The Immortals of Meluha is the first installment of the Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripati. The plot of the book concentrates on the journey of Shiva, who becomes a godlike because of his karma. This is the premise of the Shiva Trilogy, a fiction blended with historical characters.
The book is a kind of lesson to all of us, that there exists a potential God in every single Human Being and all we have to do is to listen to ourselves.
Set in 1900 BC, the book portrays Shiva as a man of flesh and blood, the leader of tribal clan, Gunas. Due to frequent attacks from neighboring groups like the Pakratis, Shiva along with his group moves to Meluha, to lead a new life. In Meluha, he is offered the energy drink Somras. Upon drinking it, Shiva’s throat turns blue and as per the legends of Meluha, he is the ‘Neelkanth’, who will lead the Suryavanshis to victory against the evil Chandravanshis.
Shiva takes this as a case of accident and behaves as if everything was usual, but the King Daksha and the entire Suryavanshis are staunch followers of the legend and strictly believe that, He is the ‘one’, who protects them from the evil. Only, Parvateshwar, chief of the army staff, doubted in the legend as he was a follower of Lord Rama and believed that, one should be valued according to his deeds and not by the legends. The terrorist attacks of notorious and powerful Nagas add a flavor of thrill to the plot. Meanwhile, Shiva meets Sati, the daughter of King Daksha and their love makes a sub-plot in the book.
The book has all elements of action, thrill and a good story to deal with. The elevation of characters however offers the feel of some Indian films. Every time, we hear stories of Gods, there will be something unreal or an impossible factor in it. But, this book has a sense of reality in it and even dealt with certain scientific facts. It raises serious questions regarding the problems faced by Indian society, like discrimination and superiority.
Amish gave a perfect example of how a society should be through his explanation for the city of Meluha. He presented it as a city of equality and prosperity. In one case, the entry of Shiva into the lands of Meluha can be compared to a foreigner’s entry into our country and the courtesy experienced by him. The Book has a logical explanation for how caste system has evolved in the Indian sub-continent and how, this system which initially had equal rights for every individual, transformed into the present form. Through the sect of people called ‘vikarmas’, Amish draws a vivid picture of how people were discriminated in the old Indian societies, based on some spiritual ideologies. Though the war sequences and love track gives the book a filmy outlook, the final pages makes it engaging and thought provoking. It questions our beliefs and offers meaningful answers to it. The story takes a sudden turn and the action tale becomes a gripping drama. The ideals Amish share in the climax portions are vibrant, the universal truths of duality and equality are brilliantly explained by him.
The character of Shiva represents a common Indian, who is destined to follow his karma. A man who tries to connect different ideologies he has gone through. Sati portrays a lady of valor and skill, the mind of a discriminated law-abiding is well presented through her character. While Nandi has the characters of a loyal follower, Bhadra offers the qualities of a good friend. King Daksha and Kanakhala are shown as blind followers of ancient myths, while, Parvateshwar’s character becomes the one who gets confused between the beliefs once he had and the reality to which he is exposed. Brihaspathi and Ayurvathi represent the learned ones who welcome new ideals with all respect to the customs followed.
The Suryavanshi clan represents a group of people who follow customs of the ancestors. They are the ones who believe in truth, respect and duty. On the other hand, the Chandravanshis represent comfort and happiness; they are the group of people who prefer freedom to loyalty. Meanwhile, the mysterious Nagas offer the thrill factor making the book engaging.
Amish Tripati’s compelling narration makes ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ engaging and enterprising. The creation of Meluha requires special applause. His usage of well known mythological characters in building up the story and offering a new fiction brings novelty to the book. His racy description of action sequences pumps adrenaline while, the fascinating philosophies make the reader think.
Overall, Amish Tripati’s Immortals of Meluha is a vibrant tale of Shiva, stuffed with all elements of philosophy, love and action with a scent of mystery in it.
This piece of text surely compels the reader to get the following installments of Shiva Trilogy.