High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam Unveils Book on Travel to the Indian hinterland titled “India Beyond Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat” by Author Varun Soni
· ‘India Beyond Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat’, is a travelogue of around 50-odd Tier 2/3 cities from across the nation
New Delhi : The High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam, H.E. Dato Paduka HJ Alaihuddin Mohd Taha, unveiled Author Varun Soni’s new book on travel to the Indian hinterland titled “India Beyond Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat” at a glittering event here on 20th November 2024. The book launch event saw a host of social celebrities, professionals, academicians, and diplomats gracing the occasion.
India Beyond the Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat, is Author Varun Soni’s fifth book and is a travelogue of around 50-odd Tier 2/3 cities from across the nation. The book does not cover the already well-known major metropolitan cities in the country but gives you a glimpse of small-town India and the hinterland. Each chapter is dedicated to one city and spells out what to see, where to stay, how to go, and even what to shop for there.
Generally, most urban middle class across metropolitan areas frequent places like Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Ooty, Darjeeling, Munnar, and the backwaters of Kerala for vacations. Have you ever heard of anyone visiting Jabalpur, Gorakhpur, Hubballi, Shivamogga, Kollam, Rajahmahendravaram, Kannur, Rajkot etc?
This is the vacuum that ‘India Beyond Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat,’ fills in.
Launching the book, the High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam, H.E. Dato Paduka HJ Alaihuddin Mohd Taha, said, “I am very glad to be here to launch a book on a topic that is a passion with me. As an avid traveler, I have traversed many continents on professional and personal visits. After getting posted to India in 2021, I made it a point to see the different parts of this big country and have travelled across Punjab, Himachal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and even Nagaland to name a few, and can vouch that India has a lot more to offer in the hinterland than in just the metropolitan areas. Therefore, launching Varun’s new book, ‘India Beyond the Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat’ gives me immense pleasure. It will be a helpful guide for those who want to explore this great country.”
Added Author Varun Soni, “It is time to look inward. Inwards into Bharat, that is, India. An ancient civilization that has weathered many storms and witnessed many seasons. This is evident from the innumerable monuments and temples that are strewn across the length and breadth of the country. Apart from history, you will also get to see the exquisite natural beauty of some cities and their surrounding areas, which don’t find a mention in leading travel journals. ‘India Beyond the Metros: Dekho Apna Bharat’ makes you aware of the potential of Bharat and the treasure that is hidden in our smaller cities, kasbas, and the hinterland.”
About the Author
Varun Soni has always had an impassioned relationship with the written word. Whether it is short stories, news articles, research-based pieces, or books – Varun has tried his hand at every aspect of writing, displaying his skills to the fullest. A postgraduate in English Literature, he was born, brought up, and educated in New Delhi.
Starting his career with Media Transasia, a leading publishing house, in 1995, he contributed largely to the various magazines there. After nearly two years, he shifted to the Press Trust of India, the foremost of India’s news agencies, and honed his reporting skills. His love for writing exciting features and business reporting drew him to The Hindustan Times and then to the Indian Express Group, where he has written on a variety of subjects from Real Estate, Education, Human Resources, and Corporate Strategies.
He forayed into book writing 15 years ago with his first book ‘Living in India: Lives in Style’, a peek into 50-odd celebrities and aesthetically designed homes from across the country. Launched in 2007, the book is a sellout today. The book was launched by the then Ambassador of Italy to India and was widely covered in the Media.
It is this love for design and interiors that prompted Varun to work on his second coffee table book, ‘Luxury Resorts and Spas of India’ which came out in 2011.
Varun has also written an insightful chapter in a book titled ‘New Princesses of Alwar’, a book profiling women scavengers from the desert state of Rajasthan. This was brought out by Bindeshwar Pathak of Sulabh International and released at the United Nations.
He wrote his first fiction, a story based in the real estate sector titled ‘The Downturn’ in 2013. The book was launched by the Ambassador of the Emirates to India and Varun held Meet the Author sessions in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Dehradun for the same. The launch and the sessions in various cities saw huge coverage in the national and local media. A panel discussion on the book’s theme was also conducted at the prestigious World Book Fair in 2013 in New Delhi.
In 2016, Varun wrote a Coffee Table Book on his travels titled ‘My Family Travels’ which was launched by Bollywood Actor Mahima Chaudhry at a glittering event in Delhi. The book launch was widely covered in the media.