Author Interview with Lalitha Balasubramaniam.

                             Author Interview 

Q1. Please introduce yourself to our audience.

Answer: I am Lalitha Balasubramanian, a freelance Journalist based in Mumbai with health, education, travel and parenting features published in many newspapers and magazines. I have books published in two genres, religious and mythological travelogues and children’s fiction. Apart from writing, my interests include reading, music, trysts with nature and sports. 

Q2. Please tell us something about your other three books which you have written.

Answer: My earlier books include ‘Kerala the Divine Destination’ and ‘Temples in Maharashtra-A travel Guide’, both travelogues based on my visits to the various temples in the respective States. My third book ‘Grandma’s Tales of Shri Krishna’ is a collection of interesting stories about Shri Krishna’s childhood for children.

Q3. Tell us something more about your new book "On the Krishna trail".

Answer: ‘On the Krishna Trail’ is an account of my mystical journey through the various spots which had the privilege of being witness to Shri Krishna’s life on earth. It begins with a visit to his birthplace at Mathura, traverses across Braj bhumi where he spent his amazing childhood. Maharshi Sandipani Ashram in Ujjain where he had his education, followed by his rule at Dwarka, rendering of the Bhagwat Gita at Kurukshetra and his final exit from his earthly body at Bhalka Thirth complete the trail. The journey spans five States with diverse cultures and traditions. Each of the 85 or more temples described in the book has an interesting story or legend attached to it. So along with important travel information such as timings, location, architecture, history and festivals, the book has legends and exclusive photographs. Represented by Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers, who has also designed the beautiful book cover, and published in hard cover by Locksley Hall Publishing, this book is a veritable treasure to read and preserve. 

Q4. What are you planning to write next?

Answer: I have already started writing two books simultaneously. One is a children’s fiction and the other is a religious travelogue.  I hope to finish the book for children this year. 

Q5. Do you belong from a spiritual family?

Answer: Yes. Spiritual seeking has always been a part of my life right from childhood till today. And I have been fortunate that my husband too is a likeminded person and has always encouraged me in my spiritual pursuits.

Q6. How did you get started as an author?

Answer: Being a freelance Journalist, I have been writing since ages. But my journey as an author began in 2015, when my first book was published. I wanted to share so much information which I was privy to, because of my wide travel, to others who would like to visit the places that I wrote about and had very little idea of how to go about it. The same zeal to share knowledge made me continue with the second and now the latest book in the religious and mythological genre. Writing a fiction book for children in the same genre in between was inspired by my love for children.

Q7. What was the most difficult part about writing your latest book?

Answer: I did not face much difficulty in writing this book, but yes, the travel was strenuous as I have personally visited each place and authenticated the information given in the book and the research was exhaustive. 

Q8. Which book is on your bedside table right now?

Answer: I have the Narayaneeyam always besides me. But if you mean, what book am I reading now, it is ‘The Forest of Enchantment’ by Chitra Banerjee Devakuruni. 

Q9. What made you write this book?

Answer: ‘On the Krishna Trail’ was almost meant to happen. I expressed my wish to visit Vrindavan and Dwarka, when my husband suggested that we do the whole trail. The excitement of the journey, the minor hurdles we encountered, the plethora of information that I gathered along the way, all triggered the idea of writing this book. 

Q10. What would you say is your interesting writing quirks?

Answer: I am attuned to writing in an undisturbed atmosphere, and that happens only at night after dinner or very early in the morning before anyone else wakes up. Very oddly in this time of computers and digital media, I still like to put my pen on paper. So my ideas are generally jotted down in my diary after which I expand it via the keyboard.

Q11. What did you did in lockdown?

Answer: Like everyone else, I was also confined to the house. I have been longing to travel again. But I did indulge in a lot of reading, sketched some ideas for future writing and most importantly spent some quality time with family as everyone was working from home.

Q12. What advice would you like to give to your readers?

Answer: Reading is a wonderful hobby. Don’t confine yourself to one genre. Read whatever seems interesting to you, as it not only improves your knowledge and vocabulary but also promotes a deeper understanding of people and events in the world around you. Reading actually widens your horizon.