Fiasco – The American Military Adventure In Iraq – by Thomas E.
Ricks
The Gamble - by Thomas E. Ricks
The Soldier’s Duty - by Thomas E. Ricks
HowWe Advertised America - by George Creel
Churchill& Orwell - by Thomas E. Ricks
Monday, June 5, 2017
Saturday, May 27, 2017
http://www.loksatta.com/khau-anandey-news/mumbai-street-food-food-tours-of-mumbai-1462737/
http://www.loksatta.com/khau-anandey-news/cooking-channel-on-social-media-for-foodies-1452880/
http://www.loksatta.com/safar-khadyagranthanchi-news/best-recipe-books-books-of-recipes-recipe-books-cookbook-recipes-1476232/
http://www.loksatta.com/khau-anandey-news/cooking-channel-on-social-media-for-foodies-1452880/
http://www.loksatta.com/safar-khadyagranthanchi-news/best-recipe-books-books-of-recipes-recipe-books-cookbook-recipes-1476232/
The Mahabharata Of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa @ www.sacred-texts.com
Harivamsa @ mahabharata-resources.org/harivamsa
Srimad Bhagavatam @ www.vedabase.net
The Cult Of Draupadi - Volume 1 & 2 - by Alf Hiltebeitel
Yajnaseni - by Pratibha Ray
innertraditions.blogspot.com
joglosemar.co.id/bharatayuda.html
saralamahabharat.blogspot.com
The Lost City Of Dvaraka - by S.R.Rao
Gods, Sages and Kings - Vedic Secrets Of Ancient Civilization - by David Frawley
The Mahabharata - A Modern Rendering - volumes 1 & 2 - by Ramesh Menon
Krishnacharitra - by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay
Krishnavatara - Volumes 1 to 7 - by K.M. Munshi
Mahabharater Katha/The Book Of Yudhisthir - by Budhhadeva Bose
Pradip Bhattacharya's essay on the Panchakanyas of lore
The Secret Of The Veda - Sri Aurobindo
Mythic Origins Of Menstrual Taboo In Rigveda - by Janet Chawla
The Penguin History Of Early India: From The Origins To 1300 AD - by Romila Thapar
hinduwisdom.info/War_In_Ancient_India.htm
www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati
The Mahabharata Chronology - by K.N.S. Patnaik
spokensanskrit.de
sanskrit.inria.fr/sankkrit.html
Harivamsa @ mahabharata-resources.org/harivamsa
Srimad Bhagavatam @ www.vedabase.net
The Cult Of Draupadi - Volume 1 & 2 - by Alf Hiltebeitel
Yajnaseni - by Pratibha Ray
innertraditions.blogspot.com
joglosemar.co.id/bharatayuda.html
saralamahabharat.blogspot.com
The Lost City Of Dvaraka - by S.R.Rao
Gods, Sages and Kings - Vedic Secrets Of Ancient Civilization - by David Frawley
The Mahabharata - A Modern Rendering - volumes 1 & 2 - by Ramesh Menon
Krishnacharitra - by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay
Krishnavatara - Volumes 1 to 7 - by K.M. Munshi
Mahabharater Katha/The Book Of Yudhisthir - by Budhhadeva Bose
Pradip Bhattacharya's essay on the Panchakanyas of lore
The Secret Of The Veda - Sri Aurobindo
Mythic Origins Of Menstrual Taboo In Rigveda - by Janet Chawla
The Penguin History Of Early India: From The Origins To 1300 AD - by Romila Thapar
hinduwisdom.info/War_In_Ancient_India.htm
www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati
The Mahabharata Chronology - by K.N.S. Patnaik
spokensanskrit.de
sanskrit.inria.fr/sankkrit.html
Places to eat @ in Delhi
Nihari @ Haji Sharabati Nihariwale near Jama Masjid
South Indian dishes @ Sagar Ratna and Saravana Bhavan
Parathevali Gali @ Chandani Chowk
Dahi Bhalle @ Natraj Ke Dahi Bhalle @ Chandani Chowk
Chhole Bhature @ Bille Di Hatti
Langar @ Chandani Chowk Gurudwara
Kebabs (especially Chicken Tikka Roll) @ Khan Chacha Kebab Center
Dahi Ke Kebab @ Desi Vibes @ Connaught Place
Ram Laddu
Nihari @ Haji Sharabati Nihariwale near Jama Masjid
South Indian dishes @ Sagar Ratna and Saravana Bhavan
Parathevali Gali @ Chandani Chowk
Dahi Bhalle @ Natraj Ke Dahi Bhalle @ Chandani Chowk
Chhole Bhature @ Bille Di Hatti
Langar @ Chandani Chowk Gurudwara
Kebabs (especially Chicken Tikka Roll) @ Khan Chacha Kebab Center
Dahi Ke Kebab @ Desi Vibes @ Connaught Place
Ram Laddu
Govinda - Krishna Udayasankar
It was a long wait so when I finally laid my hands on the book I hoped that it would be worth it. Well......
This is the first book of The Aryavarta Chronicles. Granted that Mahabharata is a complex tale with many characters - many of them playing too significant a role in the epic to be filtered out of the tale, even during its modern retelling. But frankly, the size of the book, and its tiny font, scared me, despite the fact that I have devoured chunkier books without flinching :-)
Jokes apart, given the book's genre, a fresh take on the ancient saga was a foregone conclusion. To site a few examples, Shikandin is depicted as a male - with a 10-year old son - instead of as a transgender. Bhishma looks at Govinda with suspicion. Panchali is won by Arjuna but becomes legally wedded wife of Yudhisthira only. Ssodhyan (the Kuru prince popularly known as Duryodhan) engages in discussions with Yudhisthira instead of plotting against his cousins.
But then there are some twists which are puzzling like e.g. the tender feelings between Shikandin and Krishna's sister Subhadra and her dismay at being forcefully abducted by Arjuna. Like Rukmawati being daughter (instead of sister) of Crown Prince Rukmi and wife of Govinda's son Pradyumna. Like Govinda without any of his 8 Queens. The tale of Ahilya has an angle that makes it sound not only plausible but downright possible.
And some twists are downright - 'revolting' is perhaps a very strong word - disturbing. Like the mutual attraction between Panchali and Govinda which leads her to pleading with him to marry her. I found it disturbing not because of the notion that Krishna - who is revered all across India - is being maligned this way but because I think that using this twist the author has done a great disservice to the idea that a pure platonic friendly relation can exist between a man and a woman. :-( I hope the author has a concrete reason for depicting this the way that she has and that it will become clear in the other books of the trilogy.
Having said that, I am intrigued about the people who keep getting referred to throughout the narrative - the enigmatic Firewrights. I am not sure if they are a figment of the author's imagination or have any roots in the centuries-old Mahabharata tale. I am almost sure I have read the name Devala Asita somewhere but can't quite remember where. Then there are some questions which are left unanswered e.g. why is Shikandin drawn towards the city of Kashi. Of course, we all know the connection between the two as per the epic but that connection doesn't make sense in the author's version of Mahabharata.
All in all, the author has handled the complex web of characters well - obviously not an easy task. Hats off to her for that! Must say that I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Hope I don't have another long wait in store for me. Keeping fingers crossed.
P.S. Surprisingly, the character that I seem to have liked the most is not that of Govinda but that of Prince Shikandin. :-)
This is the first book of The Aryavarta Chronicles. Granted that Mahabharata is a complex tale with many characters - many of them playing too significant a role in the epic to be filtered out of the tale, even during its modern retelling. But frankly, the size of the book, and its tiny font, scared me, despite the fact that I have devoured chunkier books without flinching :-)
Jokes apart, given the book's genre, a fresh take on the ancient saga was a foregone conclusion. To site a few examples, Shikandin is depicted as a male - with a 10-year old son - instead of as a transgender. Bhishma looks at Govinda with suspicion. Panchali is won by Arjuna but becomes legally wedded wife of Yudhisthira only. Ssodhyan (the Kuru prince popularly known as Duryodhan) engages in discussions with Yudhisthira instead of plotting against his cousins.
But then there are some twists which are puzzling like e.g. the tender feelings between Shikandin and Krishna's sister Subhadra and her dismay at being forcefully abducted by Arjuna. Like Rukmawati being daughter (instead of sister) of Crown Prince Rukmi and wife of Govinda's son Pradyumna. Like Govinda without any of his 8 Queens. The tale of Ahilya has an angle that makes it sound not only plausible but downright possible.
And some twists are downright - 'revolting' is perhaps a very strong word - disturbing. Like the mutual attraction between Panchali and Govinda which leads her to pleading with him to marry her. I found it disturbing not because of the notion that Krishna - who is revered all across India - is being maligned this way but because I think that using this twist the author has done a great disservice to the idea that a pure platonic friendly relation can exist between a man and a woman. :-( I hope the author has a concrete reason for depicting this the way that she has and that it will become clear in the other books of the trilogy.
Having said that, I am intrigued about the people who keep getting referred to throughout the narrative - the enigmatic Firewrights. I am not sure if they are a figment of the author's imagination or have any roots in the centuries-old Mahabharata tale. I am almost sure I have read the name Devala Asita somewhere but can't quite remember where. Then there are some questions which are left unanswered e.g. why is Shikandin drawn towards the city of Kashi. Of course, we all know the connection between the two as per the epic but that connection doesn't make sense in the author's version of Mahabharata.
All in all, the author has handled the complex web of characters well - obviously not an easy task. Hats off to her for that! Must say that I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Hope I don't have another long wait in store for me. Keeping fingers crossed.
P.S. Surprisingly, the character that I seem to have liked the most is not that of Govinda but that of Prince Shikandin. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
