Chayanika (Hindi Edition)

No sooner than I received the book Chayanika, I read it all eagerly in one sitting. I found the anthology irresistible, each poem arousing curiosity to read the next until the last poem. I even read a few poems to my wife.Pratibha ji’s poetry is profound, intense, and overwhelming, depicting the whole range of emotions; a kaleidoscope. The poems resonate with my emotions. They ooze the yearning perhaps for what we lose when we live in a foreign country away from our loved ones and "janmabhumi," though I am not sure if I interpreted "Saarathi," "Satya," and others correctly as a longing for the simple and the easy past. "Jeena Chahati Hoon" is intense, depicting the love and bond between husband and wife, between family members, and the desire to be together forever and life not reach an end.I love Hindi. The poems evoke our past, our memories, love, life's tides, and ebbs. "Raet si phisalti jindagi" and other poems are each evocative and poignant.The name Chayanika – an ensemble of the chosen -- is so pretty. Each poem is sobering, created in earnest, evoking, permeating, soaking us with humanness, making us aware of our frailties. The book has a precious treasure of emotions to experience, to explore.

With her thoughtful and thought provoking poems Pratibha Shrivastava takes you through a journey of emotions that we all experience through the ebbs and flows in our lives. Her message - to celebrate the happy moments and gifts of nature, and meet the challenging times with resolve and resilience – projected in poetic imagery of these heartwarming verses is an enchanting gift to all admirers of Hindi poetry.

These poems encapsulate the very essence of the being. The journey through life, noticing the small things and the big things, the life events that created joy, fun, sadness, frustration, and love. The richness of expression, in some places intricate, in others less so, paints vivid pictures in my mind's eye.

It took me almost a month to read this book thoroughly as I had to read several poems over and over to absorb the deep thought. The poems reminded me of poetry written in Chhayavaad by Mahadevi Verma and Jayshankar Prasad. I wish Pratibha had published her poems much earlier to become a legend in her own life time. A hint of Buddhist philosophy, pain and suffering of the neglected and yearning to live happily. Each poem is a nugget that pulls your attention. A "Must Read" for those who like read serious poetry.

I love the sensitivity, emotions and expression in the poem. Heart touching and thought provoking book.

Unlike most contemporary Hindi poetry, I found this readable. Five stars just for that. The vocabulary, metre, meaning and overall readability of the poems is quite nice.