There
are few authors who blow your mind with their first book itself. One of such
books written by a debutante author, Anurag Chandra, which I completed reading
this weekend is “The Ramayana Secret”. I generally write review of any book
just after completing it but this one, unfortunately, I wrote after 7 days but
still the book is afresh in my mind. In all these days since I completed it, I
discussed its version of Ramayana with many of my friends and uncle-aunties and
all of them are surprised and astonished with the version Author has based his Ramayana
upon.
To
start with, the cover page of the book, the synopsis mentioned in the backcover
and the overall presentation and publishing quality is spectacular where the
first fight to grab reader’s attention is won. Secondly, whenever there is a
book with several characters and relationships among them, I always have to
maintain a note separately where I keep on drawing the tree as per the
hierarchy. This is one of the few books where I have been able to find a nicely
drawn family tree with all the major characters of the book defined properly. This
helped a lot in the initial chapters of the book where the characters keep on
getting introduced.
I
have read many books based on Ramayana but what I have liked basically about
Anurag is his approach towards writing this book in the age of trilogy. Though
the book can surely have its 2nd part but atleast the way whole
Ramayana is covered in 220-odd pages is compliment-worthy. Also, the small
chapters make it easy for you to go through the book in a single sitting
without getting bored. The narration is very powerful and beholds you like any
great book. The characterizations are done with very limited words hence there
is not much investment author has done in this department but still manages to
make some of the characters as your favorite such as Lakshmana, Vibhisana,
Ravana’s son etc.
The
many myths that author has tried to bust with his version of Ramayana is applaudable.
The relationship of Sita and Ravana is the major one that will make this book a
talking point. Then the concept of inner and outer world is nicely explained in
the initial chapters. The background of Lord Rama’s ancestor regarding what
they couldn’t do for inner world is nicely described. The whole segment of
Surpanakha and why Ravana actually took Sita away to keep her as a hostage is
again a new something in this book. Similarly, Kaikeyi and her role is mentioned
quite differently.
There
are few parts I would like to mention which made me interested in reading this
book:- The way justice is made to Sage Gautam and Ahilya by Rama is nicely
narrated. Rama’s advice to Bharat is one of the powerful segment in the book. I
liked the way whole Lanka sequence is narrated regarding Ravana being egoistic
and not listening to anyone in his family. How even his family had members who
tried to stop him from doing wrong kept the war segment interesting. The Bali
and Sugriva section is also narrated well. The whole Hanumana’s visit to Lanka’s
section is beautifully written. The end of the book becomes very emotional with
Sita leaving Rama and then Luv and Kush segment made me even more sentimental.
The discussion on how the Ramayana got wrote in a different manner for the
world gives this book the kind of ending it needed.
Overall,
I enjoyed reading this book and I wish Anurag Chandra come up with such short
mythological and philosophical stuffs at least once in a year with a book. I
give this one 4.5* out of 5.
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Thanks.
ABHILASH
RUHELA!!!
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