, US and Indology Life-Time Achievement award, West Bengal, India.

About the Author/Editor

Santosh Bakaya is the author of three mystery novels for young adults, and a book of essays titled Flights From My Terrace, which was recently published as an e-book on Smashwords. Her poetic biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Ballad Of Bapu has been published by Vitasta Publishers, Delhi, India in May 2015 and has been receiving rave reviews from everywhere. Although a Political theorist, with a doctorate in political theory, it is literature which has been her first love. She was awarded the Reuel international award for language and literature 2014 for her long poem Oh Hark! , which forms part of the Significant Anthology. Many of her poems have figured in the highly commended category in Destiny Poets, a U.K based website and many are part of international anthologies. Right now, she is giving the final touches to her satirical novel, tentatively titled Sanakpur Shenanigans.