Our Portfolio of events

A Brief Introduction

In the past we have been actively involved in organizing and hosting events including:

-a Word of Mouth Event on Modern and Contemporary Nepali Literature in conversation with the acclaimed adademic, a renowned writer and professor at School of Oriental and African Studies, Michael Hutt, (02/01/2011)

- an interactive meeting of young Sikkimese leaders and entrepreneurs with the Director of Kolkata chapter of American Center, Chad Cummins and the Regional Media Advisor Erica Diya Basu, (15/12/2010)

- an interactive session on heritage architecture of the Himalayan monastries- Mind the concrete: Ancient Lhasa among skyscrapers with Andre Alexander of Tibetan Heritage Fund and author of Temples of Lhasa, (06/11/2010)

- solo exhibition of paintings Whisper by Vijay Mani Thulung, (03 - 09 October 2010)

- a special screening of Madhav Wagle's film FIRST LOVE directed by Simosh Sunuwar with special interactive session with two lead actors Vinay Shrestha & Karma, (23/09/2010)

- a Word of Mouth event Future of Himalayan Economies by the acclaimed author of Unleashing Nepal Sujeev Shakya, (21/09/2010)

- presents a video installation & play This Room Is Not My Room directed & performed by Parnab Mukherjee, (19/09/2010)

- performance of two plays directed by Parnab Mukherjee: Munshi Premchand's KAFAN performed by Gautam Bajoria and Imagine No Possessions performed by Parnab Mukherjee, (18/09/2010)

- first of the event series Word of Mouth with presentation and interactive sessionon the contentious Lho Mom Tsong Sum Treaty by Oxford University scholar Dr Saul Mullard, (10/09/2010)

- a 10 days evening session of storytelling by Friends@Rachna and Indigenous Storytellers Network, (18 - 24 August 2010)

- an exhibition of digital paintings on folklore of the Eastern Himalayas Confluence by Acoustic Traditional, Bangalore (18 - 24 August 2010)

- an exhibition of paintings by Suraj Gurung, (08 - 16 August 2010)

- an evening of music and readings with performances and writings by artistes from Gangtok, Darjeeling and Shillong, (25/07/2010)

- book release Legends of the Lepchas : Folktales of Sikkim by Yeshi D illustrated by Pankaj Thapa, a Tranquebar/Westland publication, (25/07/2010)

- an exhibition of photos and couplets Visual Dialogue by Yogita Ranapaheli as a part of Aperture Culture's In Focus series, (17 - 25 April 2010)

- an interactive session on rationalism and intelligence with Rajesh Dalal from LifeLab and Krishnamurti Foundation, (06/03/2010)

- a presentation on looking at art by Saumik Nandy Majumdar from Kala Bhawan, Shantiniketan, (02/03/2010)

- musical performance, animations presented by Deoashish Mothay's Nepali Varnamala Troupe, followed by hand shadow puppetry by Radha Kumud Sharma, (28/02/2010)

- premiere of a Lepcha film Pusingkyongmoo, by Dawa Lepcha, (26/02/2010)

- Converse '09, readings by poets and writers from Sikkim and North East India, (20/12/2009)

- book release of Dancing Earth : A Penguin Anthology of Poetry from North East India, (20/12/2009)

- Perspectives, an exhibition showcasing the workls of Bindya Subba (apparel designs), Roshney Modha (wood/bamboo/paper lamps) and Birendra Rai (an experimental short film), (12/12/2009 - 20/12/2009)

- an exhibition of photographs by Neeraj Pradhan, a Sikkimese photographer, as a part of Aperture Culture's In Focus series, (10 - 19 July 2009)

- Xibit09 an annual exhibition of paintings by students from Tashi Namgyal Academy, (13 - 21 June 2009)

- an exhibition of photographs by Markus Wild, a Swiss photographer, as a part of Aperture Culture's In Focus series, (30 May - 10 June 2009)

- a 10 day exhibition of sketches "Lunch-hour Doodles" by Nepal's Preena Shrestha, in tie-up with Y!zine, (17/05/2009)

- an evening of Baul music "Baul, Bhakti, Barsha" by Nimoy Das Baul, accompanied by Deo Ashish and Nishant,

- screenings of short films "Maachis ko Sinka" (Matchstick) by Radhamohini Prasad and "Echoes" by Rebana John, (25/04/2009)

- an Earth Hour special sensitization programme for teachers and media on global warming in tie-up with the Sikkim chapter of World Wildlife Fund, (25/03/2009)

- simultaneous book releases by father-daughter duo, PG Tenzing & Dechen P Tenzing, of their titles "Don't ask any old bloke for directions" and "Wolf's Fangs"
respectively, (23/03/2009)

- an exhibition of photographs by S.T.Wangdi as a part of Aperture Culture's In Focus series, (21 March - 4 April 2009)

- a perennial platform for showcasing works of amateur and professional photographers under the banner "Aperture Culture", (16/11/2008)

- a solo performance of the play “Necropolis: rehearsing Koltes in such times...” by Parnab Mukherjee from the theatre performance company Best of Kolkata Campus supported by Five Issues and PANOS, (21/07/2008)

- “Himalayan Whispers” where local writers and artists had a sit-in with the editors of a New Jersey based literary magazine Personae Online for an evening of musings on the arts and writings from the mountains, (12/07/2008)

- “Geet Varsha” an evening of Sufi and Indian Classical music by Vikram Singh Khangura accompanied by friends in the local music circuit, (11/07/2008)

- Sikkim’s first installation artwork exhibition “Catch A Star” by Takahito Kimura aided by The Japan Foundation, (27/10/2007)

- “Travelling Film South Asia” - the first ever documentary film festival in Sikkim, in collaboration with Himal Association from Nepal. Some of these documentaries were taken to different schools namely Tashi Namgyal Academy and Padma Odzer Choeling School anda special screening was organised for the students of Deorali Senior Secondary Girls' School,

- an evening of regional women in literature and music, with poetry by Yeshi D and Anu, short-story by Roshan Pradhan and music by Neha Pradhan

- an evening of jazz music by a saxophonist from France – Tristan Predelle accompanied by local musicians,

- several musical evenings by a local folk music talent Deoashish Mothay and his troupe of children from a village school in Darjeeling district,

- an evening of readings from upcoming novels by two new novelists from Sikkim, Chetan Shrestha and Nikhil Pradhan,

- workshop on conservation of Thankas and other religious manuscripts by Rakhi Bali – conservationist and restorer at Satyajit Ray Society,

- an evening of music and poetry by Rumi & Borges performed musically by a duo - Barbara Gerke on flute from Kalimpong and Linda Neil on violin from Australia, (28/05/2005)

- organizing and screening the premiere of ‘Chetna’, a Nepali film on AIDS awareness directed by Pratap Subba, (19/03/2005)

- staging a Manipuri play “Lidiceegee Gulap” in the form of ancient folk theatre Sumang Leela by the theatre group Sanaleipak Nachom and aided by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to commemorate Rachna Silver Jubilee Year 2005, (14/03/2005 – 16/03/2005)

- organizing & screening of documentaries “The Day My God Died” by Andrew Levine & “Affluenza” by John de Graaf; followed by talks by panelists, in tie-up with the Kolkata chapter of The American Center, (11/10/2004)

- several short story and poetry reading sessions by upcoming and established talents from the region as well as students of Loyola Marymount University, Califormia,

- an informal interactive session of the local youth and media with the Director of USIS Susan M. Schultz,

- promotion of vermiculture in schools through our programme ‘Wealth from Waste’

- launching of a local literary magazine Catscanned, (18/01/2004)

- screening of a short documentary on the ritualistic dances at the Rumtek monastery by aspiring film-makers from Kolkata – Monodeep Guha and Ronojit Dasgupta, (2003)

- re-introducing readership in the villages by donating books to start libraries through our ‘Jai Library Movement’, named after our founder,

- publishing works which include documentation of three decades of legislative system in Sikkim; low-cost high-yield rural technologies made accessible to the farmers; a comprehensive documentation of the history of Nepali literature of this region involving twenty years of research, etc.

For events such as these, we have a dedicated medium sized audio-visual hall one floor above the bookshop that doubles up as an exhibition gallery space as well.

Rachna Books hopes to continue growing as a platform for raising the standard and for showcasing talents, new or renowned, to a wider audience in the Himalayan region.

Come visit -

www.rachnabooks.com

The Venue

All read and play

Travelling Film South Asia 07

Catch a Star - Takahito Kimura

Ladies' Night

Jazz night - Tristan Predelle

Of books and readership

Books bring joy and cheer to everyone – you, me and also to kids we have. This we saw recently also when getting them books for the new session in schools. Most families were seen busy bringing home books and covering them in brown with a neat and clean label pasted on it to declare its proud ownership. That is why, they say in most of the seminars on books and readership that we have to catch them young!

If we find such an enthusiasm to start the year with right from school-going children to parents and even grand parents for the books, how could the readership, as such, be dwindling in this world? You just got to see the glow in the eyes and cheers in the face of one, be he or she young or old, when one gets the book of his/her choice or the one he /she had been looking for since long to hold it in his hands and possess. It is the matter to make books readily available if the readership i0s not to wane and dwindle. This very purpose makes a bookseller aglow opening bundles of new arrivals just received. It brings him not only the joy of bringing it home into his showroom for some avid acquisitive reader but also the satisfaction he feels handing over the long awaited title. His purpose to keep on a reader’s interest serves best by making it available readily and easily. The fad for books, therefore, never fades out though we may people faddy about it to see it fading away.

“You can judge a town by the bookshops it has” as someone said. With Gangtok coming of age, latest books are also available here. Like I do not visit market for all my needs, but get someone’s help to get them - a book could also be obtained as well sending someone or enquiring and placing order over phone or even online as recently saw the ad in a local news-daily for a bookshop located in the national capital. If the title is the one you were dying for since long, one can well afford the hassles and to pay extra for freight / courier / postage and bank charges over and above the price of the book in offer. This is the price one has to pay for the readership! If locally available, you would save time and money both. So, check once here as well.

Have you seen that vernacular monthly Bhasker doing rounds in town of late? Yes, it is trying popularizing science through its write-ups in lighter vein. It is catching up fast as well since I happened to see a top ranking bureaucrat showing me this brilliantly produced work with words of praise as he did not know the person who brought him personally to present it. Its recent issue laments on the plight of the Nepali Literary Magazine (NLM), all in lighter vein of course, presently with fever in torturing 104°F finds the Editor (himself in the like of many of his clan in the NLM world) excelling ever since the beginning for ages towards the downfall in the peak at climax, people forget even to laugh seeing the crying of such a magazine! The Editor of a NLM, who again terms himself, is a writer, its publisher + proof reader + layout designer + binder + distributor + postman + marketing manager + accountant + public relations officer + storekeeper + clerk + cashier + advertising expert, etc, etc. endlessly rolled into one. Thus a wonderful creature he is – all rolled into one.

He has a different world altogether, a distinct identity of himself for he is a very special species in this world. But indomitable and very smart it cannot be that an ordinary species. They are like the moth that dares burning candle to sacrifice itself. Yes, they are the moths dedicated for the cause of literature. For them earning fortune out of NLM is just like reaching for the moon but for the rest the declining trend in readership may seriously affect the identity itself of the language and community. We are the most community based people which he later informs in another paragraph and reminds us in yet another that it is the attitude that makes the difference with Reader’s Digest selling 4,00,000 copies in a month (and to add it has 48 editions in 19 languages worldwide) losing grounds as its ramifications are deep-rooted in our society. It may not make a much of the difference for periodicals in English or Hindi like Outlook, India Today, Sarita, Mukta, Kadambini, etc., but if it is for a Nepali world, it surely would harm us if the trend continues further downward like this. All may laugh at on this fate, but one cannot help. Jokes are like that and jokes are always a truth and facts of life as well, he puts it so well.

A reader for such a periodical is itself a vanishing species. So, L K Rai deserves a pat on the back for this well put exercise rather a bold experiment for an eye-opener. Himself a writer of books being a scientist dedicated to the nature in Sikkim-Darjeeling region working in the G B Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment and Development - Sikkim chapter for over a decade and a half now, he has co-authored for works on trees and medicinal plants here – both very useful resource books for reference. To know more, you have to get a copy of this monthly Bhasker (which means Sun and also, Fire and Gold but its masthead shows it in or out of partial eclipse). Venturing out of friends’ circle where this monthly was earlier in limited circulation and it is now for us to go through so as to see and believe him. If you liked the monthly and want to subscribe it too, you have to wait for the next issue that comes with the problem of providing a subscription-form solved.

Some find news-weeklies here serving no purpose other than that of its editor’s own. Yet we have the one that is not only the longest surviving and serving its own class and category of readers but also having a considerable readership extended far beyond even to far off North Eastern States. It is the Wichar weekly in its 25th year of publication with the editor Subhash Deepak over-running all the hurdles as lamented above. Following its footsteps is a newcomer Bhanuraj Thapa’s Rhenock (Purva) from my home town that just completed a year to thank all its readers and well-wishers.

Speaking of periodicals, we have another again in vernacular a quarterly forum for the entire North-East Himalayan region in vibrant colours like any of the popular ones for literature, news and views, Divya Bharati edited and published by G.P. Sharma “Anath” a regular columnist with his satirical Anathko Diary in the last page of a local news-daily Hamro Prajashakti and editor of the weekly Swatantra Samachar. This needs again not only our commendation to the entire enterprising team for such a bold but well trodden step. It deserves our support by buying a copy regularly, even by subscribing to it.

To start the year, we had a hopeful and fair dose of articles Catscanned with 60+4 pages interspersed profusely with advertisements and in colours brilliantly brought out by a team of six who need no introduction for their work now known to us and they have promised of its online edition too soon. It was a grab for Rs. 30/- and by the February end all its copies vanished from stalls finding place in homes far and wide. Now the second issue is also out on the stands to check if it improved or not!

Immediately to follow and to everyone’s joy was from the house of Now! Team with articles and photographs Now! Focus Sikkim Matters all in black and white Looking ahead all minus dose of advertisements in their 76+4 pages for Rs. 50/-. Seeking Nepali Readers with two others was an eye opener to those who concerned and brain feeding to those who are comfortable through reading in English!

Coming back to books – though we know that we do not keep a count of those produced in a year but we also know it very well that we have aplenty here with five releases in a single day as seen on the World Poetry Day recently, though one research-worker from Nagari in the neighbouring Darjeeling hills mentions me that they had a count for their own with 19 altogether during 2005.

As for the latest in vernacular we have one crammed into 128+6 pages in smaller size font to serve more for less at just Rs.50/- a piece in hardcover to suit your pocket and fit in cosily as well. Titled Jiddi Balak (meaning ‘stubborn child’ is but also for grown-up kids) 1500 copies are made available abundantly in one go. With poems of the prolific young and energetic Bhim Thatal, hitting a century since he penned his first in1989 till recently in February, this book is also advertised well in search of readership perhaps. It is encouraging to find him instead already gathered much praise from literary luminaries to its backing to end.

Like haunting melodies, writings of the past get alive in Dhumil Prishthharu- Anusandhanatmak Granth by master story teller Gupta Pradhan with reprints of books that took and shook the hills in pre-Chandrika era during 1867-1918 AD. Limited copies available at Rachna and with the author in Darjeeling are for those rare breeds who stake claims in Nepali literature for serious readings.

If one says Sikkim does not come out with excellence, you have to see to believe this in the shape and size of 9¼” x 12¾” weighing solid 1.70kg hardcover 100 Sikkim Himalayan Orchids by Mohan Pradhan that comes with cultivation guide for each of 100 species / 51 genera in 232 pages in art paper with 120 stunning photographs, 100 full page illustrations & individual field maps. You have to pay a price for that, of course and it is sold at Rs. 2,400/- a piece -worth paying and possessing outright!

Above account is itself well indicative of the refreshing days ahead. Who says we do not read or write even if we do not keep a count of them each year passing by?

So, it is brewing up surely and definitely for warmer cup of coffee or tea by next winter, let us do hope so!
R S Shresta