Professor Avaran Kuriakose specialises in the history of the Deccan. A former colleague and friend calls him to the erswhile princely state of Arcot to decipher a set of clues contained in a Masonic Lodge Minutes Book and a 250 year old diary. Avaran locates a long-lost family heirloom with a gory past. He is a Freemason and Knight Templar and knows his life is in danger because of his involvement in this assignment. The plot and the characters in the story are fictional, in an historical setting. Everyday political discussions give an insight into some of the tensions created by the spillovers of British rule. These include the English language; and 'Anglo-Indians' of mixed parentage, most of whom have migrated to the UK and Australia. Avaran's life is endangered when he visits the medieval Gingee Fort and again when he is assualted in a moving train by a jealous family member. A historically credible reconstruction of events attempt to explain the mysterious disappearance of the vast treasure of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Professor Avaran Kuriakose specialises in the history of the Deccan. A former colleague and friend calls him to the erstwhile state of Arcot to decipher a set of clues contained in a Masonic Lodge Minutes Book and a 250 year old diary. Avaran locates a long lost family heirloom with a gory past. He is a Freemason and Knight Templar and knows his life is in danger because of his involvement in this assignment. The story has a highly readable account of the Carnatic Wars at the end of which the English East India Company emerged as a colonial power. Political discussions give an insight into some of the tensions over the hangovers of British rule, notably the English language and the Indo Anglians. There is a brief discussion on the Anglo Indians of mixed blood, most of whom have emigrated to the UK and Australia due to a sense of insecurity. Avaran’s life is endangered when he visits the medieval Gingee Fort and again when he is assaulted in a moving train by a jealous family member. A historically credible reconstruction of events attempts to explain the mysterious disappearance of the vast treasure of the Vijayanagara Empire.

A born story teller,Dr. Mulk Raj Anand is one of the most outstanding short story writers. His contributions to the Indian short story is truly impressive. These short stories are selected from a collection of his writings over the last forty years. His stories reveal modes such as strong satire, uproarious laughter and acute psychological perception.

About the author: mulk raj anand, an indian english language author who depicted the lives of the poorer castes in a traditional indian society anand, a novelist, short story writer, essayist and an art critic, is frequently referred to as the founding father of indo-english writing anands prolific writing career spanned over 75 years, during which he was widely identified with the quest for a just, equitable and forward looking india anand wrote extensively in areas as diverse as art and sculpture, politics, indian literature and the history of ideas he has been conferred with several awards including the sahitya akademi award in 1972 and the padma bhushan for his contribution to english literature

In 1528 the Mughal Sultanate conquered and formally incorporated Awadh as one of its constituent provinces. With the decline of Mughal power the nawab-vazirs of Awadh began to assert their independence. After the East India Company appropriated half of Awadh as 'indenmity', the then nawab, Asaf'ud Daulah, moved his capital to Lucknow in 1775. A move that resulted in the growth of the city and its distinctive culture known as'Lakhnavi tehzeeb'. Since then, nawabi Lucknow has undergone enormous changes. The refinement of 'pehle aap' has all but disappeared. Originally built to support a hundred thousand people, amid palaces, gardens and orchards, the city now staggers under the burden of fifty times that number. Its unchecked growth and collapsed civic amenities are slowly draining the life and beauty of this once vibrant city. The rich and flamboyant culture has faded amidst the decay that has eaten into the fabric of the city and the corruption and treachery that permeate the government. In separate pieces William Dalrymple and Barry Bearak trace the decline of Lucknow---the city, its architecture, people, politics, governance---and the sad end of the havelis and their once grandiose occupants. The elegiac Marsia tradition of the Shias strives to be heard over angry chants of 'Hulla Bol' of political rallies in Mrinal Pande's account of her visit to the city. And, in his hyperbolic saga of seven generations of the fictional Anglo-Indian Trotter family, I. Allan Sealy meanders through two hundred years of Lucknow's chequered history. However, despite the apparent disintegration, Lucknow's ineffable spirit can still be found---in the tantalizing flavours of Lakhnavi cuisine; the delicate artistry of chikankari; the legendary courtesans and the defiant voice of the rekhti; the melodious notes of the ghazaI and the thumri ... Engaging and thoughtful, Shaam-e-Awadh: Writings on Lucknow celebrates the unique character of this city of carnivals and calamities.