“When evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it appears that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will emerge”
The Immortals of Meluha, the first of the Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi introduces to us the transition of an ordinary man Shiva, into a God of the gods, The Mahadev. This fascinating page turner easily manages to bring to us a more innovative and engrossing version of the ‘Shivpuran’ along with a subtle allegory of philosophy, with a completely different perspective. The life of Shiva as more human than God is what the theme of the book revolves around.
Much like the Shiva of his novels, the 38 year old IIM graduate, Amish gave up his successful career as a banker in order to metamorphose into a successful and popular debutante writer. The perfect combination and balance of adventure, action and love along with ideologies, mythology and philosophy is what has led Amish to his destiny of producing this nationally acclaimed bestseller. The second novel which paves the way for the Shiva Trilogy is the ‘Secret of the Nagas’ which has also been released and is firmly established as yet another sensational bestseller. The third and final jewel of the trilogy is ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’ which is expected to hit the stands later this year. Fans all over the world are eagerly awaiting its release.
The curtains of ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ open at Shiva’s abode, Lake Mansarovar where he is shown as a simple man but extraordinary in his own ways. As the setting of this episode shifts from Mount Kailash to Meluha, Shiva gradually transforms into a more Godlike being, the ‘Neelkanth’ or ‘The Divine one with the Blue Throat’. The Suryavanshis and the people of Meluha prophesize the arrival of this second Mahadeva as an initiator to a safer and a more glorious future for their kin. The plot thickens as the rivalry between the Suryavanshi and the Chandravanshi tribes takes a turn for the worse. This is where Shiva’s destiny as a charismatic leader and a divine individual comes face to face with his present persona which is that of a simple unassuming soul.
He is unsure, uncertain and anxious about the responsibilities that he would be shouldering in the near future. This is when Sati enters his life. Suddenly, Shiva finds the lost peace and balance in his life and finally succumbs to what he was destined for. Slowly and gradually these events lead up to Shiva discovering the latent strength and power that resides within him and using it for the well being of the humanity.
Throughout the course of the novel, the diverse canvas of Indian history, mythology, folklore and religion keep the reader engrossed and desperate to turn the pages and devour the printed words. Moreover, the underlying philosophical allegory of the fact that ‘God resides in each one of us, all we need to do is realize this and give ourselves a chance’ aids the emotional connection and relation of the readers with the book. Lastly, the strategically placed teaser “…. to be continued ” and a snippet from the next book, ‘The Secret of the Nagas’ ends this edition and it leaves the reader longing and thirsting for more.
Saumia Bhatnagar
