Celebrating India’s legacy, wisdom through books

“Recently, I’ve developed a renewed respect for some of our philosophical foundations, and I don’t limit this to any particular religion. It’s a term that Nitin (Gadkari) ji used: maulik soch – the power of original thought,” said former diplomat and Rajya Sabha MP

Pavan K Varma

at the launch of his latest book,

Echoes of Eternity

: A Journey Through Indian Thought from the Rigveda to the Present .Reflecting on his writing journey, tracing it back to his first book – a biography of Mirza Ghalib, Varma said, “I make no special claim of authority in writing this book. My first work was a biography of Mirza Ghalib, which began as a personal quest to better understand someone I regard as one of the greatest poets of all time. From there, my writing expanded to a broad spectrum of subjects, including Krishna, the Indian middle class, and being Indian.” He was joined at the event by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, and Shashi Tharoor for a discussion on the book.

‘There is much to appreciate in the legacy we have’

Gadkari praised the book for encapsulating the spirit of Indian civilisation and commended Varma for distilling the wisdom of centuries into a thoughtful narrative. “There’s no trace of self-assertion in his tone ki ‘ Main ye keh raha hoon’ , instead, he has analysed various ideologies, from the Rigveda to modern thinkers, and presented a deeply refined synthesis of ideas,” Gadkari remarked.Tharoor reflected on his shared intellectual journey with Varma through the vast landscape of Indian philosophy. “We both recognise that there is much to value in our civilisational legacy — embracing differences, celebrating diversity, and acknowledging the many paths to truth. Unfortunately, some who lay claim to this legacy have chosen to overlook that plurality,” said Tharoor.