The Ghost of the Mountains
by Sujatha Padmanabhan and illustrated by Madhuvanti Anantharajan
“The Ghost of the Mountains” by Sujatha Padmanabhan and illustrated by Madhuvanti Anantharajan. Published by Kalpavriksh. An engrossing tale based on true events from the mountains of Ladakh.
Rigzin was a sixteen year old living in the village of Ang in Ladakh. He woke up on the day of Buddhapurnima and went fir a wash in the stream near his home. As he was splashing the water in his face, he heard his friend Rigzin calling out to him hurriedly. He was pointing towards Tashi’s house and asking him to come there. As Rigzin looked, he saw the villagers running towards Tashi’s house shouting “Shan! Shan!”
Rigzin couldn’t believe what he just heard. How could a Shan come here of all places!? It was so difficult to sight one given that it is very elusive and well camouflaged amidst the mountains where it lives. He had never managed to see one so far. He had attended a nature guides training course the previous summer and learnt a lot about the wildlife of the region. What is a “Shan” you might wonder! It is the elusive Snow Leopard aptly called “ghost of the mountains”. There was one in the livestock enclosure next to Tashi’s home. It seemed to have killed all the animals there except a calf. The villagers were agitated and were thinking of different ways to kill the Shan. They could see the leopard from a hole in the roof.
Rigzin could not believe his ears. He had to save the Shan. He wanted to save the calf too. What could he do? How could he convince the villagers that the Shan shouldn’t be killed? Their anger was justified as Tashi had lost almost all his animals. How should he use his learning to create awareness about the threatened status of the Shan? Would they accept what he would propose? He had to act quickly. There was no time to lose. Read this gripping story of courage and determination to find out.
My seven year old and I just couldn’t put the book down once we started. We read it at bedtime and ended up finishing it in one go. He wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was an edge of the seat thriller for him and he enjoyed it thoroughly. We were familiar with most of the Ladakhi phrases used in the story as we had already read most of them in other books featuring the region previously.
Sujatha Padmanabhan’s love for the region and wildlife in general comes through so well. The write up is just brilliant! Loved the spread of the apricot tree in full bloom and the brightly coloured Rosefinch flitting out of it in particular. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this gem of a book! It is a perfect means to introduce the glorious “ghost of the mountains” to children and create awareness about its threatened status. The book is apt for children aged 7/8 and above.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Kalpavriksh here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.