Title of the Book: Bhang Journeys: Stories, Histories, Trips and Travels

Author's Name:   Akshaya Bahibala 
  
Available on:    Amazon, Speaking Tiger Books 
 

I first met Akshaya during my maiden participation in one of India’s unique Travel Writing Fests in 2025, hosted by the Walking BookFairs. I had read his debut book in English, titled Bhang Journeys: Stories, Histories, Trips and Travels, before this trip & I can certainly say that the book had intrigued me enough to keep thinking about a lot of ‘ hows’ during the whole trip. I read about the Walking Book Fair, the independent book-store & was quite amazed as well. If you want to read about how it all began, please click to read an article published by the BBC here. So, without much delay, let us know more about the book!

About the Author: Akshaya Kumar Rautray, famously known as Akshaya Bahibala, wears many hats. He is a bookseller, poet, publisher & library activist. He is the Co-founder of Walking Bookfairs, an independent bookstore and publishing house, and one of India’s most popular bookmobiles that has travelled more than 35,000 kilometres across 20 states to spread the love of reading. Author of four Odia books, this is his first attempt at publishing a book in English. Currently, the book has undergone a major transformation with the launch of the hardbound edition, with the addition of a few interesting stories.

Narration: The style of narration is idiosyncratic & even though there is no continuity between chapters, it is powerful enough to compel readers to keep turning the pages one after another. The l

Book Cover & Title: Designed by Devashish Verma, the striking new pink cover is sure to grab attention and urge one to take the whirlwind read by indulging in the book penned by Akshaya.

Content: When I picked up the book after reading the title, I mostly anticipated it to be a personal victory saga of the Author in overcoming his addiction. But to my surprise, the book turned out to be different. Rather than moralizing about the consumption of addictive substances, the book takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the memory lens of the Author, who was once under the influence of Bhang & Ganja for almost a decade! Bhang Journeys: Stories, Histories, Trips and Travels is, in fact, a bundle offer; readers get a memoir, a travelogue, a collection of facts & figures, and a reflection on the lives of many people whose lives revolve around the popular Indian intoxicant cannabis.

Beach Road, Puri is where all the action starts. The Author depicts episodes from many people that he met during this time; for example, a Japanese woman marries a local fisherman, a French woman drinks bhang for meditation and smokes Ganja for slimming, then there is Ricky, an Austrian Engineer who falls in love with a vegetable vendor and plans to settle down by opening a small café, etc. One thing is common: the existence of such varied and interwoven delusional worlds under the effect of one substance, cannabis, which normally escapes the focus of mainstream media, which this book brings forth. Akshaya does not shy away from accepting his weak moments in the book where he, despite deciding to stop getting addicted, many a times gets slipped back into the world of madness.

There is a hesitation to openly talk about Bhang or Ganja even today. But the brilliance of the book lies in the attempt to showcase that there is a proper system operational by the very Government in producing, procuring, and distributing the same addictive substance. For instance, the owner of the Government Bhang shop takes pride in owning the shop and selling authentic Bhang! There is an existence of licensed Bhang Shops in the state, even after the introduction of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act in 1985 in India! And there is a whole bureaucratic process to oversee the procurement & distribution of Bhang! Similar is the case with Opium.

The Author becomes a background voice when he portrays the life, the struggle, and the desperation of poor families who are dependent on the cultivation of hemp after the official raids on their produce. The Author has travelled extensively to the grounds of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, and Boudh districts of Odisha and carved out stories with ground-level facts, which is really impressive.  And the recently launched hardcover edition gives a sneak peek into the life of the Maharaja of Puri, who got addicted too. Yes, you heard it right! It was the Maharaja of Puri!

Personally, reading the book felt like watching a documentary that showcased myths, mysteries, and varied yet interconnected stories. The Author’s presentation of the whole narrative with real facts and figures is definitely praiseworthy. Readers can enjoy the topsy-turvy, exploratory tale depicting the consumption of Bhang, Ganja & Opium in Odisha.

So, if you want to know about recipes like Paanmadhuri Bhang Mishri Sharbat, Bhang Ladoo, or Pista Bedam Keshar Bhang Sharbat and enjoy the gripping narratives, please get your copies here

Love,

Chinmayee