ThinkerViews – Views And Reviews Personal views and reviews for books, magazines, tv serials, movies, websites, technical stuff and more.
Name of Anuj Tikku – a popular travel blogger from India is not unknown to our readers. He has had his exposure to advertisement and cinema world. He is currently reviving the lost touch with this industry. In addition, he started consoloding his articles and getting publishing in the form of books.
Travel Blogger Anuj Tikku During Happy Moments
We’ve got a chance to read many of his books and even had a chance to have a few Q/A sessions with him earlier also. This time we got one more opportunity to conduct an Author Interview with him.
This time we’ve consolidated a few questions in the context of various books and we will share it in the same way.
This Is Here In For You
Yeh! Hai INDIA: I Love My India
Yeh! Hai INDIA: I Love My India By Anuj Tikku | Book Cover
Yeh! Hai INDIA: I Love My India – as the name suggests is a collection of Anuj’s travel experience through India. You can find more details about this book from the below given review article:
Well, I decided to convert my blog writings into books. I was not making any money through Google Adsense or youtube.com, so the only way to make money was through writing and selling books. I had cover 22 states in India so I decided to make a book about them based on my travels in India.
Tawang Valley in Arunachal: It is untouched and has very little tourist being near the Indo-China border it has amazing lakes and mountainside.
Banaras: I love the city for its ancient traditions. Temples and places were you can get an insight into esoteric practices like aghoda.
Well, Money is needed in every sphere, and temples need upkeep. The Poojari needs to eat from what donations and help the temple gets. But, as long the business is for sustenance, it is ok. It should not be for personal profit. I enjoyed going to places like Chaar Dhaam, Amarnath caves, Vaishno Devi. These places are charged with positive vibrations and can heal a wounded soul.
We need better buses and road infrastructure as a lot of travel is done by road. I would say, we need to improve our marketing and sell destinations as packages that will help tourism.
I wanted one image that could signify India and that was India gate the flashes and fireworks are just to give it a Diwali and celebrations kind of a feel.
Delhi is vast, huge and spread out. It is slower than Mumbai which has a distinct pace to it. Delhi is the political hub and Mumbai is the glamour and financial hub. I enjoy paying in Mumbai more as I have more friends here. Mumbai is professional, people value time in Mumbai, not so in Delhi.
People in the villages are humble. They stick to their routine and live off the land. They have buffaloes and cattle. And they tend to the fields, make money by selling their crop. They live in wooden huts and take water from wells and ponds. Life is slow and basic for them. TV and Radio along with worshipping is their pass time.
Yes, I catch up with movies and cricket on my iPhone or computer. I enjoy Hotstar and watch cricket on it. I also download movies on iTunes. Just the other day I watched Pink the Tapsee Pannu film and enjoyed it a lot. I bought a new TV just to watch the cricket world cup. Books are my lifeline. To be a good writer you have to be a voracious reader and I had good reading habits. I just finished the Subtle art of not giving a F*ck and Everything is F*cked just last week. Inputs from other sources are important in the creative fields, you get ideas that way.
I felt light when I was on the go. Just me and my thoughts. I felt humbled. But, I also felt like an explorer. Learning about old legends and myths associated with places. Meeting new people and writing about them was also fun.
North East places like Cherrapunji, Nagaland, and Manipur. I want to cover the Northeast fully as it is very diverse from the rest of India. Its tribal customs are a must explore.
Shankara: The Mansarovar Odyssey
Shankara: The Mansarovar Odyssey by Anuj Tikku | Book Cover
Shankara: The Mansarovar Odyssey – is a collection of Anuj Tikku’s travelogue related to his Kailash – Mansarovar escapades. You can read our unbiased book review for the same in the following article:
To live life in harmony with nature and all its natural laws. It is a way of life where joy is sought from within then from outside. This communion of mind, body, and soul is the Spiritual way.
Very happy it was a great trip and I was happy I did it on my own two feet. The experience of being with Sadhguru was also very awe-inspiring. I was thrilled that I passed all the medical tests needed to go there and see the Kailash.
Yes, I did. But, it was just small talk. It was at the airport, he was wearing his sunglasses with his beard in full flow. “You have a fabulous beard sir I love it.” He peered into my eye and said, “Well I see you are growing one yourself.” He remarked indeed I had a subtle too at that time. That is all the chat we had. But I sat with him at the lake and listen to his sermon. I also got a glimpse of him on the way back , he was in the same flight.
Well, you need to pass 22 medical tests along with Cardio and ECG and all sorts of Blood tests. On the way to Tibet you are given tablets, to increase the oxygen in your blood, you have to acclimatize yourself at such high altitudes otherwise there could be an accident.
Make sure you bring it in a speculum backed which can be locked. You don’t want to lose expensive equipments up their in the mountains.
The network is very good and you can speak to your loved ones even from tiger banks of the Mansarovar Lake! The Chinese have put a tower there also. Make sure you use a local connection and you will be just fine.
The Best time to take this trip is during July and August. They are the best months.
Madness Of The Monk
Madness Of The Monk by Anuj Tikku | Book Cover
Madness Of The Monk – is a fictional book by Anuj Tikku that contains spirtuality or better to say, self-awakening related articles. It is his quest to understand life. You can read more about it in our book review for the same.
I got the idea in Shimla and I decided to write it, I was in the Dharamshala for a few weeks and the entire setting was perfect for the book, all I needed was a Monk and the book came into existence.
Yes, they are, indeed. I see in the Monk as my father who is like this omnipotent guide. Even after his death, I see him in the image of the Monk. My father later took up Buddhism and I am also pulled by the Faith. It is like he is constantly holding my hand and protecting me.
Yes, I would certainly recommend vegetarianism. It helps in the spiritual process. You are not eating the dead animal any more but enjoying the fresh bounty of nature.
Yes. They even live longer! They walk a lot and the air and the water are pure. Fresh fruits and cooler weather does increase longevity. They are in tune with nature and thus in harmony with life.
Materialism is needed. But it is a limited thing. And it has its limits to how much joy and satisfaction it can give. Use it as a tool, but, not at the cost of forgetting your own Dharma. Long-lasting and sustained joy comes from within and spirituality is the path of awakening that feeling and spirit.
We need to plant more trees, a hell of a lot more. Rivers need to be cleaned and forests looked after and regulated. Without our environment, we will not sustain as a species.
I enjoy listening to music but I prefer to watch films on the plane. I carry an earphone, but I rarely use it.
Yes Sir I Killed My Dad!
Yes Sir I Killed My Dad!: A Son’s Grief by Anuj Tikku | Book Cover
Yes Sir I Killed My Dad!: A Son’s Grief is Anuj’s account of the tragic incidents related to a personal irrecoverable loss to him. I will suggest you to read the below given article to know more about it.
Well, I was writing a book on the case with Hasan Zaidi long time back. But, it didn’t happen. Now seven years are passed (to the tragic incident), hence, I still have vivid memories of the incident and decided to pen it down on my own. In my own style. This was my perspective and my grief. And, I wrote it in seven days flat. It was my catharses and helped me further deal with the tragedy. It has been a positive experience in writing it.
Friends, old friends helped a lot. But my travelling and writing really healed me; otherwise I would have continued to go downhill. The travels gave my life a new path and a new trajectory. Now the incident is not so fresh, so the intensity of its impact has also diminished. Time heals all wounds period, and it has healed this one too. The book I wrote was just an outlet.
Yes, it did I did a lot of it. Plus, the walking and the entire spiritual experience of my travels helped a lot.
Come here only if you have a certain level of skill. You have to go through the grind and the heartbreaks. Nothing comes easy and it takes time. Make sure your finances are in good shape. You will need resources to stay in the city. Choose your friends and who you hang out with, carefully.
Just as a good human being.
Author Anuj Tikku During Happy Moments
Over To You:
Hope you have enjoyed the Q/A session with him. And many of your questions might be already answered. Let us know that what do you think about this Interview session? Do you want us to ask anything else to him on your behalf? Do let us know. Also, let us know which other authors you like us to interview? Do let us know your thoughts and remarks via comments below. Do not forget to share this article with your friends over various social networks via Twitter, Facebook and others. And yes, you may like to subscribe to our RSS feeds and follow us on various Social networks to get latest updates for the site to land right in your mail box.
