Reading this book has been on my radar for a long time but the fact that it was in Kannada was a deterrent. While I understand Kannada, I can’t read it. But I am so glad, a translation is now available in English and gave me the opportunity to absorb the author’s depiction of the journey of our ancestors.
The book took me back into a different century and brought alive the emotions of what our people must have felt then. How one fine day they saw some outsiders come in and gradually gain power and make them homeless. It tells the doubts they nurtured, the fears that engulfed them, the temptations to take the easier path of converting to Christianity and enjoy its privileges, of the sacrifices our ancestors made to protect our religion and of the resolve to ensure our community flourishes.
I must say though that reading the book took me a lot of patience especially since I have a short attention span and the book covers almost 9 generations, so reading through names of 100 plus characters and places was not very easy. But that also goes to show the patience Gopalkrishna Mam took to research, detail out the migration journey and bring out a document for the future generations.
Some very interesting things I learnt was the idea of Nagdo Betal and Dhadda.
This book is a must read for every Saraswat. It is available to purchase here Original Version in Kannada and English Translation. If you do not have the time to run through 300 odd pages, then for those who understand Kannada take some time to see an abridged narration of this played out in this drama by the Nata Mitraru group or listen to this chapter by chapter audio reading in your spare time or during your travels. But if you do not know Kannada, then like me take the hard way – read the book page by page!