BOOK Review: "Asura: Tale of the Vanquished - The Story of Ravana and his people

My #bookreview of "Asura: Tale of the Vanquished - The Story of Ravana and his people" (Platinum Press 2013), by Anand Neelakantan (@anand_neel on Twitter and Website)

My interest in reading book on Indian mythology and also fiction stories based on Indian mythology, took me to this book. I embraced this book with lot of expectation, but was kinda let down with the lengthy narrative (which at many places was dragging quite a bit) and at places loose in comparison to other books I had read but nevertheless I cannot reject the book.

This book talks a lot about the Aryans and the Dravidians, referring to them as the Devas and the Asuras, and the various societal changes that happen when they overrun and attack each other's kingdoms.  Very clearly, according to the author, the Devas and Asuras as conquerors, are identical in the way they ravage the conquered, and clearly, there is nothing Godly about the so called "Deva / Aryan clans.

The lengthy description at which the conquests are shown could have been shortened and made more interesting, but leaves the readers to fend and think for themselves that neither the Asuras nor Devas are any better to each other. If Devas emerge victorious then it was for Dharma and if Asuras were victorious them it was for evil to supersede the good.

The book focus a lot about the Dravidan style of governance and living where the society was following the system of Meritocracy, where anyone who was capable could come up the ranks in comparison to the Aryan society where people were divided on caste, creed etc..  A divide and suppression of lesser privileged.

We were accustomed to reading all glory of the Gods esp Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman etc, but what we have been told innumerable times is the Glory of the Victorious and their version. This book shows the side of the so called EVIL/ASURA.

Ravana is portrayed as the son of a Brahmin father and Asura mother, very unfairly treated by his brother Kubera who ruled Sri lanka. Inspired by Mahabali  in his waning years, Ravana mobilizes  and inspires people around him to come together to attack and reclaim the throne  of Sri Lanka.  His ambition, and ruthless warring at one point has his kingdom extending right up to the Himalayas.   Sita, is portrayed as his daughter by Mandodari , his wife. Some prediction about Sita being detrimental to his kingdom, forces Ravana to send her away with someone, (more about him later) ,  to be done away with; which doesn't happen; Sita lives, is found by King Janaka, and this factoid joins in , like a tributary , to the Ramayana as we know it. The narrative proceeds with the kidnapping of Sita while she Ram and Lakshman are in Vanwaas, and there is her arrival in Ashokvan in Ravana's palace grounds. The attack of the Hanuman Brigade, the Setu, the arrival of Ram and Lakshman , and the ensuing detailed fighting.  Concluding in the death of Ravana, his thoughts at that point and so on.

The voice of the vanquished remains lost in silence for ever...

I will rate this book 2.75 out of 5