QUOTE 1 If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead & rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing… BENJAMIN FRANKLIN * An old tree dies. Grief arrives. The ancient oak that, according to folklore, sheltered Robin Hood in England’s Sherwood Forest, has fallen. (TOI EDITORIAL 20/6/26) * As The Who sang, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” * Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation…KAHLIL GIBRAN * Even a sheet of paper has two side… JAPANESE PROVERB * We carry within us The wonders we seek outside. Rumi * What is not good for the beehive is not good for the bee…MARCUS AURLEUS * No tree is an island… * I think that I shall never see/ A poem lovely as a tree…JOYCE KILMER * Billy Bragg described the courts as: This isn’t a court of justice son, this is a court of law. * Every thinking person is an atheist… ERNEST HEMINGWAY * Any role is possible when our soul and role work together…BRAHMA KUMARI ASHA * RAHAT INDORI…Yeh desh hamara hai… Kisi ke baap ka nahin… * Brechtian awakening… Unhappy the land that needs heroes… The playwright had written. * The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places…ERNEST HEMINGWAY
The Children of the New Forest is a historical adventure novel by Captain Frederick Marryat, first published in 1847. Set during the English Civil War, it combines adventure, history, survival, and coming-of-age themes.
Synopsis
The story begins during the turbulent years of the English Civil War, when the forces of King Charles I are defeated by the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. Colonel Beverley, a loyal supporter of the King, is killed in battle, and his grand estate is destroyed. His four orphaned grandchildren—Edward, Humphrey, Alice, and Edith Beverley—escape death through the courage and loyalty of Jacob Armitage, an old forest ranger who has long served their family.
Jacob secretly takes the children deep into the New Forest in Hampshire, where they live in a humble cottage. To protect them from Cromwell’s soldiers, he conceals their true identity and raises them as ordinary forest children. Life in the forest is far removed from the luxury they once enjoyed. They learn to hunt, fish, gather food, tend animals, and rely on hard work to survive. Under Jacob’s guidance, they also develop strong moral values such as honesty, courage, humility, and loyalty.
As the children grow, each develops a distinct personality. Edward, the eldest, is brave but often proud and impulsive. His loyalty to the royal cause sometimes leads him into danger. Humphrey is thoughtful, practical, and dependable, often acting as the stabilizing influence within the family. Alice is gentle, intelligent, and compassionate, while Edith is lively, cheerful, and affectionate.
The children encounter a variety of characters, both friendly and hostile. They become acquainted with foresters, farmers, hunters, and soldiers, and they often find themselves caught between Royalists and Parliamentarians. Edward secretly supports the Royalist cause and participates in risky missions, hoping to restore the monarchy. His adventures bring excitement but also teach him difficult lessons about responsibility and leadership.
Throughout the novel, Jacob Armitage remains a steadfast father figure. Although he is not related to the children by blood, his unwavering devotion, wisdom, and self-sacrifice ensure their safety and education. His character represents integrity and quiet heroism, showing that true nobility lies in actions rather than social status.
The turning point comes after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when King Charles II returns to the throne. With the political situation transformed, the Beverley children’s true identity is finally revealed. Their family’s loyalty to the Crown is recognized, and they recover much of their ancestral estate and social position. Edward matures into a responsible gentleman, while the others also find secure and fulfilling futures.
Themes
The novel explores several enduring themes:
Courage and resilience in the face of adversity.
Loyalty to family and principles.
The value of hard work and self-reliance.
The importance of moral character over wealth or social rank.
Growth from childhood to adulthood through experience and responsibility.
Conclusion
The Children of the New Forest is more than an adventure story. It is a tale of survival, family loyalty, and moral development set against one of the most dramatic periods in English history. Captain Marryat vividly portrays life in the New Forest while illustrating how courage, perseverance, and integrity enable the four orphaned children to overcome hardship and reclaim both their heritage and their future. The novel remains a classic of children’s historical fiction, admired for its engaging narrative, memorable characters, and vivid depiction of the English Civil War.
The Woman in White, written by Wilkie Collins and first published in 1859–1860, is regarded as one of the earliest and finest sensation novels in English literature. It combines mystery, romance, crime, mistaken identity, and psychological suspense through a series of first-person narratives.
Synopsis
The novel opens with Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, who encounters a frightened woman dressed entirely in white on a lonely road near London. She appears distressed and asks for help before mysteriously disappearing. Walter later learns that she has escaped from a mental asylum.
Walter travels to Limmeridge House in Cumberland to teach drawing to two half-sisters, Marian Halcombe and the beautiful heiress Laura Fairlie. Laura bears a striking resemblance to the mysterious woman in white, whose name is Anne Catherick. Walter and Laura soon fall deeply in love, but Laura is already engaged to Sir Percival Glyde, a wealthy baronet, because of a promise made by her late father.
Unable to prevent the marriage, Walter leaves England for South America. Laura marries Sir Percival, only to discover that he is cruel, deeply in debt, and determined to gain control of her inheritance. His closest ally is the charming yet sinister Count Fosco, an Italian nobleman of extraordinary intelligence and manipulative power.
As the story unfolds, Anne Catherick repeatedly tries to warn Laura about Sir Percival. It is gradually revealed that Anne knows a terrible secret capable of destroying Sir Percival’s reputation. Before she can reveal it publicly, Anne dies after suffering from illness.
Count Fosco devises a chilling scheme. Taking advantage of the remarkable resemblance between Anne and Laura, he arranges for Laura to be declared insane and confined in the asylum from which Anne had escaped. Anne’s death is then passed off as Laura’s, allowing Sir Percival to seize Laura’s fortune while the real Laura is hidden away as a nameless patient.
The courageous Marian Halcombe refuses to abandon her sister. She secretly investigates Sir Percival and Count Fosco despite grave personal danger. Walter eventually returns to England, learns of the conspiracy, and joins Marian in rescuing Laura from the asylum.
Walter discovers Sir Percival’s darkest secret: he is actually illegitimate because his parents were never legally married. To conceal this fact, which would invalidate his title and inheritance, Sir Percival attempts to destroy the parish register containing the evidence. During this desperate attempt, he accidentally sets the church on fire and dies in the flames.
The final obstacle is Count Fosco, whose brilliant intellect has orchestrated the entire deception. Walter confronts him and uncovers enough evidence to expose his crimes. Fosco is later killed in France by members of the secret political organization he had once betrayed.
With the villains defeated, Laura’s identity is legally restored, and her fortune is returned. Walter and Laura marry and have a son. At the novel’s conclusion, the child becomes the rightful heir to Limmeridge House, bringing justice and peace after a long period of suffering.
Major Themes
The abuse of power within marriage and the vulnerability of women under Victorian law.
Identity, deception, and mistaken identity.
The misuse of mental asylums to silence inconvenient individuals.
Greed, inheritance, and social status.
Loyalty, courage, and perseverance, especially embodied by Marian Halcombe.
Why the Novel is Important
The Woman in White is celebrated as a landmark in detective and suspense fiction. Its multiple narrators, carefully constructed mystery, memorable villains, and strong female characters influenced later writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. The novel remains one of Wilkie Collins’s greatest achievements and a classic of Victorian literature.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth: The Novel That Dug the Foundations of Science Fiction by Jules Verne
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“Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.” This observation, expressed in spirit throughout Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, encapsulates the philosophy of a writer who transformed scientific curiosity into enduring literature. Published in 1864, the novel is far more than an adventure beneath the Earth’s surface; it is a pioneering work that shaped the evolution of modern science fiction and continues to fascinate readers more than a century and a half later.
Before Jules Verne, imaginative voyages often belonged to the realms of mythology or fantasy. Verne changed the rules. He grounded extraordinary adventures in the scientific knowledge of his time, asking readers not merely to suspend disbelief but to reason alongside his characters. This approach became the hallmark of his fiction and influenced generations of writers, from H. G. Wells to Arthur C. Clarke and beyond.
The novel opens with Professor Otto Lidenbrock, an eccentric geologist who discovers a cryptic manuscript written by the sixteenth-century Icelandic alchemist Arne Saknussemm. The coded message claims that the Earth’s centre can be reached through the crater of the extinct volcano Snæfellsjökull in Iceland. Accompanied by his hesitant nephew Axel and the stoic guide Hans, the professor embarks on an expedition that defies both logic and common sense.
What follows is one of literature’s most memorable explorations of the unknown. Verne leads his readers through subterranean passages, immense caverns, underground oceans, forests of gigantic fungi, and landscapes inhabited by prehistoric creatures. Each discovery is described with remarkable precision, giving the narrative a realism that distinguishes it from conventional fantasy. Even when the science is inaccurate by today’s standards, the intellectual honesty with which Verne presents his theories commands admiration.
The novel’s greatest strength lies not in the plausibility of its geology but in its celebration of curiosity. Professor Lidenbrock is driven by an almost obsessive desire to uncover truth. His determination often borders on recklessness, yet Verne never ridicules his ambition. Instead, he portrays scientific inquiry as one of humanity’s noblest pursuits. Axel serves as the sceptical observer, voicing the doubts and fears shared by readers, while Hans quietly demonstrates that courage is measured not by words but by steadfast action.
From a modern scientific perspective, Verne’s subterranean world is impossible. The Earth’s immense heat and pressure would render such an expedition inconceivable. Yet to dismiss the novel on scientific grounds is to misunderstand its purpose. Verne was not predicting geological reality; he was illustrating the spirit of scientific exploration. Like all great speculative fiction, the novel is less concerned with being correct than with encouraging readers to imagine what might be possible.
This quality distinguishes Verne from his literary successor, H. G. Wells. Wells frequently used speculative science to explore moral dilemmas, social inequality, and political anxieties. In works such as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, scientific invention becomes a means of critiquing civilisation itself. Arthur C. Clarke, writing in the twentieth century, employed rigorous scientific reasoning to envision humanity’s future among the stars. Verne occupies a different place in this lineage. His gaze is directed not towards dystopian futures or cosmic mysteries but towards the unexplored corners of the Earth. His novels celebrate discovery for its own sake, reflecting the optimism of an age when science promised boundless progress.
Stylistically, Journey to the Centre of the Earth combines meticulous description with relentless narrative momentum. Verne’s detailed explanations of geology, mineralogy, and palaeontology occasionally slow the pace for contemporary readers accustomed to faster storytelling. Yet these passages provide the novel with intellectual depth. They remind us that genuine exploration requires patience, observation, and respect for evidence. Verne believed that knowledge should inspire wonder, and his prose consistently reflects that conviction.
The novel is not without limitations. Female characters play virtually no role, a characteristic common to much nineteenth-century adventure fiction. Some episodes rely heavily on coincidence, and the conclusion, following the painstaking descent, feels unexpectedly abrupt. Nevertheless, these weaknesses are minor when weighed against the novel’s originality, imagination, and historical significance.
Perhaps the novel’s most remarkable achievement is its enduring relevance. Today, humanity explores the depths of the oceans, maps distant planets, and probes the origins of the universe with sophisticated technology. Yet the emotional impulse driving these endeavours remains identical to that which animated Professor Lidenbrock—the irresistible desire to understand what lies beyond the limits of current knowledge.
More than 160 years after its publication, Journey to the Centre of the Earth continues to inspire scientists, writers, filmmakers, and dreamers alike. It reminds us that every great discovery begins as an improbable idea, often dismissed by conventional wisdom before eventually reshaping our understanding of the world.
Jules Verne did not merely write an adventure novel. He wrote a manifesto for curiosity. His message is as relevant in the twenty-first century as it was in the nineteenth: civilisation advances because there are always those willing to descend into darkness in search of light.
Rating: 5/5
Journey to the Centre of the Earth remains one of the defining classics of world literature—not because it accurately predicted science, but because it captured the adventurous spirit that makes scientific discovery possible. Few novels have so successfully united imagination, intellect, and excitement, ensuring that Jules Verne’s descent into the Earth remains one of literature’s greatest ascents.
Here is the synopsis with some of the most famous quotes from The Art of War:
The Art of War, written by the ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu over 2,500 years ago, is one of the world’s greatest works on military strategy and leadership. Although it was written as a guide for generals, its teachings are now widely applied in business, politics, sports, and personal development.
The book teaches that the highest form of victory is to avoid unnecessary conflict. Sun Tzu’s famous statement, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting,” captures the central idea of the entire work. He believes that true success comes through wisdom, planning, and strategy rather than brute force.
The opening chapter explains that war is a matter of life and death and must never be entered lightly. Before taking action, a leader should carefully study moral influence, weather, terrain, leadership, and discipline. As Sun Tzu advises, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” Careful preparation is therefore the key to success.
One of the book’s best-known principles is deception. Sun Tzu writes, “All warfare is based on deception.” A wise commander conceals intentions, misleads the enemy, and attacks only when conditions are favourable. Intelligence and information are equally important, reflected in another famous saying: “Know the enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril.”
Sun Tzu also stresses adaptability. He compares strategy to flowing water: “Just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.” A successful leader changes plans according to changing circumstances instead of following rigid rules.
The book also emphasizes discipline, calmness, and care for one’s soldiers. Leaders should avoid anger and impatience because emotional decisions often lead to defeat. As Sun Tzu wisely notes, “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
Although The Art of War is a book on warfare, its deeper message is about intelligence, self-control, foresight, and understanding human nature. Its timeless lessons continue to inspire military commanders, political leaders, business executives, athletes, and students. More than two millennia after it was written, the book remains a classic guide to strategy, leadership, negotiation, and wise decision-making.
From the Kyauktada Club to MCA Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana
Kamlesh Tripathi
From the fictional Kyauktada Club in Burmese Days (1934) to the MCA Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana at Kandivali, Mumbai, India has travelled a remarkable distance in recreation, sports, lifestyle, and club culture.
While discussing clubs in India, one cannot overlook Burmese Days, George Orwell’s classic anti-colonial novel published in 1934. Set in colonial Burma, the story revolves around the exclusive Kyauktada Club. A central episode concerns the proposal to admit Dr Veraswami as the Club’s first non-European member, exposing the racial prejudice and hypocrisy of the British colonial establishment. The Club serves as a powerful symbol of exclusion and privilege. India, however, has come a long way since then. Today, clubs and academies are centres of sports, recreation, fitness, and community life.
The tradition of clubs is centuries old. In ancient Greece and Rome, citizens formed associations for religious worship, trade, politics, and social interaction. These early organisations laid the foundation for the organised clubs that later flourished across Europe. Cricket, which originated in England, further strengthened this culture through institutions such as the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the sole owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground. The concept gradually spread to Australia, New Zealand, and even India, where clubs became important centres for sporting excellence and social interaction. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) in Kolkata, India, is widely considered the premier British colonial golf club. Established in 1829, it is the oldest golf club in the world outside of Great Britain. India had all the land for such sports clubs and academies, and the Britishers made full use of them without letting Indians enter them.
English literature often portrays clubs as important social spaces. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby depict clubs where people gather for conversation, leisure, and networking. These spaces offer an escape from the pressures of everyday life while fostering hobbies, sports, and friendships. The MCA Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana is one such jewel in Mumbai’s sporting landscape.
Situated in the vibrant neighbourhood of Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali (West), the MCA Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana is among Mumbai’s most prestigious sports and recreation clubs. Named after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, it reflects his values of discipline, excellence, and sportsmanship. Since its inauguration in November 2013, it has become a preferred destination for sports enthusiasts, fitness lovers, families, and corporate organisations seeking world-class facilities under one roof.
Established by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), the Gymkhana was conceived as a premier recreational and sporting destination promoting an active lifestyle alongside exceptional hospitality. Spread across nearly ten acres of landscaped greenery behind D’Mart in Mahavir Nagar, it enjoys excellent connectivity with Mumbai’s western suburbs and the Metro network.
The Gymkhana offers outstanding sports infrastructure. It features nine cricket pitches, five practice pitches, three indoor badminton courts, lawn tennis courts, two international-standard squash courts, a semi-Olympic swimming pool, a four-lane bowling alley, table tennis facilities, chess, billiards, a card room and a carrom room, and a fully equipped modern gymnasium. Its wellness centre includes advanced fitness equipment, steam, sauna, jacuzzi, massage services, and separate facilities for men and women, creating a complete environment for health, fitness, and relaxation.
The club also encourages young athletes by providing them with professionally maintained infrastructure where they can train and develop their skills. Numerous cricket tournaments, sporting events and social gatherings are organised throughout the year, contributing significantly to Mumbai’s vibrant sporting culture.
Equally impressive are the Gymkhana’s hospitality and dining facilities. Members and guests can enjoy refreshments at Opener Café, multi-cuisine delicacies at Hotspot, vegetarian and Jain specialities at Greentop, authentic Chinese cuisine at Toss, and premium beverages at the Bowled and Googly bars. The club also offers twelve well-appointed guest rooms and two luxury suites, ensuring a comfortable stay for visitors and participants.
The Gymkhana has become one of the most sought-after venues in Mumbai’s western suburbs for social and corporate events. Its elegant banquet halls—Hat-trick, accommodating up to 350 guests, and Century, accommodating up to 100 guests—along with conference rooms, meeting spaces, landscaped lawns, and ample parking, make it ideal for weddings, receptions, birthdays, anniversaries, seminars, conferences, product launches, and business meetings.
Its strategic location makes it convenient for members from Kandivali, Borivali, Malad, Goregaon, and neighbouring suburbs to participate regularly in sporting activities, fitness programmes, family outings, and social gatherings. More than a sports club, the Gymkhana has evolved into a complete lifestyle destination that successfully combines recreation, wellness, hospitality, and community engagement.
The journey from Orwell’s fictional Kyauktada Club to the MCA Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana mirrors India’s remarkable social transformation. Clubs that once symbolised exclusivity and racial discrimination have evolved into inclusive institutions dedicated to sports, health, fellowship, and community development. The Gymkhana demonstrates how modern sporting infrastructure, quality hospitality, and community participation can coexist under one roof.
India undoubtedly needs many more such clubs and academies to nurture sporting talent, promote healthier lifestyles, and strengthen community bonds. Visionary institutions like the MCA Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana deserve appreciation for transforming recreation into a holistic experience that benefits individuals and society alike. They are not merely places for sport or leisure but sanctuaries from the pressures of modern life and enduring symbols of a progressive and confident India.
(The author is a columnist, a golfer and a member of the club)
Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:
In this restless world of ours, Opposition breeds opposition, Confrontation follows confrontation. We quarrel, compete, and conquer, Forgetting all the while That life is brief, Far from gargantuan.
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We arrive as strangers, We depart the same, Yet spend our precious days Behind walls of isolation, Blind to the quiet strength And the enduring beauty Of togetherness.
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We seldom pause, To ponder the Ultimate. Instead, we cling to the penultimate, Mistaking the passing For the eternal, The shadow For the light.
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We seek God, The Ultimate Truth, Yet with every hurried step, We drift farther away, Choosing pride over humility, Division over unity, Noise over wisdom.
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Turn your life around. Reverse the course of your heart. Where there is conflict, sow peace; Where there is hatred, kindle love; Where there is loneliness, build bridges.
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For life’s true beauty, Is not found at the end of the journey, But in the direction we choose, The hands we hold, The hearts we heal, And the love we leave behind.
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For life is short, Too short to live, Facing the wrong way.
Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:
The Great Gatsby is a classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, first published in 1925. Set during the prosperous “Roaring Twenties,” it explores wealth, love, ambition, and the illusion of the American Dream.
The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest who moves to West Egg on Long Island to work in the bond business. Nick rents a small house next to the lavish mansion of the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, famous for hosting extravagant parties attended by hundreds of guests. Despite his popularity, very few people know the truth about Gatsby’s past.
Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, lives across the bay with her wealthy but arrogant husband, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby reveals to Nick that he and Daisy had fallen deeply in love before World War I. While Gatsby was away serving in the army, Daisy married Tom because of his wealth and social status. Gatsby has spent years building a fortune, hoping to win Daisy back.
Nick arranges a reunion between Gatsby and Daisy, and they briefly rekindle their romance. However, Tom exposes Gatsby’s questionable business dealings and challenges his dream of recreating the past. Daisy ultimately chooses the security of her marriage over Gatsby.
The tragedy reaches its climax when Daisy, driving Gatsby’s car, accidentally kills Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress. Gatsby takes the blame to protect Daisy. Myrtle’s grief-stricken husband, George Wilson, believing Gatsby was responsible, shoots Gatsby before taking his own life.
After Gatsby’s death, almost everyone who enjoyed his hospitality disappears. Only Nick, Gatsby’s father, and a few others attend the funeral. Disillusioned by the selfishness and moral emptiness of the wealthy elite, Nick returns to the Midwest. He reflects that Gatsby’s dream, though noble in its hope, was ultimately destroyed by illusion and the corruption of wealth.
Themes
The novel explores several enduring themes:
The failure of the American Dream.
The corrupting influence of wealth and materialism.
The contrast between appearance and reality.
Love, obsession, and the impossibility of recapturing the past.
Social class and moral decay.
The Great Gatsby is regarded as one of the greatest American novels because it combines a compelling love story with a powerful critique of wealth, ambition, and the pursuit of unattainable dreams.
Shravan charity mission 