The Immortals of Meluha - Book 1 of the Shiva Trilogy

ANIL DHARKER

NOTED MEDIA PERSONALITY, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR:
‘The Immortals of Meluha’ is a fast paced story, a definite page-turner. Amish has incorporated a range of emotions
and themes into the book which absorb and grasp the reader’s interest – from sweeping action sequences to
heart-tugging love stories. But the really interesting part of the book for me was his realistic take on Shiva
in particular and Hindu gods in general. There are fascinating interpretations of the caste system, various
philosophies such as the nature of reality, good and evil, amongst others. The fact that he has merged actual
historical facts (such as Indus Valley cities) with his imagination of the story, makes the book that much
more engaging.

PRAHLAD KAKKAR

CELEBRATED AD FILM MAKER, RESTAURATEUR AND DIVING ENTHUSIAST:
This book deals with the coming of age of a man destined to be god, but with very human traits!
It traces the physical and spiritual journey of a young and virile Shiva. His journey is symbolic of every human’s
journey into life and enlightenment. From love to war to evil and to good. Where perception is truth and truth
is manipulated constantly, shifting like treacherous quicksand. An exciting and racy adventure, the story has rich
characters whose emotions I could feel and an engaging plot which kept me spellbound. The usage of
everyday spoken English helped modernise the god Shiva in my mind and see him as a human being.

SANDIPAN DEB

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (RPG PUBLICATIONS), FORMER MANAGING EDITOR (OUTLOOK MAGAZINE), AUTHOR:
I have read ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ with great interest; indeed, I finished it in one marathon reading session over
one and a half days. I think it's a grand adventure: engrossing and exciting, yet much more than an adventure.
The deep knowledge of Indian mythology that is the foundation of ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ is impressive, and
the quirky way the author has played with our myths--especially the modernity of language that is imposed on
our mythical gods and demi-gods--is endearing, often startling, and sometimes very funny. I will be waiting for
the next two volumes of this trilogy.

DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

INDIA’S LEADING MYTHOLOGIST, COLUMNIST AND AUTHOR:
The book brings a new way of looking at mythology through the historic lens. Suddenly the cities of the
Indus valley come alive and all mythological events morph into plots of an adventure. The language spoken may
be a bit casual and disturb impressions one has of the gods, but if one leaves this memory behind, one can enjoy a
new way of looking at the unknown past.

ANURAG JOSHI

JOURNALIST, PREVIOUSLY WITH ECONOMIC TIMES, PRESENTLY WITH REUTERS:
‘The Immortals of Meluha’, Amish's first book, is a bold attempt to provide believable realism to an era, an epic
and flow of events widely perceived as mythology. Amish clearly has a strong intellect and has been able to put
his understanding of history, and more particularly the Hindu religion to good use, while writing this book.
The detailing in the book opens a window on an ancient civilisation in the Indian sub-continent and also provides
a crucial link to events in history, which were to follow later.

G VENKATRAMAN

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - RETAIL BUSINESS, FULLERTON INDIA:
Asking “why” is easy. To ask “why not” is difficult. It requires deep understanding of the “why” and then a journey in
unraveling possible alternates. Great thinking has often stemmed from a tentative probe into the “why not”.
To do this with something in Hinduism that is practically as old and well established a theological reality as religion
itself is quite amazing. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ made me think - made me visualize a culture & a life at a time
in India’s rich and ancient past where history and fable blend and blur. The characters are rich, but flawed – you
can like them, dislike them, scoff at them, feel with them and shake your head in disbelief at the thin line that
demarcates men from supermen. Was Shiva a tribal from the Himalayas? Was the Indus Valley civilization formed
by Manu? Was Somras an unstable chemical that an ancient civilization had learned to harness? Is there utopia?
Why not?