Bharata, king of Ayodhya, had an overriding ambition to become king of kings. He set about subduing every kingdom possible including those of his brothers. The only person to oppose his arrogance was his half-brother, Bahubali, who defeated Bharata in single combat. However, Bahubali abdicated all claims to the throne and left for the forests to meditate. Centuries later Chavundaraya, a commander-in-chief of the Ganga dynasty built a 57 feet high statue of Bahubali at Shravana Belagola. This story has been taken from Pampa's Adi Purana and Panchabana's Bhujabali Charita.
A FITTING DENOUEMENT TO THE BĀHUBALI TRILOGY, THIS BOOK IS AN EMOTIONAL FINALE TO THE GRIPPING THREE-PART TALE. Sivagami’s missteps have only deepened her determination to fulfil her father’s wish and stop the despicable activities at Gauriparvat. And so she battles on. Unknown to her, however, Maharaja Somadeva’s challengers have begun to close in on the king, and Sivagami finds herself suddenly at a disadvantage. With a player like Somadeva, though, the biggest mistake you can make is to not immediately checkmate and destroy. The game of chaturanga is not quite over. As Sivagami takes on the kingdom’s enemies, guided by Somadeva, she finds in her own manoeuvres an echo of the man she has always detested. In her journey to becoming the queen of Mahishmathi, Sivagami must choose between love and ambition, principles and deviousness, selflessness and envy. What does she hold on to, what does she let go? A thrilling, breathless read, Queen of Mahishmathi is the third and final book in the Bāhubali: Before the Beginning series.
MASTERFULLY PLOTTED AND PACKED WITH ACTION, THIS NOVEL TELLS THE STORY OF SIVAGAMI AND HER PAST. When five-year-old Sivagami witnesses her father being branded a traitor and executed by the maharaja of Mahishmathi, she vows to one day destroy the kingdom. At seventeen, she recovers a manuscript from her crumbling ancestral mansion. Written in a strange language called Paisachi, the manuscript contains a secret that may redeem her father or condemn him further. Meanwhile, Kattappa, a proud and idealistic young slave who blindly believes in his duty, finds himself in the service of a spoilt prince. Alongside, he must try and keep his brother, who resents their social position and yearns for freedom, out of trouble. As Sivagami tries to unravel the secret of the manuscript, she finds that the empire of Mahishmathi is teeming with conspirators, palace intrigues, corrupt officials and revolutionaries. An ambitious nobleman will do anything for power and money. A secret group of warriors under the leadership of a seventy-year-old woman is determined to stop the slave trade. A forest tribe, deeply resentful of having been driven away from their holy mountain three hundred years ago, is preparing to wage war against the king. From the pen of Anand Neelakantan, the bestselling author of Asura: Tale of the Vanquished, Roll of the Dice and Rise of Kali, comes The Rise of Sivagami, filled with staggering intrigues and unforgettable characters. A riveting tale of intrigue and power, revenge and betrayal, The Rise of Sivagami is a befitting prequel to S.S. Rajamouli’s blockbuster film Bāhubali.
FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS, CHATURANGA WILL KEEP READERS ENGAGED FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST PAGE. Political intrigue is astir in the land of Mahishmathi. After the failed coup staged by the Vaithalikas, Sivagami finds herself elevated to the position of bhoomipathi, from where she can more ably pursue her burning goal to avenge her father’s death. Meanwhile, there is a tussle between the two sons of the maharaja of Mahishmathi for the crown. And behind the scenes, a wily, skilled player of the political game moves the pieces to topple the king, Somadeva. Will the maharaja—usually able to match wits with the best of them—prevail? Or will one of his many enemies finally be able to best him at this game of Chaturanga? Set against a backdrop of ambition, love, loyalty, passion and greed, the second book in the Bāhubali: Before the Beginning series is a twist-a-minute page-turner—riveting and deeply satisfying.
Many historians believe that Jainism and other hermit schools were simply a reaction to Vedic ritualism. But for most Jains, their religion has no origin: it has always been around. Jainism was rediscovered by Rishabh-dev, the first Tirthankar of this era. Rishabh's eldest son, Bharat, became Chakravarti, king of kings, and gave the country its name. Bahubali, Bharat's younger brother, renounced violence and followed the Jain path of freedom. Rishabh was followed by twenty-three other Tirthankars. The last of them was Mahavir, who lived around 2,500 years ago. In Bahubali, Devdutt Pattanaik explores the stories, symbols, rituals and ideas associated with one of India's most ancient but lesser-known faiths, and shows us why the tenets of Jainism are still very relevant to all of us even today.
Political intrigue is astir in the land of Mahishmathi. After the failed coup staged by the Vaithalikas, Sivagami finds herself elevated to the position of bhoomipathi, from where she can more ably pursue her burning goal to avenge her father's death. Meanwhile, there is a tussle between the two sons of the maharaja of Mahishmathi for the crown. And behind the scenes, a wily, skilled player of the political game moves the pieces to topple the king, Somadeva. Will the maharaja--usually able to match wits with the best of them--prevail? Or will one of his many enemies finally be able to best him at this game of Chaturanga? Set against a backdrop of ambition, love, loyalty, passion and greed, the second book in the Bāhubali: Before the Beginning series is a twist-a-minute page-turner--riveting and deeply satisfying.
Sivagami's missteps have only deepened her determination to fulfil her father's wish and stop the despicable activities at Gauriparvat. And so she battles on. Unknown to her, however, Maharaja Somadeva's challengers have begaun to close in on the king, and Sivagami finds herself suddenly at a disadvantage. With a player like Somadeva, though, the biggest mistake you can make is to not immediately checkmate and destroy. The game of chaturanga is not quite over. As Sivagami takes on the kingdom's enemies, guided by Somadeva, she finds in her own manoeuvres an echo of the man she has alwyas detested. In her journey to becoming the queen of Mahishmathi, Sivagami must choose between love and ambition, principles and deviousness, selflessness and envy. What does she hold on to, what does she let go?
