ASURA Tale of the Vanquished: The Story of Ravana and His People

About this book

Author: Anand Neelakantan Publication: Leadtsart Publishing Pages: 504pages Format: Paperback An epic tale of victory and defeat. The story of the Ramayana had been told innumerable times. The enthralling story of Rama, the incarnation of God, who slew Ravana, the evil demon of darkness, is known to every Indian. And in the pages of history, as always, it is the version told by the victors, that lives on. The voice of the vanquished remains lost in silence. But what if Ravana and his people had a different story to tell? The story of the Ravanayana had never been told. Asura is the epic tale of the vanquished Asura people, a story that has been cherished by the oppressed outcastes of India for 3000 years. Until now, no Asura has dared to tell the tale. But perhaps the time has come for the dead and the defeated to speak. For thousands of years, I have been vilified and my death is celebrated year after year in every corner of India. Why? Was it because I challenged the Gods for the sake of my daughter? Was it because I freed a race from the yoke of caste-based Deva rule? You have heard the victor's tale, the Ramayana. Now hear the Ravanayana, for I am Ravana, the Asura, and my story is the tale of the vanquished. I am a non-entity, invisible, powerless and negligible. No epics will ever be written about me. I have suffered both Ravana and Rama ? the hero and the villain or the villain and the hero. When the stories of great men are told, my voice maybe too feeble to be heard. Yet, spare me a moment and hear my story, for I am Bhadra, the Asura, and my life is the tale of the loser. The ancient Asura empire lay shattered into many warring petty kingdoms reeling under the heel of the Devas. In desperation, the Asuras look up to a young saviour; Ravana. Believing that a better world awaits them under Ravana, common men like Bhadra decide to follow the young leader. With a will of iron and a fiery ambition to succeed, Ravana leads his people from victory to victory and carves out a vast empire from the Devas. But even when Ravana succeeds spectacularly, the poor Asuras find that nothing much has changed for them. It is when Ravana, by one action, changes the history of the world. Media Reviews: Ravana hacks his way through the Vanara army and nearly kills Rama; it’s ironical that his own brother Vibhishna, is the first to plunge a sword into him, even before Rama and Lakshmana shower their arrows. When Ravana finally dies, watched by Bhadra, you feel respect, even awe for the mighty Asura Emperor. Asura is a tale as compelling as any that has ever been told - Speaking Tree Written in the first person, the reader gets two perspectives; the tale is told through the words of Emperor Ravana, and Bhadra, a commoner. …the reader gets an insight into the mental make-up of both the King and his subjects. There is no attempt on Neelakantan’s part throughout the book, to deify Ravana or give him the status of a demigod. One finds the Asura King has human qualities which the scriptures do not give him; wherein the asuras are portrayed as demons. The novel is a pure delight to read if one remembers it as a work of fiction, and not compare the events it contains with the Ramayana - The Assam Tribune No one in this tale, not even Ravana himself, is either god or devil. …What Neelakantan achieves is a deconstruction of the epic to a more relatable and plausible chain of events, reminding us that the legends of gods are but the machinations of age-old politicos and powers that be. This ‘Ravanayana’ is a fascinating reinterpretation of the epic - Youth Incorporated Rama is worshipped as an avatar. Ravana is literally evil incarnate. But not for Anand Neelkantan, who thinks Rama may be a god, but Ravana is the more complete man. Great names come alive – Kumbhakarna, Vibhishina, Meghanada, Rudraka, Prahastha – as do their roles; all too familiar to those who know the Ramayana. Brilliantly conceived, this book commands attention for its style and content - Free Press Journal When the stories of great men are told, the voices of the vanquished seem too feeble to be heard. This one is Ravana’s version, the one cherished by the Asuras for over 3000 years. Narrated by a common man, Bhadra, this ‘Ravanayana’ tells the untold story of the man whose death is celebrated every Dussehra. Captivating - Verve Here is an interesting version of the Ramayana, from Ravana’s perspective. The major advantage of this book is that Ravana is neither the deva-hating monster who lusts after Sita, nor is he portrayed as the good guy who has been misunderstood. A well known version of the tale, where Sita is actually Ravana’s daughter, is employed here - Indian Express About the Author Anand Neelakantan was born in a picturesque small village Thripoonithura, on the peripheries of Cochin, Kerala. He did his Engineering and joined the Indian Oil Corporation besides moving to Bangalore. Anand Neelakantan is a famous Indian author, who rose to glory with Asura: Tale of the Vanquished, which was his debut novel. Apart from this, he also authored Ajaya: Epic of the Kaurava Clan: Roll of the Dice. DNA ranked him as one among the 6 most remarkable writers of the year 2012.