Ahead of Lord Jagannath's Nabakalebar festival, a new book by an award winning author has come out with unique tales which portray Jagannath culture as a way of life with contemporaty relevance and not merely a religious belief.
The first copy of the book "Tales of Lord Jagannath", written by Ramendra Kumar, popularly known by Ramen, was presented by the writer to Odisha's Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda on the 'Odia New Year' yesterday.
"It is heartening that the book has been published before Nabakalebar. I am sure the book will be very popular because of its content as well as contemporary relevance," the Minister said.
According to Ramen, Jagannath Culture is not merely a religious belief; it is a way of life. The tales associated with Lord Jagannath form a fascinating treasure trove of myth, legend, folklore and history.
Though these stories have been around for generations, mostly in oral form, they were yet to find a place in any anthology in English, especially for children. This book seeks to fill the gap, said Ramen, who over the last decade has been doing research on Jagannath Consciousness and has presented papers on the theme both in India and abroad.
The book is an engrossing anthology of tales filled with magic and mystery, dedication and devotion, courage and conviction, faith and freedom.
