Book on Nouf Marwaai

Westland Publications Pvt. Ltd. (an Amazon company) announced the acquisition of an authorised biography of Nouf Marwaai, the first certified Yogacharini in Saudi Arabia. The book is tentatively titled, ‘Nouf: Yogi Who Made Saudi Arabia Fall in Love with an Ancient Indian Science’.

The biography is written by well-known film historian and writer Gautam Chintamani, who’s also a jury member of National Film Awards for Best Writing on Cinema.

Nouf Marwaai was instrumental in making Yoga legal and get official recognition for it in Saudi Arabia. She was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, by the Indian government in 2018.

The book will cover her life, her battles with autoimmune diseases, third-degree burns and cancer, and narrate how yoga helped her survive them. Nouf conducted the first ever International Day of Yoga in 2015 in Saudi Arabia; her journey of discovering both physical and inner well-being through yoga is a motivation for others to look for alternative methods of therapy.

Commenting on the book Gautam Chintamani said, “I’m excited that this book is being published by Westland. For writers, just telling a story is not enough as the story is only complete when it reaches the reader. Given Amazon’s global presence, the reach of this inspiring tale of fighting the greatest of odds and emerging victorious would increase exponentially.”

Debasri Rakshit, managing editor, Westland said, “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Gautam Chintamani. The journey of Nouf Marwaai highlights the importance of making peace with and healing one's inner self. It is an inspiration for women across cultures to take a stand on what they believe in.’’