So this month's featured author is 'Orbindu
Ganga'
Can you tell us about your literary journey? Your profession
and your hobbies!!

First of all,
I am pleased and honoured to have my thoughts being worth shared with the
reading community. I am Orbindu Ganga, have completed my masters in science,
worked in various domains in the market analysis as a Process Associate in Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS), investment banking as Band II Officer in Royal Bank
of Scotland (RBS) and Content Account Manager (Client Relationship Manager) in
global electronic operations in Reed Elsevier. I made a significant shift with
the realisation of my passion. I made a move from content management as a
Content Account Manager (Client Relationship Manager) into writing and spirituality.
My passion has become my profession. The journey began when I started writing
and made my cue into spirituality. I am the founder and editorial director of
an international English Literary Journal – INNSÆI, International Journal of
Creative Literature for Peace and Humanity (IJCLPH), author, poet, content
writer, researcher, sketch artist, and spiritual healer.
I am touched
by various shades of life. Content writing intrigued me to love the world of
English literature. Loving the words and understanding the origin made me agog
for semantics, etymology, and neology. I touched the nuances to get imbibed in
understanding human behaviour psychology and counselling. Understanding the
dynamics and the deeper conscience of the mind are my thoughts of knowing
neuroscience and philosophy. The past has always been a subject of discussion
which I adsorb from history and archaeological studies. Nature and its diverse
species have fascinated me in the study of entomology, ecology, oceanography,
and ichthyology. Walls do speak and so do is the structure that captivated me
to get imbued in architecture and interior designing. Knowing the world around
and creating a thought to get answers whirled in the thoughts to the world of
quizzing. Understanding the people and the places created more inquisitiveness
towards travelling. The heavenly bodies and their movement primed my love for
astronomy. The waves of silence have always whispered me to music. In pursuit
of the truth of the unknown influenced me deep in spirituality.
Poetry has
been his first love. I have been the featured poet twice in November 2019 and
July 2020 edition of "The Year of Poet VI and VII" for the poems -
"Alone in the garden", "Scary eyes", "Dilapidated
edifice", "Hiding her tears", "Waiting", and
"Flowing" published by Inner Child Press International Publication (United
States of America). My poetry "Lighting a candle of hope" has been
published in the yearly "World Healing World Peace 2020" anthology
published by the publishing house Inner Child Press International Publication
from the United States of America. My poetry featured among the 42 poets around
the world in the yearly anthology WHISPERS OF SOFTLAY: Yearly Anthology of
poetry. My poetry “Renaissance within” has been published in the book WAR – WE
ARE REVOLUTION by Inner Child Press International Publication (United States of
America). I have been invited as the Guest Writer in Dr Hulya N Yilmaz's
literary space.
My poems have
been published in international publications like The Writers Club (United Kingdom) -
"Tsunami", SIPAY Literary Journal (Seychelles) - “Revered the
silence", "Humanity in nature's cry: Kerala Flood" and
"Unflowered", Teesta Review: A Journal of poetry (India) -
"Touching edifices" and "Mendicant", Sahitya Anand (India)
- "Time to awake", "Shards of glass", "Perpetuity in
backwaters" and "It rained like never before", Spillwords Press
(United Kingdom) "My smiling assassin", "Premonition",
"Metamorphosed", "Ricocheting the self",
"Phrontistery", "Aurora splashes", "Searching
him", "Her creation", "Flowing ink", and "The
waiting days", SETU (United States of America), OPA - "Living with
her memories", Atunis (Albania) - “A way to snowfondland", “Silence
after the commotion”, and “My snobbish little bridge”, Winamop (United Kingdom)
- "Ashes", "Touch me not", "My snout-fair snow",
"Walking in the snow", "Being forlorn in autumn",
"Serendipity", "Starry Night", "Tears",
"Culacino", "Junction", "Blank", and "The
'I' in me", Science Shore (India) - "Realization", Borderless
Journal (India) - "Praying Mantis" & Poetry of Spring's Embrace
(United States of America) - "Sun Sliced the Ice", "If you had
...", "She was my mother", "Haunted exile",
"Confetti of mizzle", "Where do I seek justice ?",
"Flowing like a river", "Inane species", "To think
different", "In tune with nature", "Sauntering heart for
her", "Let her go", "Broken Wings", "My
colours", "Still inspiring us", "God's own country",
"Being", "Shadow", "Troubled water",
"Inundated flow", "The nameless", "Remorse",
"Let them heal alone", "The shift", "Tittle",
"Voice of a revolution", "Chiaroscuro", "Dusted in
dust", "Astral", "To connect", "Nihility",
"Substance of a thought", "Seeing the life through",
"Thoughtfulness", "The Unsung", "Like never
before", "At last, not again - The rain", "Weeping in my
heart", "The choice of knowing", "Listening to her",
"Adam-Eved", "Never the same", "An ink forever"
,"A drive at night", "Living with her, delighted forever",
"Au Revoir", "She is my smile", "Karmic flow",
"A helping hand", "Copious in silence", "A taste of
being amarantine", "Harakiri", "Lost with the mind",
"Pulchritudinous drained", "Moments of beauty",
"Existence of Tagore",
"Mastered,
Slave within", "Enprint of nature - Truth of life,
"Musligark", "I am Unlettered", "Scattered
Letters", "The Mad Race - The Farcical Life", "Still",
"Flowing with the wind", "Changing Colours", "My Tears
Are Alone", "Ardhanareeshvara", "An Exploration",
"Buried and Smiling", "Left Me With Tears",
"Infinity", "Mysteries in Symmetries", "I am
Waiting", "None to see", "I am Unlettered",
"Musligark", "An Enprint of Nature - Truth of Life",
"Mastered, Slave Within", "Existence of Tagore", and
"Moments of Beauty".
The November
edition of the prestigious Poiesisonline Multiversity International Monthly magazine
THE MAG has published my multilingual poetry from English (My Silence ...) to
Hindi - मेरी खामोशियां (Meri Khamoshiyaan) and Tamil - என் மௌனம் (En maunam). My poetry "A clarion call for synergy" and
"I breathe, waiting to fulfil my dreams" have been published in the
special edition of the international E-Magazine Cultural Reverence.
My poems have
been published in anthologies like VASUDHA 2 - “Selfless”, RAINDROPS OF LOVE,
HEARTISTRY - “She” and “Love being floored”, POEMS FROM 30 BEST POETS -
"Knowing me", "Journey to heart" and "Hide &
Seek", MOONLIGHT - "Moonglade", "Pleine Lune" and
"Moonwake", MEDLEY OF MELODIES - “Cleanse me”, CORONA - SOCIAL
DISTANCING - "The known assassin - Corona", "ROOBROO - II -
" Watered" and THE HEART OF A POET - "Being humane." My
poems have been published in Techtouchtalk, an English Weekly - "The
landfall" and "Ant - The Cleaner." My poetry has been published
in the anthology GREEN AWAKENINGS published by Kavya-Adisakrit. My poem
"An unknown guest in the family" has been published in the book
"THE CYCLONE WILL END" published by Farha Pustaka (Indonesia).
My poetry
featured in an international anthology "WORLD FOR PEACE" by World
Institute for Peace (WIP). I have published my oeuvre "Where is my
daughter ?" on dementia in the book TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS WITH DEMENTIA.
My poetry "My words" featured in the YouTube channel POETRY FOR PEACE
on World Poetry Day March 21, 2019. My three poems - "Playing
around", "Eternal love" and "Princess" are published
in the anthology "HARMONIOUS SYMPHONIES" by Solitaire. My two poems
"Smiling with a gelasin" and "Like never before" are
published in the anthology " BEYOND WORDS." My poem "lesson learnt"
has been published in the anthology THE DIFFICULT TIMES."
My short
story "Dharma's Battle" has been published in the book "The land
of unfree labourers." My short story “Searching For Voice” has been
published in the book UNFURLING MY HEART published by Evince Publication. My two
research papers are published in the journal - Thar Multidiscipline Journal (A
spiritual insight: A study on Rudyard Kipling's poem "IF") and a book
- The Poetry of Vihang A. Naik (New Literary Dimensions) - Quest for peace and
Hope: A study of Vihang A. Naik's Poetry Manifesto (New & Selected Poems).
I have reviewed a book - Reneging Quiescence by Dr Samiha Zubair.
My articles
"Thoughts have a heart" and "God's own country - A model to
emulate during a medical emergency", "A journey away from
crescendo", "Mother: A God on earth" and "The inception of
a new dimension" have been published in the digital platform in
yoursnews.in. My articles "Education system needs reform" and
"The suicidal SELF" has been published in Sindh Courier. My articles
"The art of learning" and "Substance of a thought" are published
in SCIENCE SHORE. My poetry and prose have been published in the book
"Complexion Based Discriminations."
My science
article "Understanding bipolar disorder with pineal gland" has been
published in the book "NO ONE
FIGHTS ALONE - Volume 2."
My painting
"Adsorbing the energy" and the article "A journey to
explore" have been published in a spiritual journal - Awakening (India).
My photography "THEYYAM" has been published in Winamop.
I feature in
World Anthology by World Nation Writers' Union (Kazakistan) (Temirqazyq - Best
Poet/Writer 2017) - "Reams of dreams", "Painting my pain" and
"The shadows of the past." I am an official member of the World Healing
World Peace Foundation. I have authored the book “SAUDADE.”
My interview:
https://authorsinterviews.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/here-is-my-interview-with-orbindu-ganga/
Invited as a
Guest Writer:
https://hulyanyilmaz.com/2020/07/19/guest-post-2/?fbclid=IwAR3HTlYvJOnD1YrBJJyvc0N_lNwAnZSxfVBMlQwd0IIo3F4IGqNbsHkrBjY
Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0793TPYCJ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1516336249&sr=8-8&keywords=saudade#
Amazon author
page:
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079S3LWPN
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/orlando.blake.5036
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ordinary_is_beautiful/
Qestionnaire with Orbindu Ganga
How did you first get involved in writing, are you an
imaginative person?
It was
serendipity. It happened in 2014 when I started scribbling those thoughts
through my ink, those became poetry. It was never looking back from
thereon. I am very much in the world of imagination when my ink flows.
Spirituality has helped me into exploration and showed me a path of
imagination.
What do you find most challenging about your writing?
Writer's block
is a challenging one where we are unable to pen a single word. At such a time,
everything seems to be oblivious. In search of thoughts, we try even harder,
end up doing nothing with no thoughts flowing to write. It takes days or weeks
to come out of hibernation and make the ink flow again. But I do enjoy each phase
as it gives you so much to observe within and reiterate the fact that life is
such a wonderful experience. Life teaches you so much with our observations. We
have to observe and be in the flow.
What do you do when you are not writing?
As I said before,
I am more in observation when my ink doesn't flow. Spirituality has given me a
lot the way I think. I am never satisfied with one thing. So my thoughts are
exploring many things. I have to handle my journal and we are in the process of
starting another journal. I love healthy conversations because I love the art
of listening, being my passion. I do offline counselling, in the training
session to become one very soon.
Where do you see yourself in the next 6 months, and 5 years
down the road?
We would have
started our next multilingual literary journal, one of its kind within 6
months. I will have my anthologies published as an editor to provide a platform
for young creators. I will be doing my counselling session as a professional
life coach, one of my dreams, to listen to people and help them see life with
lucidity. I will also be more involved in spiritual healing.
Five years is
a long journey, there are many things in mind to initiate various projects. One
will be a project in science related to education. Another project is for
humanity and to bring a smile to others. Hope to see many more anthologies
being published as an editor. We will have another colossal literary journal to
be launched. I have my book launched, working on it for many years.
How do you keep coming up with material/content for your
story?
You just need
to love yourself and explore the self. As you do every day, you will come up
with many thoughts, those thoughts become your oeuvre.
Just be in
the flow, the universe will show the path...
Any specific tips you have for new writers who want to make
it big in the world of published books?
The universe
has a path for each one of us. It's our prerogative to realise and understand
the real essence of life. We should not be following anyone, not replicate what
others have done before. It is their journey, they realised it in their ways.
Similarly, each one has a journey of their own. Each one needs to have faith in
their talent and efficaciously work on it to sharpen it. One needs to be aware
and accept their journey. Never think of a result of how it will serve you.
Love what you
do, you shall receive what you deserve...
What’s the best thing a writer can give to his readers?
He/she should
be true to oneself in his/her creations. Let the world be against you, believe
in your ability and create your oeuvres. Every time you create, unless you're
satisfied with your oeuvre, never publish it. Be your authentic self in
bringing out the best in your creativity. When the readers like your oeuvre,
they would love your authentic self. So be the original, never become someone
else.
A lot of people are interested in writing for the money
earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money
from writing? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be
made?
Writing is
not for those who want to mint money. They might have a smile in the early
phase, but they won't continue the journey because you need to love your craft
and one should have the passion. Writing is a passion, if you love writing, you
will flow in the literary journey without thinking much. You need to sow a seed
with passion and compassion, the result will be overwhelming. Never think of
the result, love your work, do it with passion, you will find the result.
Impossible is
nothing. Anything is possible in this world. You need to believe in yourself
and creations should be authentic of yourself. Though it might take some time,
you shall find the taste of bliss in the beautiful journey. Just believe in
yourself, challenge the existing, and work efficaciously the world will be
yours.
What motivates you most in life?
Having a
beautiful life itself is a motivation. Not all souls created to become a human form.
The day I was born, I consider myself to be fortunate. It is the way we think
in this beautiful life. Each one of us has both phases in life. One can make
you smile and another lesson to learn. How you take both in the same stride is
more important. Each moment lived is valuable. Each moment to make someone
smile is bliss. I am adding bliss every day, the little I could.I am the
being, I am becoming the life.
The majority of the readers tend to take sides due to
religion and other considerations.
Each one
should have an opinion. We are human having a form to express what we believe.
But there is a fine line where it should not go beyond the self unless the
person is more attached to the cause. We are all independent to express our
opinions, it is all about where we put a pause, a comma and a period.
What is the story behind the name of your book?
Saudade is
one of my favourite words which doesn't have an equivalent English word. The
word has a lot of significance in terms of the emotional phase where one feels
nostalgic and melancholic at the same time. The book touches those feelings
misted with tears, with a smile. There is the phase in life when we look back,
it brings mixed emotions which can't be explained in words. Such words are
silent and they reach out with the tears showing their helplessness and
rekindling the memories.
What are your views on increasing plagiarism?
A coin has
two sides, we accept two sides to realise the importance. Plagiarism is found
everywhere. If we take a sword to wipe off, you might be successful in cleaving
the weeds. But it shall again sprout. The approach shouldn't be to negate and
talk tough. We need to accept the status quo. We need to understand the root
cause for such a phenomenon existing incessantly every time. The only way is to
educate the people who do plagiarize. Let us join together to educate our
people about plagiarism to make them understand the pros and cons of it. More
importantly to show them the direction to correct themselves. We will be cleaving
the foundation of the weeds. It will help us to have a society where plagiarism
becomes zilch. The solution should be for the development and not neglected
those, leaving them alone, which can make them anti-social elements in future.