Luther takes a trip down the memory lane

Written by the former civil servant, 'Legendotes of Hyderabad' combines the legends and anecdotes that populate the city of Hyderabad

Dean of School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Aloka Parasher Sen alongwith the author Narendra Luther, at the launch of 'Legendotes of Hyderabad' in Hyderabad. PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

The City of Nizams is steeped in legends that greet a curious soul willing to take a break from the modern day hustle bustle, author and former civil servant Narendra Luther observed on Thursday.

Combining the legends and anecdotes that populate this historic city, Mr. Luther wrote a book ‘Legendotes of Hyderabad’. The book was released by Dean of Social Sciences at University of Hyderabad Aloka Parasher Sen at a function held here.

“Everything regarding this city has its own legend and it was my endeavour to weave through these legends in this book. While historians go through the highways to chronicle historic events, I went through the lanes and bylanes of the city to construct its history,” Mr. Luther said.

Terming the book an engaging easy-read, Dr. Sen said the book brings out the role played by the oral traditions, anecdotes and legends in the process of making history. Traditionally history has been based on official documents and inscriptions that were considered as solid facts, but historians have started to realise the importance of oral traditions.

While history attempts to give explanations, the oral traditions speak about the perceptions and this book can act as a bridge between both these aspects of writing history, she said.

The book release function was followed by a short skit played by a team of theatre artists who read out some interesting facets mentioned in the book.