Manaskhand: A Must Book for Every Uttarakhandi

Review of book Manaskhand (Kumaon Itihas, Dharm, Sanskriti, Vastushilp evam Parytan) by Hema Uniyal

                 Reviewer: Bhishma Kukreti

         ‘Manaskhand ‘is third book of eminent Uttarakhand cultural, architectural structure expert Dr. Hema Uniyal. Before this publication well-read scholar Hema published Kumaon ke Prasidh Mandir (2005) and Kedarkhand (2011). Her all the books got appreciations from academicians and general readers with same enthusiasm and zeal.

         Hema Uniyal wrote the book after her visit to all major temples of Kumaon. The present book ‘Manaskhand’ takes readers to whole of Kumaon in terms of important temples with archeological structure with tour perspective too. The reader can get historical glimpses and historical-cultural aspects of Kumaon from ‘Manaskhand’. Hema Uniyal has been careful enough to offer today’s pattern of rituals to the reader about each temple she visited and described in this book. One of the remarkable researchers of Uttarakhand Dr Uniyal presents knowledge of more than one thousand temples of Kumaon in this volume.

            Before, Kumaon, Kurmachal became poplar names for east Uttarakhand, the region was called Manaskhand.

 The book has following chapters those provide the insight of Manaskhan-

1-Manaskhand ka Pauranik Avlokan or Review of Epic Period of Kumaon

2-Janpad Nainital ke Pramukh Mandir va Darshniya Sthal or Important Temples of Nainital and tourist places

3- Janpad Udham Singh Nagar ke Pramukh Mandir va Darshniya Sthal or Important Temples of Udham Singh Nagar Nainital and tourist places

4- Janpad Almora ke Pramukh Mandir va Darshniya Sthal or Important Temples of Almora and tourist places

5-- Janpad Bageshwar ke Pramukh Mandir va Darshniya Sthal or Important Temples of Bageshwar and tourist places

6- Janpad Pithoragarh ke Pramukh Mandir va Darshniya Sthal or Important Temples of  Pithoragarh and tourist places

7-- Janpad Champawat ke Pramukh Mandir va Darshniya Sthal or Important Temples of Champawat and tourist places

  Dr Hema Uniyal provides the folklore aspects, historical brief and its importance in history; architectural concise of each major temple in each district of Kumaon. She also provides the ritual performance system or custom and present priests of the temple. Dr Uniyal provides for all important knowledge about tour value as reaching and lodging facilities in the region. The tourist aimed information compels the readers to think for visiting the region.

         The biggest draw back in other books related to temples of Kumaon is that readers are confused by reading complex historian’s theories and architectural terms of temple. However, Hema Uniyal has been successful in using simple and easy to understand phrases that book becomes very interesting to finish from first page to the last page. The temple photographs and her date wise visit detailing of to each temple make the book more reliable.  

 All praises are for D. Hema Uniyal for offering such knowledgeable informative volume.

 The book is important for cultural, history research scholars and common people. This reviewer recommends every Uttarakhandi should read ‘Manaskhand’.

    

  

Book Details-

Manaskhand (Kumaon Itihas, Dharm, Sanskriti, Vastushilp evam Parytan)

Pages-512

Writer: Hema Uniyal

                  uniyalhema@gmail.com

Year of Publication: 2014

Publisher: Uttara Books

B4/310 C Keshav Puram,

New Delhi -110035

Phone: 01127103051

Price- Rs 1100/-

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 18/62014

Email Id bckukreti@gmail.com

Review of Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Ranikhet Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Bageshwar Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Dwarhat Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Didihat Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Ramganga valley Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Kaliganga valley Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia; Book on Culture, Religion, Architect, Tourism of Mansarovar road region Kumaon, Uttarakhand, South Asia;