By Spandan Padhi Grade 12 Science This is a book review about a happened. These kinds of satirical and historical fiction topics usually intrigue us in named 'The Great Indian Novel general. by Shashi Tharoor. This might have led to you Since our childhood, we might have heard about, in some way purchasing different versions or the other, the story or the characters of the great Indian of the same story. Like Sudha mythology, 'The Mahabharata'. The usual description generally Murthy's The Serpent's used in Indian households is with respect to the characters. Revenge and other tales, Maybe your parents or relatives start calling you Devdutt Pattnaik's 'Bheem' or 'Yudhisthira' based on the interactions you had Mahabharata, Chinmaya with them or other children. Sometimes, maybe for a Mission's Mahabharata, and cunning piece of mischief, you're deemed similar to 'Lord Shashi Tharoor's Mahabharat. Krishna'. As we grew older, we Since we've come to this topic, started learning more about I'd like to specifically talk them in detail as to how it about Shashi Tharoor's version happened, when it happened, of the Mahabharata. where it happened, why it The phrase 'great Indian’, when happened, and with whom it translated into Sanskrit gives out the meaning 'Mahabharata',
where great means 'maha' and To give a few examples; by Shashi Tharoor, this is India means 'Bharata'. This is Mahatma Gandhi plays the role arguably one of his best works the way he starts the story with of 'Bhishma Pitamah', of literature. I liked the Sudha an early morning coffee in Jawaharlal Nehru plays the role Murthy version better due to its Geneva, Switzerland. of 'Dhritrashtra', Jayprakash simplicity. But this book is no Narayan plays the role of doubt great in its own unique Organisation of the sections 'Dronacharya', Mohammed Ali way. To be honest with you and chapters of the novel Jinnah plays the role of 'Karna', readers, I never vouch for mirrors the Mahabharata in Subhas Chandra Bose plays the something I do not entirely almost every way and the role of 'Pandu', and Lal understand (since this is the themes and events addressed in Bahadur Shashtri plays the role only book I have scanned each allude to the themes and of 'Mama Shailya'. through without properly events of the great epic. This reading it), but if you are book consists of 18 chapters, The book is such that you end having a bad day, this book which he refers to as 'books', up reading the entire book, will give you loads of laughs, I just as the battle of wherever you start from. That guarantee you that. Here and Kurukshetra lasted for 18 days immersive experience you there the tone might get and this great epic originally invest in, gives out this feeling serious, but overall it's an spans 18 verses. that you have read this entire underestimated masterpiece. book from the start, which Even though you do not know Tharoor's version gives more makes this version all the more the Mahabharat story, you can emphasis on the older convincing and interesting. read this book as if it's a characters than the original reader's digest, as Tharoor's main characters by recasting all My favourite line from this way of writing is such that it of them with respect to all the 'immersive experience' per se will somehow put a smile on existing leaders in 20th is: \"As a novelist, I subscribe to your face. So, ignoring the fact Century India. Approaching Molière's credo, 'le devoir de la that it's a heavy read of about this in such a way gives a sense comédie est de corriger les 500-odd pages, I would most of amusement to the readers as hommes en les divertissant'. certainly recommend this book they have lived similar lives. to you. You can say the book is a You have to entertain in order parody of 'What if the to edify. \" Having read several Mahabharata took place in the books such as 'The Hindu 20th century. Way', 'Show Business, '', etc.
by Giridhar Jagdish Grade 7 B Illustrated by Giridhar Jagdish Grade 7 B The pandemic had almost bought the world to raining heavily but it was just the toilet flush. I a standstill with lots of restrictions Travel plans was anxious as Chennai receives rainfall from had gone for a toss and we were all homebound Northeast monsoon winds during the winter for almost 2 years and that’s why I was looking months but it’s been years since it has rained forward to this Diwali vacation eagerly. My heavily there and I tried to brush off my anxiety father decided that we should travel to Chennai with these thoughts. Finally, we started the trip and I had already started making plans. I was by taking selfies with the train while boarding it. I was admiring the beautiful scenery and the very excited and lost in my dreams and was landscape. jolted by a huge rush of water. I felt as if it was Soon I started feeling bored and went on to play UNO and cards with my sister and later we were like monkeys jumping on the bed-hopping from one berth to another. Getting down at the station and eating in the train was nostalgic. After some time, we reached a station named Gundakal where we saw that it was raining heavily. On checking the weather report we got to know that it was raining heavily in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. But still, we were unaware of the situation. The train stopped at a station named Avadi on the outskirts of Chennai and was waiting there for a
long time which seemed unusual. Suddenly the Watching the flooded streets on the Television train attendant told us that the train would not News, it seemed like the Brahmaputra River was go any further due to flooding on the tracks. We flowing through Chennai. Chennai and its were stranded and we had to find a way to drainage system were not braced to handle reach Chennai central. We spoke to our such heavy rains. The situation outside was relatives and informed them about our really a disaster. My dreams of vacation were situation. All of them advised us to book a cab. washed by these rains. But I thank my stars and But with water all around that option seemed my father for courageously handling the impossible. It was raining cats and dogs we situation. It had been a tiring as well as an thought that we had to spend the entire night adventurous day. I cannot forget this day when at Avadi station carrying so much luggage it rained cats and dogs and I had an historic without food, water, and electricity. Here’s experience to add on to my list. where my father emerged as a superhero and used his presence of mind. The local trains were moving slowly and he suggested that we should use the local trains as the streets were anyways flooded. We ran helter-skelter searching for the right train and lifting our heavy luggage. I was very tired, and my arms and back began to ache. The train we boarded was moving at a snail’s pace and it felt like a never-ending journey. I did not let the rains dampen my spirits and lightened up the situation by cracking silly jokes. At last, we reached Chennai Central safely and found that the metro services were intact. So, we decided to board a metro to reach our home. I saw many people caught in the same situation as us. Somehow, we reached our house in Chennai really exhausted. My mother quickly cooked up a simple meal that seemed like a lavish feast as we were all famished.
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