The previous library period was missed due to some programs and I found no book in my shelf to bury my head into. That is when I noticed the book I had been dismissing till now - 'The Immortals of Meluha' by Amish Tripathi. I picked up the book from the array of novels and ran my fingers through the embossed title. The cover page bore the picture of the back of a man. His arms had scars of bravely fought battles and a trishul- a three headed spear was rested against his sturdy, masculine back. His long hair was tied in a bun and some of it also hung along his back as locks. 'This was undoubtedly Shiva- the Mahadev' I thought to myself. Apart from Mahabharata and Ramayana I hadn't read any other novels of Hindu mythology. Having left no option for myself I picked up the book and started reading it with a faint hope flickering within me- the hope that this book will bear something contemporary, something which could capture my interest and would keep me hooked up till its last page. I directly moved on to read the blurb and then opened the book.
It started with praises for the book and it is the first set of lines by The Times of India that caught my attention which had these words in it-"Shiva rocks. Just how much Shiva rocks the imagination is made grandiosely obvious in The Immortals of Meluha...Shiva's journey from cool dude ...to Mahadev...is a reader's delight.....What really engages is the author's crafting of Shiva, with almost boy-worship joy."
A cool dude? Wow this got to be something worth reading...yes I knew I didn't have to think twice. I raced on to read and enjoy the book and I did not forget to savor the book page by page. The book was unimaginably well crafted with Lord Shiva being described in the most unique form ever. It was rather contemporary and contained all elements to keep a new generation's kid hooked up to it. Shiva in this story is a gracious dancer, a passionate lover, a fearless warrior and an exemplary leader. When I turned over the last page of the book, all I wanted to do was to get hold of the next book in the series- 'The Secret of the Nagas'.
This book too was a definite page turner. Each page in it held surprising and at times shocking truths revealed to us, I hardly could keep myself distanced from it even when the tension of the upcoming midterm exams were hovering above me like a sharpened sword, ready to strike. At times it forced me to think why can’t the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology text books be a definite page turner too. Oooh I would have loved it then. What awaited me was more and more surprises being unfolded in each line. How in the world was I then expected to quit reading the book? This book too lasted only for a few days in my hand before I completed it. My expectations were not at all let down by the author and I found the series much more intriguing as it progressed from one book to the other. I had to take a break then, a break of three weeks, since my exams had approached and demanded the major portion of my attention to it.
As it is present in the blood of every student I too started planning for the vacations when the exams hadn't even begun. My things to do list began with- 1. Reading-'The Oath of the Vayuputras'- the third and sadly last among the series of the Shiva trilogy. Soon the exams got over and I started my quest of finding this book. There was no library offering me the privilege of reading this book. That is when I realized that science had advanced a lot compared to the past- 'the book will be available online dumbo' I reminded myself. As soon as I got it I locked up myself in my den and began reading. Now that I have completed the last book of The Shiva trilogy, I just have a line to say to Mr. Amish-"Hats off buddy." I had never once imagined that the idol whom I daily pray to was such a normal person like any of us, the difference is just that his destiny had cast him a bit more significant role than us- the role of the Neelkanth, the Mahadev, the savior. The gods I knew stayed up in the heaven and showered blessings whenever we needed or when they felt like, but it is after reading these books that I have known to accept gods like one of us, as real men with flesh and blood. My favourite part in the book was where the author explains the famous war cry of Lord Shiva- Har Har Mahadev, which in this book means everyone is a Mahadev. No one has ever interpreted these word as beautifully as Amish had done. These words encouraged in me the thought that we also can be elevated to the point of a great god, and it also invoked a thought in me that each one of us contain a good part in us, just like the gods we pray to. Amish has brought the idols I worship into life. Be it fact or fiction I choose to believe this. Maybe the next time I light the lamp and pray to my gods, I can take the freedom of imagining them as my best friends who would understand me the most....all thanks to Amish Tripathi for offering me the feast of three wonderful books with the right amount of folklore, romance, adventure and suspense.
(My review could be a push to those still debating over whether to read these books or not, and I have taken complete care not to include any suspense or story from the books which would spoil your pleasure of reading them. If you have spotted these books anywhere just pick it up and read it, it surely is worth spending your time on.)
Great Ammu
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