Book Review : 'A Tigress called Machhli and other True Animal Stories from India' by Supriya Sehgal

When I first met this author, let us do something big, her eyes seemed to say, and today her eyes have finally got their say, when I read this book, ‘A Tigress called Machhli and Other True Animal Stories from India’. 

Supriya Sehgal is finally here! 

There are thirty stories in here, there and everywhere. It could have been a friend’s home, or a forest or a temple or even a rescue mission. And the animals could be birds, cats, cows, dogs, storks, parrots or even snakes; besides tigers, lions, leopards and crocodiles. Wow, this girl has been everywhere and seen almost everything! 

Let us be nice to the veggies for the day and start off with ‘The Vegetarian Crocodile’. The croc’s home is the Anantapura Lake Temple, pond in Kasargod. It is named Babiya and, the only possible way that the croc has got in here is, during the rains.

That is, it is assumed that it probably fell in the pond, because about thousands of years ago, the priests noticed a solo reptile swimming in the pool. The croc is a gentle creature and is fed jaggery and rice. Of course, it probably is hogging on a few fish at night but your guess is as good as mine…

Then, we have ‘The Temple of Rats’. Goddess Karni Mata, in Rajasthan is the temple which is host to a horde of rats, scurrying about the place. And one does not mind even if he or she has a rat on the edge of a shirt or the corner of a dupatta for a few seconds!! About 25,000 brown rats crawl all over of the temple. These little creatures were the blessing of Lord Yama, given to Karni Mata in place of male children. The priests say there are about four white coloured rats, among all these, and consider yourself lucky if they eat food from you!!

In a jungle in Rajasthan, in the afternoon time, when the tiger usually takes a break and cubs are trailing behind it. In ‘A Tigresses called Machhli’ sounds of splashing and paddling are heard...

A crocodile is usually also in the waters. One day, the two of them went at each other for hours together!! But not today, it was the day of the tiger. It had made a name for itself as the ‘Crocodile Killer’.

It had become Machhli, the queen of Ranthambore, and so many photographers and tourists and cameramen came to click a picture or two! The brave tiger gave out the age of 19, while it predecessors usually died at 15.

Now, let us go shopping for a wedding, in the middle of monsoon. In Tamil Nadu, villagers get together to watch ‘A Monsoon Wedding’, which is supposed to bring rain. This particular donkey marriage is supposed to impress the gods, and that is why it was used by the ancestors. You have the whole deal; you have two garlands, the whole Hindu wedding list of mantras and of course, the thaali and all the guests, dressing up, dancing and singing…

All these stories are true too, illustrated wonderfully, this book is un-putdownable.  And Sehgal is brilliant in this book; she has been here, there and everywhere.

The best thing is that I can spot a cat or two and almost 20 of the neighbourhood dogs right now, in my neighbourhood itself… Maybe I can spot Supriya, close by too. Oh, this book is not for kids only, everyone can read it and laugh and enjoy, the entire experience itself…