The Secret of Nagas

Amish Tripathi brings out a much awaited sequel to the Immortals of Meluha. One thing that makes this book stand out is its sheer uniqueness. In a world like today where Chetan Bhagat has inspired a writer at every corner of the road especially if you are an alumnus of the premier management institute of India that abbreviates to three letters Amish is a whiff of fresh air. What Amish has done is something very original. He has transformed a certain perception of something that has a household importance and continuous confusion for a generation like ours, God. Immortals of Meluha was the repositioning of Shiva, the God that almost every Indian and every person who has some remote interest in India has heard of. Shiva ceased to be a God from Mansarovar who has a serpent around his neck and a bull to ride on. He became a pot smoking, jovial and extremely skillful tribal warrior. This Phantom image of Lord Shiva suddenly makes this fantasy tale so believable to people who have otherwise scorned at the stories of Mythology that have roots in the rich and vintage Hindu heritage. But, let’s face it, children, adolescents and people who have grown physically but still enjoy a good comic or cartoon every now and then are still a bigger fan of Batman than Shiva. Shiva was a God. Immortals of Meluha made Shiva a Hero. The Secret of Nagas is a perfect sequel to Meluha. The story is gripping and the element of surprise is maintained seamlessly throughout the book. The easy language makes it a book that can be devoured within a few hours because there is eagerness to turn every page and discover another familiar name. The beauty of this book is how each character has a veil and when it is unveiled it turns out to be another reason why we have a certain festival in our households because it features yet another deity’s name. What Amish has done with both the books is a mix of fantasy with mythology along with good dosage of philosophy mainly derived out of the scriptures. The stories like he claims may not be real but parts of it are actual stories of how certain place came up to be called a certain name. The stories are unheard of and you really don’t know what to expect and the books keep you pinned to them to find out more. The literary value of the book is not great. The writing style is very much like the contemporary writers who can be called the Bhagat types (no relation to Bhagat Singh) and the grammar isn’t even comparable to literary pro. The humor may not be really funny at places but it doesn’t deviate the story or leave a tacky bump in the narration. I especially enjoyed how Amish reveals the sexuality in Anandamayi treading lightly on the seduction but also keeping in mind it is ultimately a deity’s description. So how much boldness is actually allowed there? I don’t know if that was an intentional attempt or that’s just the way he writes but he definitely scores. Overall I’d say buy this book and gift it to anybody over the age of 9 on let’s say Shivratri. They’ll be more than ready to come to the temple next year.