Seasons of Splendour Tales, Myths and Legends of India

By: Madhur Jaffrey

Published by New York Review Books, 2022-10-04

A vibrant collection of Indian myths and legends illustrated in beautiful watercolors and told by one of India's sparkling personalities, Madhur Jaffrey.

Seasons of Splendour is a richly illustrated treasury of stories about Indian gods and goddesses, kings and queens, princes and demons. Here are engaging and beautifully told tales of Krishna, Ram, and Sita, along with stories based on the Hindu epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as others of ancient origin with no known source. When Madhur Jaffrey was a young girl growing up in her grandfather’s house in Delhi, storytelling was an integral part of life. After dinner, she would huddle with her cousins and siblings around a seated aunt, grandmother, or mother and listen. This collection contains those enduring stories, each one introduced by a vivid childhood memory or humorous anecdote and arranged in the sequence in which they were told, in conjunction with religious festivals throughout the Hindu calendar year. From April to April, here is a year’s worth of tales, myths, and legends, a cycle of stories to read aloud, illustrated in full color with Michael Foreman’s sumptuous watercolor paintings. Also included is a “Who Is Who and What Is What” glossary and English pronunciation guide for curious young readers.