Book Review: *The Serpent’s Longing* by Namita Kumari **Independent Publishing | 214 Pages | Mythic Fiction / Historical Fantasy** **The Verdict** Namita Kumari’s *The Serpent’s Longing: The Naga Princess and the Himalayan Yogi* is a masterfully crafted, emotionally resonant re-imagining of the founding myth of Funan—the earliest recorded kingdom of the Mekong delta. Seamlessly blending elements of Cambodian folklore and early Chinese chronicles with profound philosophical introspection, Kumari delivers a lyrical exploration of love, mortality, and the transcendent power of radical vulnerability. It stands out as a luminous contribution to contemporary mythic fiction, trading the typical geopolitical grandiosity of epic fantasy for an intimate, breathless look at the cost of loving across the divide of the mortal and the deathless. **Synopsis** Set against the backdrop of an ancient, shifting river delta, the novel follows two extraordinary figures drawn together by a singular, unrefus...
Delhi’s Mango Season Gets an Ayurvedic Twist with SOMA-The Ayurvedic Kitchen’s ‘Satvik Aam Rasotsav’
Delhi’s Mango Season Gets an Ayurvedic Twist with SOMA-The Ayurvedic Kitchen’s ‘ Satvik Aam Rasotsav ’ As mango season reaches its peak, ‘SOMA - The Ayurvedic Kitchen’, located within Maharishi Ayurveda Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, is celebrating India's most-loved fruit through a unique Ayurvedic lens with its month-long Satvik Aam Rasotsav , running until June 30. Unlike conventional mango festivals that focus on indulgence, Satvik Aam Rasotsav has been curated around the Ayurvedic principle of seasonal eating, encouraging diners to consume ingredients that naturally align with the body's needs during the summe r months. The menu highlights fresh mangoes paired with cooling and nourishing ingredients such as coconut milk, yogurt, avocado, basil, cardamom, seasonal herbs, olives and fresh vegetables, creating dishes that are both flavourful and mindful. Some of th e signature offerings include Mango Cocon...