 | |
| Author | Omair Ahmad |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Travel, History |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
| Published | 2013 |
| Publisher | Aleph Book Company |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 231 |
| ISBN | 978-9-3822-77019 |
| OCLC | 853618401 |
The Kingdom at the Centre of the World: Journeys into Bhutan is a non-fiction book by Omair Ahmad.
The author commenced the writing process for this book in 2005, but but it was not until his visit to Bhutan in 2007 that numerous opportunities and venues became accessible for data collection. He acknowledges Dasho Karma Ura and his Centre for Bhutan Studies and GNH Research for supporting the books' on-field research activities. [1]
Govinda Nair of The Hindu writes, "The strength of the book lies in making Bhutan’s unique history come alive through stories that explain not only how it survives, nay thrives, in its tough neighbourhood, but also how it epitomises the concept of ‘national happiness’." [2]
Writing for India Today, Pavan K. Varma writes, "The best part of his book is its methodology. He doesn't give a mechanically chronological narrative of events, but tries to weave history with personal observation, fact with anecdote, trends with personal interaction, and analysis with readability." [3]
IndraStra Global's book review team writes, "One of the book's strengths lies in its exploration of Bhutan's history and the complexities of its modern-day transformation. Ahmad skillfully weaves historical context into his travels, shedding light on Bhutan's monarchy, its pursuit of Gross National Happiness, and its delicate balance between tradition and progress." [4]
Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a South-Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language.
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Gross National Happiness (GNH), sometimes called Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH), is a philosophy that guides the government of Bhutan. It includes an index which is used to measure the collective happiness and well-being of a population. Gross National Happiness Index is instituted as the goal of the government of Bhutan in the Constitution of Bhutan, enacted on 18 July 2008.
Tourism in Bhutan began in 1974, when the Government of Bhutan, in an effort to raise revenue and to promote Bhutanese unique culture and traditions to the outside world, opened its isolated country to foreigners. In 1974 a total of 287 tourists visited the Kingdom of Bhutan. The number of tourists visiting Bhutan increased to 2,850 in 1992, and rose dramatically to 7,158 in 1999. By the late 1980s tourism contributed over US$2 million in annual revenue.
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Human rights in Bhutan are those outlined in Article 7 of its Constitution. The Royal Government of Bhutan has affirmed its commitment to the "enjoyment of all human rights" as integral to the achievement of 'gross national happiness' (GNH); the unique principle which Bhutan strives for, as opposed to fiscally based measures such as GDP.
Marthandavarma is a historical romance novel by C. V. Raman Pillai published in 1891. It recounts the history of Venad (Travancore) during the final period of Rajah Rama Varma’s reign and subsequently to the accession of Marthanda Varma. Set in Kollavarsham 901–906, the story revolves around three protagonists, Ananthapadmanabhan, Subhadra and Mangoikkal Kuruppu, who try to protect the title character from Padmanabhan Thambi and Ettu Veetil Pillamar who plan to oust him from the throne of Travancore. The novel utilizes rich allusions to the Indian subcontinent and Western, historical, cultural and literary traditions.
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Tshering Tobgay is a Bhutanese politician, environmentalist, and cultural advocate who was the Prime Minister of Bhutan from July 2013 to August 2018. Tobgay is the leader of the People's Democratic Party, and was also the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from March 2008 to April 2013.
Makaramanju is a 2011 Malayalam language romantic drama film written and directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film is about celebrated painter Raja Ravi Varma's life at a certain stage in his life. It also narrates the story of epic character Pururavas. Cinematographer Santhosh Sivan and Karthika Nair appear in the lead roles, as it was also the latter' major Malayalam debut.
Ravi Varma Raja (1745–1793) was a Samantan Nair warrior prince of the Royal House of Zamorins from Calicut who fought a two-decade long revolt against the Mysore Sultanate under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan between 1766–1768 and 1774–1791, and later the British East India Company in 1793.
Pavan K. Varma is an Indian diplomat, politician, and author who served as an ambassador to Bhutan and Cyprus.
Leena Nair is an Indian business executive who is the Global CEO of Chanel. Nair previously served as the Chief Human Resource Officer of Unilever and member of the Unilever Leadership Executive. Nair was responsible for the human capital of Unilever, which operates across multiple regulatory and labour environments spread over 190 countries. Under her leadership, Unilever has been named the number one FMCG graduate employer of choice in 54 countries. She headed the Diversity and Inclusion agenda for the organisation ensuring that its workforce is diverse and inclusive. Nair is an advocate for human-centred workplaces and compassionate leadership.
Prabha Varma is a poet, lyricist, journalist and television presenter. He has published ten collections of poems, three novels in verse, six books on the contemporary socio-political milieu and literature, six collections of essays in criticism, a study on media, a travelogue and a novel in english.
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The Himalayan Arc: Journeys East of South-east is an anthology of fiction and nonfiction edited by Namita Gokhale, with contributions by authors from the region Gokhale has described as "the bend of the Himalayas, the East of South-east, including Nepal, Bhutan, north-east India, and Myanmar."
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