'The Tantric Curse' by Anupama Garg was one of our pick of 2016. Written with a topic 'Tantra' which is considered as taboo in India, Anupama has created a wonderful story around tantra and tantra sadhak. Last week we got chance to talk to author and she agreed to give a short interview about her book.
Before we start, let me congratulate and wish Anumapma Garg all the best for her debut book 'The Tantric Curse'.
Can you tell our readers about your educational background?
I am post graduate in Chemistry, and have received a Diploma in Business Management and completed law thereafter.
What is your profession?
I presently conduct programs under the name and style of “Life by Choice” with corporate, educational institutes, hospitals and organisations. The focal point of all the programs is self-awareness and self-cultivation leading to holistic wellness. To know more about my work , one can visit www.lifebychoice.net.
Any extra-curricular activities during your school & college?
In school I actively participated in dance, dramatics and debating.
So tell us about your reading habit. Do you read any specific genre or author?
I do read and I read whatever catches my attention irrespective of whose written it. I choose a book depending on the kind of flow and mood I am in.
When did you start writing?
I started with writing small motivational articles for the participants attending my programs around 12/13 years back. I do have a blog which has simple short motivational articles written by me, some of which were published in newspapers and magazines lifebychoice.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I am a student of Tantra and disciple of Baba Batuknathji, a Tantric and the head of Bhootnath ashram, the main centre being in Lucknow, India. Media in general has maligned, misinterpreted and misrepresented Tantrics as dark mystical people, indulging in sinister activities. Often people get duped as they lack the understanding of what it is all about. They are lured by such people in the name of offering miraculous solutions to their problems. This also is primarily due to fact that there is nothing known about Tantra. I am not really a writer and often I would discuss with my Guruji about miscreants posing as Tantrics and maligning Tantra. This book happened as one day my Guruji directed me to write a book on Tantra which could be read and comprehended by a common man instead of sitting and forever complaining that why do people misunderstand Tantra so grievously.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
No such ambitions just do my work judiciously, to the best of my ability!
What genre are your books?
The Tantric Curse is romance, inspirational and mystery rolled in one.
Can you describe your current book in few lines?
The book throws light on the principles of Tantra. The book, through its central characters, takes the readers into the world of authentic Tantra giving an un-bashed account of the dark and light in Tantra. It is an intense and passionate love story, inspirational handbook of life explaining the principles of Tantra all rolled in one. It is gripping set in present-day and is fast paced.
Give us an insight into your main character(s)
The three main characters of the book are Satya, Krishnam and Rhea. Rhea is the protagonist, gifted with inexplicable abilities and pursuing the royal path of ancient Tantra in Varanasi. Satya, her revered guru, shapes her to carry on the lineage of one of the most controversial path, “Tantra”. He is like a father who lets her make the mistakes, bear the consequences and learn from them. Her personal journey of growth gives the readers a peep into the world of Tantra. The lineage is cursed several generations before her and is at its last where either it will be redeemed or will end, responsibility of which lies on her shoulders. Krishnam is the son of her guru, who shows her the door to sensual pleasures where their body and spirit meet. He is a celebrity lawyer in U.S. and possesses her through love which helps her grow to be woman he is proud of. Rhea is fiery and he the silent space that encompasses her fire. He gives her all the freedom except from himself and places her before himself at every point in life.
Where do your ideas come from?
Life, people and nature.
How much research did you do for this book?
Books like these have to be researched through practice and life. I have dedicated my life to Tantra under the guidance of my Guruji to be able to write a fiction book on it.
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
For me personally the hardest part was to get into the flow and then to articulate what I wish to communicate in a way that it’s easy to comprehend.
Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?
No I do not have a trailer. I do have podcasts the link to which are: Podcast-1 & Podcast-2
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
I would want a good director to take up the adaptation and leave the casting to him/her.
What are you working on at the minute?
I am contemplating to write a book on reincarnation.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
I really don’t think that there are any laws for writing. As Ernest Hemingway has said “All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”However I do recommend reading and also reading on subjects beyond what is one’s comfort zone.
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
I am not a writer but have made an attempt to introduce the true face of Tantra. The book is simple and easy to comprehend and will take you into a world that few understand and know. My idea to write this book was to draw attention to certain facts about Tantra.Tantra is a path of self-realisation descending from Lord Shiva. It is maligned as never before has a genuine practitioner told what it entails to be a Tantric and what exactly is Tantra. The West has misrepresented and misunderstood it as some exceptional sexual practice, whereas in India, as some practice which has grotesque rituals meant to cause destruction. Often media and television in particular have reinstated the fact time and again by calling delinquents Tantrics. Self-proclaimed Tantrics indulging in illegitimate activities are not Tantrics but impostors wearing robes and exploiting people under the garb of Tantra.”The Tantric Curse” is an attempt to bring out the truth of what it entails to be a tantric and why is it given under the Guru Shisya system. Every power has the potential to be misused and how it is used depends on the wisdom of the user.
Links for your book readers
- Website: LifeByChoice
- Blog: http://blog.lifebychoice.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetantriccurse
- Life by Choice: https://www.facebook.com/lbcag
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/anug13
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anupama-garg-9b375113
- Amazon Book Page: http://amzn.to/2hpRonT
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27877664-the-tantric-curse
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