The Innerscape of Seetharam

For over the two immediate preceding decades, I was considered as one of the best booksellers in India.

The bookshop run by me in Chennai known as "The Bookshop at Spencer Plaza", had extensive media coverage in India as well as abroad. "The Sydney Herald" had published an article calling it the best bookshop in India then, however i am no longer in the book trade which I had to close 5 years ago as it was a typical scenario depicted in the film "You've got mail" whereby small dedicated corner bookshops run by individuals with limited finance could not compete with with the mega stores.

"The Bookshop" while it was in existence, was patronised mostly by westerners visiting India as well as non resident Indians. By the various press reports as well as remarks penned in the visitors' book, "The Bookshop" had enjoyed a reputation of being an almost a sacred pilgrimage center for book lovers who had visited Chennai which was Madras then.

My academic knowledge and a fanatical passion for the printed word, had made "The Bookshop" a sanctified site for visitors in quest of spiritual, cultural and political as well as social ethos of the Indian sub continent.

Ever since the closure of "The Bookshop", I have diverted my attention to the area of cultural and heritage tours. Being a southerner naturally my focus and expertise is converged to the Southern peninsula. Nevertheless years of exposure to Hinduism and its philosophy have made centers like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Benares and above all the perennial river Ganga are all dear to me. Buddhist pilgrimage centers Bodhgaya, Sanchi, Saranath, Rajgir and Lumbini etc are familiar territories close to my heart. The great temples of Konarak and Khajuraho, standing monuments of a glorious and sensuous past have impressed me and have added fragrance and meaning to life.

I wish to share this passion for history, art, philosophy, religion, culture and above all the most magnificent sculptural and bronze casting skills of the Chola period and the Pallava architectural splendors with the people who would be my fellow travellers into this glorious journey in time.

This is why i've aptly named this blog as "Bharatscape"