BOOKS AND US

'Khangchendzonga: Sacred Summit' — Author Interview with Pema Wangchuk
For the third episode of Season 3, we return to Sikkim — continuing our series of in‑depth conversations with non‑fiction authors.
Senior journalist and documentary filmmaker Ranjit Monga talks to Pema Wangchuk (pamdorjee@gmail.com), co‑author of Khangchendzonga: Sacred Summit.
In this episode, Pema takes us on a vivid journey through the early expeditions that attempted to climb Khangchendzonga (or Kanchenjunga) in the first half of the 20th century. He speaks about Alexander Mitchell Kellas, the chemist‑explorer whose pioneering ideas on high‑altitude physiology shaped the future of Himalayan mountaineering.
From 1905 to 1955, the sacred peak remained elusive — until, as Pema says, “it allowed” a team led by Charles Evans, deputy leader of the successful 1953 Everest expedition, to place four climbers just below the summit. They stopped six feet short of the actual peak, honoring their promise to the people of Sikkim that they would not step on the revered crown of the mountain.
Pema also brings alive the many stories surrounding these climbers:
Aleister Crowley, the infamous “Beast” whose 1905 expedition ended in tragedy.
 A. Z. Tombazi, whose sighting of the Abominable Snowman — the Yeti — remains the only officially accepted report to this day
 The 1977 Indian expedition led by Col. Narendra “Bull” Kumar, which spent three gruelling months reaching the summit via the formidable North‑East route
We also explore the artistic and spiritual legacy of Kanchenjunga’s admirers — Nicholas Roerich, Edward Lear, Yoshida Hiroshi, and others — whose paintings and writings continue to shape how the world imagines Sikkim and its sacred summit.
Links to all the books mentioned in the episode are included below.( These are affiliate links, which gets us a small commission if you order through the links)
Round Kangchenjunga by Douglas William Freshfield - https://amzn.to/4fpvRaN
Kangchenjunga: The Himalayan Giant by Doug Scott - https://amzn.to/4xey7rG
The Kangchenjunga Adventure by Frank Smythe - https://amzn.to/4erR1nG
Himalayan Journals by Dalton Hooker I - https://amzn.to/4fZ4zZ2
Himalayan Journals by Dalton Hooker II - https://amzn.to/3Qq86VR
Shambhala by Nicholas Roerich https://amzn.to/43XREiF
Himalayas - Abode of Life by Nicholas Roerich - https://amzn.to/3RNnE6B
Tibet - The Heart of Asia by Nicholas Roerich - https://amzn.to/4vSC44b
Altai Himalaya – A Travel Diary by Nicholas Roerich  https://amzn.to/4dVjceI
Kanchenjunga – small poster of painting by NicholasRoerich - https://amzn.to/4vwacCz
Morning of Darjeeling - Poster of wood block print by Yoshida Hiroshi - https://amzn.to/4vxxkAr

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Happy to share that Books and Us is celebrating its 3rd anniversary this month. It has been a meaningful and learning journey for us. For our 27th episode, we take a new step — we’ve recorded a video version of the podcast as well. If your listening platform supports video, you can watch the conversation too. Your feedback will mean a lot as we continue to grow and build conversations around books with non-fiction authors.
In this episode, we explore a powerful and universal theme —caregiving — through the lens of non‑fiction writing and lived experience. Our conversation centres on 'One Thousand Days - A Story of a Minute' by Dr. Rajiv Mathur (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rajiv-mathur/). The book is a deeply reflective memoir of the three years he spent caring for his father. The book opens up an intimate space to talk about love, loss, memory, and the emotional and spiritual terrain uncovered by long‑term caregiving.
One Thousand Days is both a personal narrative and a tribute to caregivers, to families navigating illness, and to the medical fraternity that quietly holds us during moments of crisis. Through Rajiv’s story, we explore how caregiving reshapes identity, relationships, and how we relate to the people and events in our lives during such times.  This episode will resonate with listeners seeking thoughtful non‑fiction and memoirs rooted in real life.
Rajiv also writes about the COVID experience and affirms that he learned a lot from the pandemic. " I not only learned lessons during that time, I am also proud to say that I am still following them," he says.
 Dr. Rajiv Mathur brings a rich professional and creative background to this dialogue. With a doctorate in Business Administration and over three decades in the industrial security sector, his sensitive, observant nature eventually led him to writing. His first book was Pocket Square. Recently, he also released the Hindi version of One Thousand Days. He is also the host of the YouTube channel Jaane‑Anjaane with Rajeev Mathur (https://www.youtube.com/@JaaneAnjaanewithRajivMathur/featured), where he documents life journeys and personal stories of people from diverse backgrounds.
Beyond writing, Rajiv serves as a Partner at MIGS Global Consulting, sits on the Advisory Board of OSPAs, and is the Vice Chairman (Training & Faculties) at ICISSM. He is also a Professor of Practice and visiting faculty at several universities. Rajiv also reflects on how writing was an outcome of the time he spent caring for his father and became an outlet for his own healing.
Get the book here
One Thousand Days -A story of a minute
https://amzn.to/4ur0m4I
For the Hindi version
Ek Hazar Din - Kahani Ek Pal Ki (Hindi)
https://amzn.to/3PZaQJG
(These are affiliate links which gets us a small commission if you order through these links)

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Season 3 of 'Books and Us' begins in Sikkim, a region shaped by its diverse communities, layered history, and the sacred presence of Khangchendzonga ( or Kanchenjunga). In this episode, I revisit the landmark non-fiction book ‘Khangchendzonga – Sacred Summit' with its co-author, journalist Pema Wangchuk ( pamdorjee@gmail.com ), to explore the cultural, historical, and spiritual stories that define the Eastern Himalayas. Pema's co-author was Mita Zulca.
In this interview, the non-fiction author takes us through Sikkim’s defining moments — the 14th‑century 'Treaty of Blood Brotherhood' between the Lepchas and Bhutias, the coronation of the first Chogyal, and the deep relationship between the people and their guardian mountain.
We also look at early explorer-writers like Joseph  Hooker (Himalayan Journals) and Douglas Freshfield (Round Khangchenjunga), and how their contrasting styles reveal two very different moments in British engagement in Sikkim and beyond.
In this conversation, Pema patiently guides us through Sikkim’s multi-layered and nuanced cultural and historical landscape and its deep, almost familial relationship with its sacred summit, Khangchendzonga, the highest peak in India, rising to 28,196 feet.
Pema has been reporting from Sikkim since 1994 and currently serves as Consulting Editor at Summit Times, Gangtok. He has also co-edited 'The Birds Have Lost Their Way', a collection of essays on hydel projects and climate change in the region.
 This conversation brings alive a Sikkim where myth, memory,and geography are inseparable. The book is a rich tapestry, bringing forth the many facets of this land — its mysteries, its ethereal beauty, and the stories that have inspired countless travellers over the past few centuries. It certainly calls for a second episode, one in which we will journey deeper into the great mountaineering expeditions, the Western travellers who tried to make sense of these high valleys, and of course, the enduring legend of the Yeti.
Stay Tuned
“If you’ve been to Sikkim, what memory or moment from your time there has stayed with you?”
Please send your answer to the email address below, and we will include your feedback in the next part.
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In the final episode of Season 2 of Books and Us, we welcome back author and conservation architect Anisha Shekhar Mukherji. Listeners will remember her from our earlier conversations on the 'Red Fort of Shahjahanabad'. This time, she joins us to discuss her remarkable book Jantar Mantar - Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh’s Observatory in Delhi — a work that uncovers the layered history and meaning of one of the capital’s most iconic landmarks.
Built in the early 18th century by Sawai Jai Singh of Amber, the Jantar Mantar has long been recognised as an observatory, yet its precise functions and architectural significance remained elusive. Anisha’s research brings clarity to these mysteries, revealing how the site embodies both scientific ingenuity and cultural symbolism.
Today, Jantar Mantar is not only a monument of astronomical heritage but also a living space in the heart of Delhi, often associated with civic gatherings and public memory.
As we close Season 2, this episode feels like a fitting finale — weaving together history, architecture, and storytelling. With three episodes this season featuring Anisha, her insights have truly shaped our journey.

In this episode of Books and Us, poet and essayist Sumana Roy ( Sumana Roy ), author of Provincials: Postcards from the Peripheries, joins us to explore the emotional and cultural landscapes of small-town life. Raised in Siliguri, Sumana reflects on what it truly means to be “provincial.”
We discuss:
The quiet power of provincial geographies
Literary lives shaped by small towns
Whether cosmopolitanism and provinciality can coexist

Sumana’s book explores the desires, ambitions, and uniquecharacteristics of people from the provinces — those often overlooked geographies where creativity quietly flourishes. Through literary and personal reflections, she connects us to poets, writers, and artists from around the world who emerged from small towns and villages, carrying their landscapes within them.
Sumana’s other works include How I Became a Tree, VIP: Very Important Plant, and Out of Syllabus. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Granta, and in many other publications.
Tune in for a thought-provoking journey into the heart of the peripheries.
Get the book here: https:
Hardcover - https://amzn.to/4aoSc4X
Paperback - https://amzn.to/4f1oUMp
( These are affiliate links, which gets us a small commission if you order through these links )

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