My parents, who read out to me page after page from a pictorial book , introduced me to different types of colours. Four and half decades later, Madhu Gurung through her book
Tibet With My Eyes Closed added a new dimension towards understanding some of them.
Eleven heart-breaking and heart-warming stories divided into five colours of the Tibetan payer flag makes it not just an interesting read, but also an informative one. It is really a tough ask for any writer to bring in so many elements of uniqueness into one book and still hold on to its traditional as well historic roots of existence. Gurung being herself a part of that soil has managed to bring out wonderfully, minutest of details embracing her culture.
Acknowledging the fact that, the flag of a nation is its soul; the author has grouped the stories based on the five colours — blue, white, red, green and yellow.
As a reader when you soak yourself into each of these colours, you realise Gurung’s intention behind associating each of them with a particular colour.
Blue symbolises the sky and space, stories under this shade has lots to do with dreams and aspirations, daily life cycle and tender emotions. White symbolises the air and wind. Holding on to the main characteristic of these elements, stories under it finds mention of travel, cafes and all that would keep a reader on constant move. Red
symbolizes fire, with no iota of doubt a reader gets a feel of being into battlegrounds where warriors and army men do what they are known for.
Green symbolizes water, stories parked under this shade has its own soothing effect more so after you have just come out of the battle flied emotionally bruised and wounded.
Water always has its own soothing effect, the author has not deprived readers of it. Lastly, Yellow symbolizes Earth.
After a long reading journey, Gurung makes every reader feel grounded and connected to ones own roots, which her concluding set of stories in this book.
Tibet With My Eyes Closed takes you to greater heights of understanding emotions and brings you even closer to the colours you once thought are mere shades.
