Shalome came to India from Syria in 1792. He was an astute businessman, \nand once he started his business in India, his work took him to many parts of \nthe country. He wrote all about it in his diary. Now, some 240 years later, his \ndescendant Jael Silliman weaves a great-fun story based on this diary, where \nShalome’s adventures are narrated by his little monkey friend, Chanchal. \nAnd what a colourful story it is, of royal elephants, silks, diamonds, and lots \nand lots of mouthwatering delicacies! Chanchal describes how she meets \nShalome in Gujarat and then accompanies him to Calcutta, a city that was \nsurrounded by jungles at the time. They spend a year in the nawab’s palace in \nLucknow and meet the royal elephants there, and visit Maharaja Ranjit Singh \nin Punjab to see the Kohinoor! \nFunny, heartfelt, and filled with insights into Jewish life, Shalome Rides a \nRoyal Elephant is not just the story of Shalome and Chanchal, but also about \nthe great melting pot that is India where different communities and religions \nhave lived in harmony over the ages.