Review:

Journey to the forbidden city by Deepa Agarwal is a Fascinating story of “Pundit of Pundits”, taking us to many distant places of Asia. It’s a story of Nain Singh Rawat . In the late 19th century, He was the first Indian to survey the unexplored stretch of Tibet. From determining the exact location & altitude of Lhasa, mapping Tsangpo, from putting Lhasa accurately on the world map to earning the title of Pundit, his eventful and often difficult travels led to his name being permanently engraved in the history of Indian exploration.

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With some wonderful illustrations and a gripping writing style, the author beautifully describes his journey, his struggles, his achievements. Explore the wonderful journey of the explorer. It’s an engrossing read with the Backdrop of the Himalayas beautifully described by the author.

The narration of the story is crisp and interesting keeping the reader hooked throughout. It’s a well researched and informative book for kids. Well, this book is not only for kids but for adults too who wants to read more about his journey. .
Overall, it’s a wonderful book with amazing illustrations and lots of information that will be loved by kids. Introduce this book to the kids from 10 years.

Summary:

Nineteenth-century Tibet was an unknown entity, a complete geographical mystery to the West.

Where did its capital city Lhasa lie?
Which rivers, lakes and mountains stretched across this land?
Where were its fabled monasteries and legendary goldfields?
And did the magical flying lamas actually exist?

It was next to impossible for a white man to enter this rigorously guarded territory. And so was chosen an intrepid Indian explorer from the mountains of Kumaon-Nain Singh Rawat. Trekking across this country, he risked life and limb and donned innumerable clever disguises as he surveyed the vast expanses and identified countless villages, cities and people. From putting Lhasa accurately on the world map to earning the title of Pundit, his eventful and often arduous travels led to his name being permanently engraved in the annals of Indian exploration.

Based on his actual diaries, this gripping narrative is also a tribute to the indomitable spirit of this fascinating man, who rose from being an impoverished village schoolteacher to a legendary hero.