A(NU) Thought

Touted as India’s answer to Harry Potter, Samsara: Enter The Valley Of The Gods , authored by Saksham Garg and published by Penguin , this book is an engaging read.   It's great to see Indian authors drawing from country’s rich cultural heritage to create fantasy worlds that can captivate readers globally. Now imagine this: an overlooked teenager bullied all his life, has no friends or relatives to support except his mother, is suddenly brought into a mystical world. His journey starts as a chosen one among the 11 to protect the valley. Aman Chandra, here among strangers, finds a purpose of his life in this mysterious valley. The story is about his journey of becoming courageous protector of the valley.

'The kind of Mahabharat I would have wanted to read and know of, in which people are allowed to make their own choices and lead lives fulfilling their simple wishes.' - this was my first thought the moment I finished reading ' The Misters Kuru  authored by  Trisha Das and published by Harper Collins . The Misters Kuru is an interesting twist in the age-old saga, in which we see the Pandavas, Draupadi, Kunti, and Narad muni in the mortal, modern-world setting. 

Book: Suryavamsha: The Noble Kings of Ancient India Author: Manjunath Dattatreya  Publication: Notion Press Mythology, I believe, encourages us to question, reason, comprehend the metaphors, go deep into philosophies and develop our own understanding of it. Suryavamsha: The Noble Kings of Ancient India , by  author Manjunath Dattatreya  does exactly the same. This book consists of several stories from the solar dynasty in brief snippets. The key essence of these stories is then highlighted. These stories attempt to answer the question of ‘why’. ‘Why or how did that event find a place in the ancient texts?'; ‘are they still relevant?’; ‘what are they trying to tell us?’

Book : Yakshini  Author : Neil D’Silva Publication:  Rupa Publications Fiction – the best part about fiction is that it sets your imagination free. The writer of fiction can expand his/ her limits to infinity. Something similar is what I experienced with Yakshini, authored by Neil D’Silva and published by Rupa Publications. The plot is set in the late ’90s and early 2000. The story is about a simple village, Meenakshi, who turns out to be a seductress, unknowingly and unintentionally, which later puts her into problems. It is only later that she learns that in her body lives another creature called Yakshini, owing to a curse.

Book : Shakuni – Master of the game Author : Ashutosh Nadkar Publication: Juggernaut Who defines the righteous? Who decides what is good and what is not? Who determines that one set of perspective is the right way of living while the other isn’t? We have been fed over the centuries that Ram was the virtuous, while Ravana’s path not good enough to be followed; just as we believe that Pandavas won the Mahabharata because God supported them, no wonder Kauravas were destined to lose. We believe what we have been told again and again, over the years. How open would you be to accept the culprit as the victim in any of these epic tales?

Book : The Code Of Manavas (Maha Vishnu Trilogy – Part 1) Author : Arpit Bakshi Publication: Rupa Publications The Code Of Manavas authored by Arpit Bakshi and published by Rupa Publications is a blend of sci-fi and mythology. My tip to the readers (of this book) this that keep aside all your presumption of Lord Krishna as described in mythology, past, present and future and look at this book with a fresh perspective. The plot is set in the era which is 2 million years after 2050 AD, which is the Swarnim yug. As per several mythology texts, this cycle of 4 yugs will repeat itself and the world will begin and be destroyed in every cycle. This story is set in one of such cycles, somewhere into the extreme future but borrowed heavily from the past.

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2R6rpQH About the Book 2 of the Kalki  trilogy: After a defeat at the hands of Lord Kali, Kalki Hari must journey towards the Mahendragiri mountains with his companions to finally become the avatar he is destined to be.  But the road ahead is not without peril . . . Not only is he trapped by the cannibalistic armies of the Pisach, he is also embroiled in the civil war of the Vanars. And in midst of all this, he meets a face from the legends. Meanwhile, Manasa, the sister of the late Vasuki, plots to overthrow Lord Kali by bringing a massive war to his kingdom. But Naagpuri, her homeland, has been infiltrated by their sworn enemy, the Suparns. Not only does she need to protect her kingdom from the Suparns, she must also protect her close ones from the league of conspirators at her own home. Who can she really trust? And will she be able to put an end to Lord Kali’s rule?

Book: The Mahabharata Code   Author: Karthik KB Rao Publisher: Notion Press They say do not judge a book by its cover, well it does turn out to be true in case of most books.  Well, if the same fact is applicable for The Mahabharata Code, read on to find out ;) The book, as mentioned, is the first person narration of the story which primarily revolves around author’s fascination of Lord Krishna and the significant role that he has played in Mahabharata. The protagonist Narayan Rao, as NASA scientist is sent to another planet which has shown signs of life. 

Book: The Indus Challenge Author: R. Durgadoss Publisher: Rupa Publications India The first thing that demands attention is the cover of the book. It’s intriguing! Then comes the blurb of the book, which also makes you feel that this is going to be an interesting journey. A journey of a rare blend of mythology, history and present-day fiction. The story is spread over centuries giving you a glimpse of various eras however, the most intriguing part is that of the segment of Alexander and Chandragupta, which contributes the maximum in the story. The story has lot of interesting  elements, such as there's an angle of reincarnation, ancient seal that unearths the long lost mystery . It is the author’s deep-rooted passion for Indian mythology, history and philosophy that has resulted into a well-researched and well-thought series. It can be a good addition to your library, especially if you a lover of mythological and historical fiction.  My rating: ...

The greatest villain of our legends, burnt down every year, reduced to ashes again and again, only to rise anew. His is a cycle of death and rebirth that never ends, a legend that refuses to die. And there is a reason for that. The tale of Rāvan still screams to be told, to break free of the falsehoods that have buried his truth. But in the vastness of our myths, there are bits and pieces of his legend scattered all around, leading us to the truth of what could well be the greatest unsolved mystery of all time.  The truth of Rāvan’s life, and his death by a God in mortal flesh.

Image Credit Book: Saraswati’s Intelligence Author: Vamsee Juluri Publisher: Westland In India, since childhood, the mythological stories of Mahabharata and Ramayana are ingrained in us. We have grown up perceiving a certain character in a certain way, without even giving a thought on the facts and fictions. Similarly, we have a traditional image of Lord Hanuman established in our minds; while the author in this book ‘Saraswati’s Intelligence’ has attempted to portray a different picture, unconventionally. When one talks of Hanuman, we automatically relate it to Ramayana; the mythology sees him as a loyal and close comrade to Lord Ram and a fearless fighter. But was he always as fearless? Was devotion always an essential part of his character? Could the bhramachari hanuman too have a love story?