Tech Manager Writes Travelogue
By Sherin M

When Dev Prasad, an IT professional from Bangalore, went on a vacation to North India in 2005 he did not foresee the longer journey ahead. During the trip, he came across various legends associated with the places he visited and realized that they were not very well known. Thus started his 5 year old journey of writing ‘KRISHNA: A Journey Through the Lands & Legends of Krishna’

The book is a travelogue giving information about these places of religious importance juxtaposed with their associated legends.

A conversation with Dev Prasad on the events that unfolded after his memorable family vacation…

Techgoss (TG): How did you get the idea for this book and why a travelogue?
Dev Prasad (DP): In the year 2005, I decided to go on a family vacation to a few places in north India like New Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Mathura, Vrindavan and other places in Brij Bhoomi. While planning my trip, I realised that there was a lot of information about New Delhi and Agra but not much about the other places. That is when I decided that I should write a Travel book about Brij Bhoomi, the places in Uttar Pradesh like Mathura, Gokul, Vrindavan, etc that are associated with Lord Krishna.

After I had finished writing about Brij Bhoomi (Uttar Pradesh), I felt I should write about Dwarka and Somnath in Gujarat. Dwarka was the city where Lord Krishna ruled for 97 years. Somnath is also closely associated with Lord Krishna because it was here that the entire Yadava dynasty self destructed and killed one another and Lord Krishna spent His last days here before leaving for His Holy Abode, Vaikunta. I felt my book would be incomplete without mentioning them.

Then my friends advised me to visit Kurukshetra (in Haryana) and write about the Kurukshetra war and the Bhagavad Gita. The final version contains all the places associated with Lord Krishna and all the legends associated with His life. The book would be of interest to two types of people – those interested in the tourist aspects and those interested in learning about Lord Krishna, his life and pastimes.

TG: Please tell us a little about yourself? How did you manage to write a book while pursuing a job in the high-pressure software industry?
DP: I’m working as “Head – Quality & Process” at the Swiss Multinational ABB’s R&D Centre. I secured my degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering from R.E.C. Trichy, one of the premier Engineering Colleges in India. I have also done the MDP Program from IIM Bangalore, one of the top Management Institutes in Asia.

I worked late into the night during weekdays and devoted a lot of time on weekends. I also received good support from my family who allowed me to sit with my writing.

TG: Did you keep aside some time for writing everyday or just wrote as and when you were free from your job responsibilities? Did the research for the book take you away from your job for long periods?
DP: I used to keep aside fixed time slots every day for writing this book. I strongly believe that if we don’t plan properly and keep aside some fixed hours each day, we would not be able to complete our tasks on time. I used to treat ‘writing’ as a serious activity and devote some time everyday rather than look at it as hobby meant to be done only during spare time.

Since this is not fiction but the story of Lord Krishna, one of the most famous Gods of Hindu Religion, I had to do lot of research. I could not afford to write inaccurate facts and hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees.

As part of my research, I visited all the holy places mentioned in the book. In many cases, I had to visit these places multiple times to get more insights or clarifications. I also read many sacred books to gather information. There are more than 100 pictures in the book, all of them are taken by me.

I used to take leave from my office so that I could go and visit these places. I ensured that my trips coincided with weekends giving me two more days.  Apart from this, most of my writing work was done by staying late on weeknights or by writing on weekends. This way, I ensured that it didn’t hamper my professional work.

TG: What has been the reaction of your colleagues and friends to your book?
DP: Some of my close colleagues and friends knew that I was writing this book and they were supportive of my wok.  There was an instance where one of my friends even accompanied me during one of my trips to Brij Bhoomi. Many friends and colleagues were not aware of this and when I invited them for my book release function, they were pleasantly surprised.

TG: How has the publishing experience been?
DP: It is a little bit of the chicken and egg situation, till you become famous, good publishers won’t entertain you but till they publish your books, you will not become famous.

In this regard, I think Lord Krishna was very kind to me. Jaico Publishing House, one of the biggest publishers in India took in my manuscript. I didn’t have to knock at the doors of different publishers.

TG: With one book behind you, do you have plans for more?
DP: I am in the process of writing a book but it is a completely different kind of a book. It is a book on management. A few months back, I had written an article related to management which was published in one of the leading newspapers of Bangalore. I received a lot of mail asking me to expand on the idea and to convert it into a book. I am doing that right now. The manuscript should be ready by end of this year or by early 2012.

TG: Any plans to make a total shift from the IT industry to writing?
DP: At this point in time, it is quite difficult to predict! I need a regular job with a fixed monthly income to take care of my basic necessities. However, we never know what the future has in store for us!

TG: What advice would you give aspiring writers especially from your field of work?
DP: I am very strong believer that if you have passion then you can do anything. I have met many people who say that even they would love to write but they don’t find the time. My answer to them is – if you have the passion and the inclination then time will automatically be available. It is just a mindset that IT professionals are very busy and don’t have any time for pursuing other interests. If you want to write – go ahead and take that plunge right now!