The Immortals of Meluha - A Book Review

The Immortals of Meluha is a fiction book written by an Indian author called Amish Tripathi. The story and the plot are set in 1900 BC in the imaginary land of Meluha, a reference to the Indus Valley Civilization that existed around that time. With a spell-binding plot and the blending of history and mythology, Amish has managed to create one of the best-selling books ever written by an Indian author.

He takes us back in time to a land which is prosperous, wealthy and at ease with itself – the land of the Suryavanshis. This land is situated where now Modern Punjab stands and is a society that is as perfect as it can get and is based on the principles of Lord Rama’s teachings.

However, all is not well in the Meluha and with the Suryavanshis because they are at constant war with their neighbors from the East known as the Chandravanshis. The Chandravanshi society is totally different from the society that is depicted of the Meluhans. To make matters worse, the Chandravanshis have aligned with the fierce Naga tribe of the South who are deadly warriors and constantly carry out terrorist attacks in Meluha.

The Immortals of Meluha picks up pace and introduces us to the character of Shiva, a nomadic warrior who is discovered by the Suryavanshis and brought to Meluha. It is then revealed that Shiva is the Neelkanth or the blue-throated god who will vanquish all evil from the land. This is the basic premise of the story and the question left for the readers is how Shiva rises to fulfill his destiny while battling the demons in his mind.

The story flow gives us a feel of ancient mythology and brings back the feeling of “Lord of the Rings”. The way in which the author blends historical and mythological facts together to create this masterpiece is truly a work of art. Indians of all ages will identify with the story as there are countless references to places like Indus Valley, the Aryan race and the concept of good versus evil that all Indians are brought up on.

The Immortals of Meluha is a fresh look at Indian History and Mythology by Amish Tripathi and promises even more in the two sequels to follow. The cover page of the book is as striking as it can get while I loved the way he has marketed the book through the use of a trailer film. The Immortals of Meluha is well worth a read for any book lover.

The Immortals of Meluha - A Book Review