Nineteenth-century Tibet was an unknown entity, a complete geographical mystery to the West.

• Where did its capital city Lhasa lie?
• Which rivers, lakes and mountains stretched across this land?
• Where were its fabled monasteries and legendary goldfields?
• And did the magical flying lamas actually exist?

It was next to impossible for a white man to enter this rigorously guarded territory. And so was chosen an intrepid Indian explorer from the mountains of Kumaon-Nain Singh Rawat. Trekking across this country, he risked life and limb and donned innumerable clever disguises as he surveyed the vast expanses and identified countless villages, cities and people. From putting Lhasa accurately on the world map to earning the title of Pundit, his eventful and often arduous travels led to his name being permanently engraved in the annals of Indian exploration.

Journey to a Forbidden City, Deepa Agarwal, India Puffin, Paperback, 127 pages, $8.99

Author, poet and translator, Deepa Agarwal writes for both children and adults and has fifty published books to her credit. She has received several awards for her work. Her picture book, Ashok's New Friends, was awarded the National Award for Children's Literature by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), while the historical fiction Caravan to Tibet featured on the International Board on Books for Young People Honour List of 2008.