It is against the backdrop of this legend that Shiva and his tribe of Gunas arrive in Meluha as immigrants from Mount Kailash in Tibet. Due to this legend, Meluha actively encourages immigrants to settle in their land. That hero will be identified when his throat turns blue on partaking somras, thereby becoming the Neelkanth (or the blue-throated one). That вЂњheroвЂќ will not be a Suryavanshi or a Chandravanshi or a Naga he will be someone from another land. It is in such a scenario that the Meluhan Emperor, Daksha,В and his peopleВ find hope in an ancient legend which says that вЂњwhen evil reaches epic proportions, when all seems lost, when it seems that your enemies have triumphed, a hero will appearвЂќ. The Chandravanshis and the Nagas appear to be allies who jointly conduct such terror strikes in Meluha. This is the society of the Suryavanshis or descendents of the sun.ДЄnd yet, this is also a society whose very existence is under threat:В the waters of the river Saraswati, which flows through Meluha, and is aВ core ingredient for manufacturing somras, is drying up the Meluhans are increasingly facing вЂњterroristвЂќ attacks from their neighbouring country,В Swadweep, which is inhabited by the Chandravanshis (or descendents of the moon).В And then there is also the threat from the Nagas, an ostracised group of deformed (mutant?) beings with extraordinary skills, power and strength. A caste-based society where every memberвЂ™s place is determined not by birth, but by his/her abilities.ДЄ society that is almost immortal due to the availability of somras, an anti-ageing potion, for all its members. But the people living there at that time call it Meluha,В a near-perfect, disciplined society that livesВ by the rules laid down by Lord Rama himself. It is the year 1900 BC in the area that the world today knows as the site of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

A destiny which makes him a saviourВ and a god, and whose arrival has been prophesied in an ancient legend. TheВ first book inВ the Shiva Trilogy, it introducesВ Shiva as an ordinary human being with an extraordinary destiny in store for him. The author of The Immortals of Meluha(Westland, pp.412, Rs.195), Amish,В has no such inhibitions. Probably, thatвЂ™s why many of his devotees do not think of ShivaвЂ™s origins - perhaps, the fact that Shiva is a God and is, therefore,В eternal inhibits them from thinking about his beginnings. For millions he is a revered God, an ishta devta,В worshipped in his myriad forms. Most Indians, and certainly all Hindus,В know Shiva in all these forms and then some more. To get more book review and author interview updates from вЂBetween The LinesвЂ™, the must visit place? ItвЂ™s Facebook page: Between The Lines.Shiva. SheвЂ™s working at BTL because she says that she likes Indian fiction but her true intentions are world domination through flower power. This review has been contributed by Hamsini Hariharan. If you find the book interesting, buy from Amazon or Flipkart here: The novel on Facebook: вЂThe Immortals of MeluhaвЂ™ The book is refreshingly new and allows people to catch a glimpse of history and culture and it is a good read. While I found the writing too modern in some instances, it is this feature that many other readers appreciated.

The characters were extremely well researched, relatable and likeable. The author has done a brilliant job linking several Hindu myths, almost convincing his readers that the story is not fiction. The narrative is compelling, vividly graphic and moves at a brisk pace. The book almost grabs you by the collar and makes you bite your nails even at the finish. In this journey filled novel, Shiva is forced to philosophize, to protect those around him, to adjust to the new customs and to take decisions that would impact the lives of the innocent masses. But the empire is surrounded with enemies who are determined to war with them.

His loyal new friends, the loving people and the feisty Sati show him a world of civilization and order that he could have never imagined possible. When he is suddenly declared as their savior, Shiva is forced to step up to his new position. The book follows the adventures of a nomadic chieftain Shiva whose life drastically changes when he is invited to the seemingly perfect land of Meluha by King Daksha. It is set to the tune of Hindu mythology but describes the characters as mere mortals with real emotions and problems. Plot Discussion: вЂThe Immortals of MeluhaвЂ™ is the first book in the Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi.

Immortals of meluha summary