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ಆವರಣ [Aavarana]
Aavarana (Kannada: ಆವರಣ) is a 2007 Kannada novel by one of the eminent novelists S.L. Bhyrappa. Aavarana means enveloping or covering something. This novel deals with the historical period in Indian history when the Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb ruled most part of India.
Aavarana was sold out even before its release in February 2007. The novel went on to create a record in the Indian literary world by witnessing 10 reprints within five months of its release.
S.L.Bhyrappa says that 'Aavarana' is the result of his search for truth about history.
Aavarana was sold out even before its release in February 2007. The novel went on to create a record in the Indian literary world by witnessing 10 reprints within five months of its release.
S.L.Bhyrappa says that 'Aavarana' is the result of his search for truth about history.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
770 people are currently reading
9026 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Bhyrappa
50 books1,061 followersDr S.L. Bhyrappa is a litterateur par excellence. He writes in the south Indian language, Kannada, and has been the bestselling novelist for over 25 years now. His novels are widely translated to pan Indian languages. He is the bestselling novelist in Marathi over the past decade and is among the top-five bestselling authors in Hindi. He is a conscious artist that depicts fundamental human emotions in his novels. In addition to his profound knowledge of Indian philosophical and cultural traditions, Professor Bhyrappa has since his childhood had intense personal experiences in both rural and urban milieu. Consequently, his characters are deeply rooted in Indian soil. Seminars have been and are being held on his novels, and volumes of literary criticism have been published on his works.
His books have found their way to the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses of the universities in the state of Karnataka, and have been the subject of about 20 PhD dissertations. He has penned 24 novels and four volumes of literary criticism and books on aesthetics, social issues and culture. Most of his novels are translated into almost all the Indian languages and six into English. He has served as a Prof. of Philosophy over three decades at NCERT.
Dr Bhyrappa is an avid listener of both Indian and Western classical music and has a keen eye for Art. Travelling has been his paasion since childhood and he has travelled across the globe touching the glaciers of poles, forests of Amazon, deserts of Africa, bustling cities of Europe and the United States. He has trekked in the Alps, the Rockies, Andes and in Fujiama, but the Himalayas remain his greatest passion.
Academic Publications in English
--------------------------------------
Values in Modern Indian Educational Thought, 1968 (New Delhi: National Council of Educational Research and Training)
Truth & Beauty: A Study in Correlations, 1964 (Baroda: M. S. University Press)
20 Research Papers published in various Journals like Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Darshana International, Journal of University of Baroda
Research and Fellowship
----------------------------
National Research Professor, Government of India, 2014
One of the five members of the Indian Literary Delegation that visited China on invitation by the Government of China, 1992
Ford Foundation Award to visit the USA to study the cultural problems of Indian immigrants to the USA, 1983
British Council Fellowship tenured at the School of Education, University of London, 1977
His books have found their way to the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses of the universities in the state of Karnataka, and have been the subject of about 20 PhD dissertations. He has penned 24 novels and four volumes of literary criticism and books on aesthetics, social issues and culture. Most of his novels are translated into almost all the Indian languages and six into English. He has served as a Prof. of Philosophy over three decades at NCERT.
Dr Bhyrappa is an avid listener of both Indian and Western classical music and has a keen eye for Art. Travelling has been his paasion since childhood and he has travelled across the globe touching the glaciers of poles, forests of Amazon, deserts of Africa, bustling cities of Europe and the United States. He has trekked in the Alps, the Rockies, Andes and in Fujiama, but the Himalayas remain his greatest passion.
Academic Publications in English
--------------------------------------
Values in Modern Indian Educational Thought, 1968 (New Delhi: National Council of Educational Research and Training)
Truth & Beauty: A Study in Correlations, 1964 (Baroda: M. S. University Press)
20 Research Papers published in various Journals like Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Darshana International, Journal of University of Baroda
Research and Fellowship
----------------------------
National Research Professor, Government of India, 2014
One of the five members of the Indian Literary Delegation that visited China on invitation by the Government of China, 1992
Ford Foundation Award to visit the USA to study the cultural problems of Indian immigrants to the USA, 1983
British Council Fellowship tenured at the School of Education, University of London, 1977
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews
January 10, 2015
Why would anyone write a book like this? A book which shows no mercy on the reader, doesn’t understand diplomacy and strips the reader naked and hits him/her with the most powerful weapon on earth – The truth. Confusion grips you right from the start and the book leaves you nervous, ashamed, frustrated and clueless at the end. I have to warn, the above mentioned symptoms relate only to an Indian reader though it might as well apply to others. Though major portion of the story involves history, there is nothing new in the book about history that astonishes you and there is almost nothing in the book that a person with some reading habits doesn’t know off. Then what makes it so special and how does it hit you so hard with things you already know, well for all but one reason – it reminds you about the brutal truth of life – the past is never dead, damn the past is not even past, it’s the present itself. One couldn’t have found a more apt title than aavarana for the story. The four main characters in the story – razia, amir, lakshmi’s father and sastri, take you through a ride that’s compelling, intense and tests one’s ability to remain immune to brutal past of India. The characters are normal people but for the authors ability to dwell deep and project an unbiased but unacceptable reactions when faced with truth and ideological questions. The perfect example would be lakshmi’s father who opposes hindu-muslim marriage in spite of being a staunch Gandhian. The question lingers as to how can the author justify a character like that, though at the end the author not only justifies it but does it in way that leaves no doubt in readers mind. The book digs deep into the definition of history, its effect on the present day, the role of religion and makes the reader wonder if the left is really secular and liberal as they project themselves to be. The book is by no inch a pro-hindu or anti-islam as some of its critic have claimed, but merely puts up the beautiful question of – Can nationalism be strengthened by projecting historical lies. This book only goes on to strengthen how tolerant and accepting an Indian culture is and how well the world has exploited it. Yet India has not only survived but thrived and as hitchens put it – there will always be an India. India whose motto is satyamev jayate (truth alone triumphs) needs to trust its people, its culture and tolerant nature and should stop hiding the truth from itself. Go ahead and grab it, but be prepared face the dilemma over truth, especially if you are an Indian. As for the left wing – ignorance has never helped anybody said marx and the new India is all set to follow your leader on that note, after all the Indian DNA can never resist a good argument.
December 14, 2021
Excellent story and Narration. Must read for everybody. It try to reveal history which was hidden. It makes you realize how our own history was distorted.
Author doesn't try to be politically correct and hide facts. At the same time he doesn't make any false accusations. Though there was so many opposing to this book, truth of what had happened those days will never fade. S L B is one of the best modern novelist which have his own style of narration which takes you all his books to real world , where you encounter the character day to day basis. Book is an eye opener! Great work by Sandeep Balakrishna in translation. The literature is amazing - novel within a novel concept. The story written by the protagonist is very brutal though.
Aavarana was a fantastic read for me who is a product or a victim of the history distorted by marxists. As a novel, it works at so many levels and Bhyrappa creates a time machine through which we learn about history and the present. Nations weaken not because of their past but, rather, when they are prevented from remembering it. For seventy years we have been prevented from remembering our past. This book is an unveiling of “secularism” as practiced in post-independent India juxtaposed with historical realities. The number of references author has read, concisely documented in form of a simple novel is something which every researcher should learn. Literature survey, flawless communication with impeccable coherence. Thanks to author for mentioning all references and sources, which helped me to look for some more history books. Bhyrappa is not an author to seek out when we need that comforting balance. His books are written to push readers out of comfort zone.
Do read it. Highly recommended.
Author doesn't try to be politically correct and hide facts. At the same time he doesn't make any false accusations. Though there was so many opposing to this book, truth of what had happened those days will never fade. S L B is one of the best modern novelist which have his own style of narration which takes you all his books to real world , where you encounter the character day to day basis. Book is an eye opener! Great work by Sandeep Balakrishna in translation. The literature is amazing - novel within a novel concept. The story written by the protagonist is very brutal though.
Aavarana was a fantastic read for me who is a product or a victim of the history distorted by marxists. As a novel, it works at so many levels and Bhyrappa creates a time machine through which we learn about history and the present. Nations weaken not because of their past but, rather, when they are prevented from remembering it. For seventy years we have been prevented from remembering our past. This book is an unveiling of “secularism” as practiced in post-independent India juxtaposed with historical realities. The number of references author has read, concisely documented in form of a simple novel is something which every researcher should learn. Literature survey, flawless communication with impeccable coherence. Thanks to author for mentioning all references and sources, which helped me to look for some more history books. Bhyrappa is not an author to seek out when we need that comforting balance. His books are written to push readers out of comfort zone.
Do read it. Highly recommended.
April 17, 2019
I re read this book. Enjoyed reading it. This is the first time i read any book for 2nd time. This one is my all time favorite. What i love about Bhyrappa is that he always have strong woman character. The amount of research he did in writing this book is immense. Amazing part about this book is the author mentioned lot of bibliography at the end which help anyone to look for further research or to even read. I love the way how story move back and forth.
This book talks about women empowerment, ideologies, real history, ecosystem . This book also talks about embracing the roots. There are so many multi dimensions and multi layers which gives you a lot to think about. Book also gives you mini glimpses of Tipu Sultan, Vijaynagara empire and Aurangzeb.
The purpose of the history is to show the real truth. It should not be biased or appeasing to any particular community or person. As one great historian R C Majumdar, who reiterated that "The aim of history is to solely tell the truth, by conscientious finding it out without any respect for individual or communities".
The literature is amazing. The book is very well translated. Highly recommended.
This book talks about women empowerment, ideologies, real history, ecosystem . This book also talks about embracing the roots. There are so many multi dimensions and multi layers which gives you a lot to think about. Book also gives you mini glimpses of Tipu Sultan, Vijaynagara empire and Aurangzeb.
The purpose of the history is to show the real truth. It should not be biased or appeasing to any particular community or person. As one great historian R C Majumdar, who reiterated that "The aim of history is to solely tell the truth, by conscientious finding it out without any respect for individual or communities".
The literature is amazing. The book is very well translated. Highly recommended.
March 24, 2014
The act of concealing truth in Sanskrit is called "Aavarana" while the act of projecting lies is known as "vikshepa". The 2007 Kannada novel "Aavarana" by S.L. Bhyrappa, recently translated into English by Sandeep Balakrishna, therefore, is one of the few revolutionary novels that deals with an explosive storyline in times where political correctness dominates the public discourse. Aavarana is a compelling read, mainly due to its raw appeal that hits readers at appropriate places like a jolt.
Aavarana's agenda is to restore truth, at all costs. In more ways than one, the book is like an eye-opener which shatters many of our conceived notions that we have been fed with school history textbooks. The debate of truth vs lies has been explored in detail while the objective of the book largely looks like an attempt to restore balance and also to expose historians who distort it by creating the myth that Islamic rulers were tolerant and deny that there were mass temple destruction.
Aavarana does not show any sympathy to reader and is more like an assault on the reader with very thought-provoking and compelling arguments that make a reader think. Perhaps, that is where the literary merit of the book lies. Lastly, there is absolutely no doubt that such a gem of a book would have been limited to one state had it not been for the brilliant efforts of Sandeep Balakrishna.
Hence, the book is a must read for anyone with some basic understanding of common sense and balance who would like to know the extent to which lies have been fed in the name of history in India.
Aavarana's agenda is to restore truth, at all costs. In more ways than one, the book is like an eye-opener which shatters many of our conceived notions that we have been fed with school history textbooks. The debate of truth vs lies has been explored in detail while the objective of the book largely looks like an attempt to restore balance and also to expose historians who distort it by creating the myth that Islamic rulers were tolerant and deny that there were mass temple destruction.
Aavarana does not show any sympathy to reader and is more like an assault on the reader with very thought-provoking and compelling arguments that make a reader think. Perhaps, that is where the literary merit of the book lies. Lastly, there is absolutely no doubt that such a gem of a book would have been limited to one state had it not been for the brilliant efforts of Sandeep Balakrishna.
Hence, the book is a must read for anyone with some basic understanding of common sense and balance who would like to know the extent to which lies have been fed in the name of history in India.
September 1, 2018
Picked this on an impulse while travelling to Hampi, for I knew it has some relation with the place. But I was taken by surprise for it turned out to be way more than Hampi.
Ingredients for Main Dish:
1. Probing multiple layers of religion, liberalism and identity, with the quest for the essential truth.
2. Supporting bibliography for all the views expressed.
Ingredients for Side Dishes:
1. Characters citing a documentary of Hampi and Kashi.
2. A Hindu-Muslim couple, wife converting to Islam for marriage, straining her relations with a devout Gandhian father.
3. Progressive secular Professor, Brahmin by birth, married to an English Christian lady.
Recipe:
Non-fiction material is wrapped with fictional characters to classify it as a work of fiction. Poses pertinent and sensitive questions from India's history of sultanate rule. Apt title, highlighting the importance of unshackling oneself from the bonds of false knowledge.
Legendary. Highly recommended.
Ingredients for Main Dish:
1. Probing multiple layers of religion, liberalism and identity, with the quest for the essential truth.
2. Supporting bibliography for all the views expressed.
Ingredients for Side Dishes:
1. Characters citing a documentary of Hampi and Kashi.
2. A Hindu-Muslim couple, wife converting to Islam for marriage, straining her relations with a devout Gandhian father.
3. Progressive secular Professor, Brahmin by birth, married to an English Christian lady.
Recipe:
Non-fiction material is wrapped with fictional characters to classify it as a work of fiction. Poses pertinent and sensitive questions from India's history of sultanate rule. Apt title, highlighting the importance of unshackling oneself from the bonds of false knowledge.
Legendary. Highly recommended.
August 3, 2022
Aavarana- The Veil
I remember, every time, I tell to my friends that I love reading history- their standard response would be- “Oh! Its such a boring subject. Dates, facts and events that relate to past, what would I do, knowing about the past events.”
And how I wish, I could make them understand one simple thing- “It’s only our past events that shape our present and define our future.” History is all about learning from past and building our future, by avoiding events which have been committed in the past.”
But, I have always failed myself in taking them beyond dates, beyond facts and take them to a world that is full of interesting stories- stories that relate to us, stories that we ought to know, stories that open the hidden doors which have been neglected so often.
And at the same time, its so important that these stories are narrated the way it has happened without any re-making or hiding anything.
And this book- “Aavarana by SL Byrappa”, exactly attempts to reveal the truth the way it is. “History is a quest for truth” . And it reveals the truth which I have never known since now from our standard NCERT history textbooks and few others which I have read till now.
It was painful to read how, in the name of Islam, in the name of Allah- destruction has taken place, how inhumane acts like castration, jaziya, slave-trading, selling of women and children have taken place only because Allah is Supreme God and one who doesn’t agree to convert to Islam, is bound to face jihad because that is the way to reach heaven. Wow!! Does this even sound plausible ??
Oh! these barbaric acts mentioned in here “If a Muslim coughed loudly with a “khaakh” sound before spitting, the zimmi(Hindus) had to respectfully open his mouth and allow the Muslim to spit into it and swallow the spittle without showing a trace of discomfort or disgust on his face.”
What kind of victory is this? If you cut the head of person who opposes Islam, Allah would grant you a fine place in heaven. !! Oh! You create hell on earth in the name of Islam and your Allah would grant you peace in heaven. What kind of religion is this, where there is no scope of tolerance and love for humanity following other methods of attaining truth?
I was shocked for a moment when I came to know that it was the mission of Tipu Sultan to convert all non-Muslims to Islam and Islamize all non-Islamic nations. I was even more shocked because whatever I have read about Tipu till now was about his innovation skills, his brave military skills, Tipu- the tiger of Mysore and I felt so cheated when all these books have not revealed the other side of Sultan.
And the heartbreaking narration for me in the entire series of events was the destruction of Kashi Vishwanath temple. It was heartbreaking because this place has been of immense significance in our life since ancient times. And its destruction by Aurangzeb and many other Muslim kings of – around 30 thousand temples and construction of mosque using the pillars and bricks of temple is something that is not acceptable. It was beyond my imagination the plight which every person has gone through during Mughal rule and in their mission of destroying the temples and wiping out the entire nation of any other religion except Islam.
I got troubled reading all this but then, when I tried to relate it to present times wherein the destruction of Babri Masjid, Gyanvapi mosque case coming up- I didn’t find it apt too. I felt is the same thing being repeated, the fire of revenge, is this the solution to get back our temples?? Whether it’s the era of Mughal rule or today- riots and destruction are happening in the name of religion even today. And, it is painful too. History is being repeated, we still have not learnt to achieve communal harmony. We still are far away learning from the mistakes committed in history.
Koran and its certain principles- of talaq, polygamy, conversion to Islam during marriage, jihad, Allah is the only Supreme God – all this is completely unacceptable to me and I think even followers of Islam should be given the right to reject. It seems every rule is being forced upon. And may be- it’s the religion and its principles only that becomes an obstacle for the all round development of our Muslim sisters and brothers. And I wish- they be given the choice to move beyond Islam & Koran and look and question everything in an unbiased manner.
There is so much in this book that I find unable to pour everything in a review. It’s such a well researched, and written with an intent to show the history the way it is rather than coloring it with false facts or hiding the facts.
I think -Bharat has seen destruction of its culture, of its knowledge, wisdom since ages by invaders. Let it be wiping off Buddhism, Jainism, ancient universities, temples, crafts and others. Let it be Mughals, Britishers, Turks or any other invader. And instead of hiding these atrocities, our textbooks should reveal these so that we all can accept our mistakes and not commit them again.
I completely agree with SL Byrappa when he says-“We are not responsible for the mistakes committed by our previous generations. However, if we equate ourselves with them and regard ourselves as their heirs, we must then be ready to also share the responsibility for their mistakes. We won’t attain maturity unless we cultivate the wisdom to discriminate which deeds of our ancestors we need to reject and which achievements we need to take inspiration from. If learning lessons from history is a mark of enlightenment, so is breaking free from it. This applies equally to every religion, caste, creed and group."
And I truly want our politicians to be directed with this intent and not by selfish motives of vote bank and communal divide.
I would read this book again and again, only to remind myself that I want to visit so many places like hampi, Mathura, Nalanda and above all- Kashi- I don’t want to lose my longing for Kashi. I want this longing to grow until I visit that place.
I would read it again so as to remind myself that I love reading history and there is so much more to know, so much to explore about medieval history and places existing but unknown to me. Let the exploration to new world of history begins.
A must read and re-read.!
Once again, many thanks to @Ashish Iyer and @Ritu for recommending this!!
I remember, every time, I tell to my friends that I love reading history- their standard response would be- “Oh! Its such a boring subject. Dates, facts and events that relate to past, what would I do, knowing about the past events.”
And how I wish, I could make them understand one simple thing- “It’s only our past events that shape our present and define our future.” History is all about learning from past and building our future, by avoiding events which have been committed in the past.”
But, I have always failed myself in taking them beyond dates, beyond facts and take them to a world that is full of interesting stories- stories that relate to us, stories that we ought to know, stories that open the hidden doors which have been neglected so often.
And at the same time, its so important that these stories are narrated the way it has happened without any re-making or hiding anything.
And this book- “Aavarana by SL Byrappa”, exactly attempts to reveal the truth the way it is. “History is a quest for truth” . And it reveals the truth which I have never known since now from our standard NCERT history textbooks and few others which I have read till now.
It was painful to read how, in the name of Islam, in the name of Allah- destruction has taken place, how inhumane acts like castration, jaziya, slave-trading, selling of women and children have taken place only because Allah is Supreme God and one who doesn’t agree to convert to Islam, is bound to face jihad because that is the way to reach heaven. Wow!! Does this even sound plausible ??
Oh! these barbaric acts mentioned in here “If a Muslim coughed loudly with a “khaakh” sound before spitting, the zimmi(Hindus) had to respectfully open his mouth and allow the Muslim to spit into it and swallow the spittle without showing a trace of discomfort or disgust on his face.”
What kind of victory is this? If you cut the head of person who opposes Islam, Allah would grant you a fine place in heaven. !! Oh! You create hell on earth in the name of Islam and your Allah would grant you peace in heaven. What kind of religion is this, where there is no scope of tolerance and love for humanity following other methods of attaining truth?
I was shocked for a moment when I came to know that it was the mission of Tipu Sultan to convert all non-Muslims to Islam and Islamize all non-Islamic nations. I was even more shocked because whatever I have read about Tipu till now was about his innovation skills, his brave military skills, Tipu- the tiger of Mysore and I felt so cheated when all these books have not revealed the other side of Sultan.
And the heartbreaking narration for me in the entire series of events was the destruction of Kashi Vishwanath temple. It was heartbreaking because this place has been of immense significance in our life since ancient times. And its destruction by Aurangzeb and many other Muslim kings of – around 30 thousand temples and construction of mosque using the pillars and bricks of temple is something that is not acceptable. It was beyond my imagination the plight which every person has gone through during Mughal rule and in their mission of destroying the temples and wiping out the entire nation of any other religion except Islam.
I got troubled reading all this but then, when I tried to relate it to present times wherein the destruction of Babri Masjid, Gyanvapi mosque case coming up- I didn’t find it apt too. I felt is the same thing being repeated, the fire of revenge, is this the solution to get back our temples?? Whether it’s the era of Mughal rule or today- riots and destruction are happening in the name of religion even today. And, it is painful too. History is being repeated, we still have not learnt to achieve communal harmony. We still are far away learning from the mistakes committed in history.
Koran and its certain principles- of talaq, polygamy, conversion to Islam during marriage, jihad, Allah is the only Supreme God – all this is completely unacceptable to me and I think even followers of Islam should be given the right to reject. It seems every rule is being forced upon. And may be- it’s the religion and its principles only that becomes an obstacle for the all round development of our Muslim sisters and brothers. And I wish- they be given the choice to move beyond Islam & Koran and look and question everything in an unbiased manner.
There is so much in this book that I find unable to pour everything in a review. It’s such a well researched, and written with an intent to show the history the way it is rather than coloring it with false facts or hiding the facts.
I think -Bharat has seen destruction of its culture, of its knowledge, wisdom since ages by invaders. Let it be wiping off Buddhism, Jainism, ancient universities, temples, crafts and others. Let it be Mughals, Britishers, Turks or any other invader. And instead of hiding these atrocities, our textbooks should reveal these so that we all can accept our mistakes and not commit them again.
I completely agree with SL Byrappa when he says-“We are not responsible for the mistakes committed by our previous generations. However, if we equate ourselves with them and regard ourselves as their heirs, we must then be ready to also share the responsibility for their mistakes. We won’t attain maturity unless we cultivate the wisdom to discriminate which deeds of our ancestors we need to reject and which achievements we need to take inspiration from. If learning lessons from history is a mark of enlightenment, so is breaking free from it. This applies equally to every religion, caste, creed and group."
And I truly want our politicians to be directed with this intent and not by selfish motives of vote bank and communal divide.
I would read this book again and again, only to remind myself that I want to visit so many places like hampi, Mathura, Nalanda and above all- Kashi- I don’t want to lose my longing for Kashi. I want this longing to grow until I visit that place.
I would read it again so as to remind myself that I love reading history and there is so much more to know, so much to explore about medieval history and places existing but unknown to me. Let the exploration to new world of history begins.
A must read and re-read.!
Once again, many thanks to @Ashish Iyer and @Ritu for recommending this!!
November 4, 2015
The Indian history has been a victim of vandalism by Leftist historians right from the time of India's Independence from the British. However, to further their agenda these historians have convoluted Indian history to portray a history of their choice than the truth. An example of such convolution is the period of Mughal rule in India which was most brutal, oppressive and wroth with religious intolerance, but the left historians have attempted to erase this fact and replace it by false history that portrays the Mughals and Aurangzeb in particular as benevolent and secular. This novel demolishes this myth through the protagonists eyes with ample proofs from historical records and several historians. The aim of the novel is to portray history as it is and not conceal history for ulterior motives as several authors and historians have done.
One detailed review and discussion is here: http://www.sandeepweb.com/2007/06/14/...
One detailed review and discussion is here: http://www.sandeepweb.com/2007/06/14/...
December 16, 2019
The Islamic invasion of India was like a castration of the native Hindus. Islamic expansionism continues to this day and age in some form or the other. India's leftist historians are all frauds and hypocrites who are hiding the real Indian history from the larger population. These are some of Bhyrappa's grouses in Aavarana. Having read the work of V.S.Naipaul, I can understand where Bhyrappa is coming from.
But like another reviewer pointed out, this book is like a one sided debate. Even though the two parallel storylines were quite interesting and believable, I found this book quite tedious because Bhyrappa has no interest in character development. Some of the characters were merely mouth pieces for Bhyrappa's opinions on the Islamic invasions of India and the nature of Islam. Of the two parallel stories, the one about Aurangzeb's attack on a temple in Kashi and the escape of a Hindu prince, his torture by Islamic slave owners and his final reunion with the love of his life was engaging.
Some of Bhyrappa's grouses like the conversion of Hindus when they marry someone of the Abrhamaic faith are ones that I can sympathize with. It is a social reality in India and the conversion of the protagonist Lakshmi into Razia (her Muslim name) and the insistence by her in laws that she follow Islamic customs was believable.
My criticism of this book is not political. My problem is not with Bhyrappa's opinions on Islam or its impact on India, but the fact that he is not a very good writer.
I don't think Bhyrappa is a complete dunce. I saw an interview of his where this book's translator, a right-wing Hindu activist asked him some really dumb questions. Bhyrappa made a scathing observation during the interview - Indians have now traveled across the world and they have seen how the rest of the world lives and our political leaders do not seem to realize this. Yeah sure! Tell that to prohibitionists like V.M.Sudheeran and Nitish Kumar.
But like another reviewer pointed out, this book is like a one sided debate. Even though the two parallel storylines were quite interesting and believable, I found this book quite tedious because Bhyrappa has no interest in character development. Some of the characters were merely mouth pieces for Bhyrappa's opinions on the Islamic invasions of India and the nature of Islam. Of the two parallel stories, the one about Aurangzeb's attack on a temple in Kashi and the escape of a Hindu prince, his torture by Islamic slave owners and his final reunion with the love of his life was engaging.
Some of Bhyrappa's grouses like the conversion of Hindus when they marry someone of the Abrhamaic faith are ones that I can sympathize with. It is a social reality in India and the conversion of the protagonist Lakshmi into Razia (her Muslim name) and the insistence by her in laws that she follow Islamic customs was believable.
My criticism of this book is not political. My problem is not with Bhyrappa's opinions on Islam or its impact on India, but the fact that he is not a very good writer.
I don't think Bhyrappa is a complete dunce. I saw an interview of his where this book's translator, a right-wing Hindu activist asked him some really dumb questions. Bhyrappa made a scathing observation during the interview - Indians have now traveled across the world and they have seen how the rest of the world lives and our political leaders do not seem to realize this. Yeah sure! Tell that to prohibitionists like V.M.Sudheeran and Nitish Kumar.
November 9, 2020
It is rare for me to give a book 5 stars. This one probably should have only 4.5 or so. But then, I read the translated version. The narration moves back and forth between the present and the past. It also changes the POVs from one character to another.
But none of it mattered. The topic the book deals with is something that matters to me (a lot). Reading news that’s different from what’s presented, seeing the artful turn of phrases, and delving deeper into topics that are labeled communal has become a part of life. The patterns are easy to trace once you know what to look for.
This book is a mirror- a reflection of what has been happening for decades. The tone when dealing with the progressive Prof Shastri is spot on. The indignant righteousness he exhibits when he knows he is wrong and his mastery in manipulating people and situations to suit his ideas show what we see every day on social media. The sarcasm (of the writer) is easy to miss if one is not aware of the pattern. It’s that subtle.
Lakshmi alias Razia starts to question her decisions 28 years after she has lived with them. The nudge comes in the form of Hampi ruins. It is further fueled by devastating news. She is torn, undecided, and begins questioning her role, her actions, and if she was even who the world credited her as. Was she really a progressive woman if she had to convert from her religion to another to marry her love?
When she stumbles upon vast resources (books) to look at things from another perspective, to get material for the Hampi project, nothing prepares her for the brutal truth that shakes her to the core. All the theories spun by the progressive historians are the opposite of what has happened. The more she reads, the more questions fill her mind.
This doesn’t help her relationship with her husband or her son. What else can be expected, though? Lakshmi strides forward, digging deeper and deeper. Thirty thousand temples lay destroyed. If the progressive minds worked hard to create alternate history, the ‘communal’ historians risked their lives to make sure that history didn't get erased.
Why is it that asking about a temple ruin is labeled communal when the act of demolition is not? It’s supposed to work both ways, isn’t it?
Why is the need to distort and whitewash history is strong? What’s wrong with accepting that yes, the Mughals have destroyed temples? What’s wrong with acknowledging the violence inflicted when the survivors are still haunted by the horrors of the past? Why can’t we give them a chance to declare that the actions of their ancestors will not be repeated?
Why does a mere questioning for equal rights turn a person communal? Why does a feminist and a modern-day woman not ask the same questions to every religion? What does it reflect? Why are the ones who question this hypocrisy lectured about women's oppression and rights? Is women's oppression really confined to one religion? The answers are uncomfortable. No one wants to talk about them.
Aavarana dares to do it. Lakshmi’s transition from a progressive converted woman to a woman with a wider perspective of life is not easy. It’s hard. It’s brutal. It’s filled with anguish, self-loathing, helplessness, and rage. Her realization that no amount of truth is going to convince those with an agenda pushes her into depression.
Amir, Lakshmi’s husband, is struck between conflicting emotions. The control of his religious teachings takes him further away from his wife. Does it give him a happy life? We can guess the answer. He is still a man who has always loved his wife- his strong, intelligent, and no-nonsense wife.
But the gap between them has widened too far. He’s done something he shouldn’t have done. Oh, he knows it’s not a crime. But…
All characters in the book are flawed; humans in their real form who are in no way perfect. But how many of them realize the truth?
The more one reads the book, the more it hurts. Not because the truth is uncomfortable. Some of us are used to it. But because the reality is even worse. There are way too many Prof. Shastri’s out there. The helplessness that fills and explodes in Lakshmi can be found in so many of us. It’s like a knife twisting the guts and taunting us for not being able to heal.
Does she win at the end? No. It is never that easy.
Does she lose? No. She cannot afford to lose. She cannot risk giving up. The truth has to be told. We deserve no less.
The fight is on. It isn’t for Supremacy or control. This fight is for survival. It is for real equality; not the twisted version of it. It is for justice.
P.S: If you truly want to know more, make a note of the bibliography at the end of the book. It's a treasure trove of history. And this history is not pretty.
P.P.S: If you intend to read the book, do your eyes a favor and pick the Kindle version. The paperback by Rupa Publications has been printed specifically designed to harm readers’ eyes. That font, ugh!
But none of it mattered. The topic the book deals with is something that matters to me (a lot). Reading news that’s different from what’s presented, seeing the artful turn of phrases, and delving deeper into topics that are labeled communal has become a part of life. The patterns are easy to trace once you know what to look for.
This book is a mirror- a reflection of what has been happening for decades. The tone when dealing with the progressive Prof Shastri is spot on. The indignant righteousness he exhibits when he knows he is wrong and his mastery in manipulating people and situations to suit his ideas show what we see every day on social media. The sarcasm (of the writer) is easy to miss if one is not aware of the pattern. It’s that subtle.
Lakshmi alias Razia starts to question her decisions 28 years after she has lived with them. The nudge comes in the form of Hampi ruins. It is further fueled by devastating news. She is torn, undecided, and begins questioning her role, her actions, and if she was even who the world credited her as. Was she really a progressive woman if she had to convert from her religion to another to marry her love?
When she stumbles upon vast resources (books) to look at things from another perspective, to get material for the Hampi project, nothing prepares her for the brutal truth that shakes her to the core. All the theories spun by the progressive historians are the opposite of what has happened. The more she reads, the more questions fill her mind.
This doesn’t help her relationship with her husband or her son. What else can be expected, though? Lakshmi strides forward, digging deeper and deeper. Thirty thousand temples lay destroyed. If the progressive minds worked hard to create alternate history, the ‘communal’ historians risked their lives to make sure that history didn't get erased.
Why is it that asking about a temple ruin is labeled communal when the act of demolition is not? It’s supposed to work both ways, isn’t it?
Why is the need to distort and whitewash history is strong? What’s wrong with accepting that yes, the Mughals have destroyed temples? What’s wrong with acknowledging the violence inflicted when the survivors are still haunted by the horrors of the past? Why can’t we give them a chance to declare that the actions of their ancestors will not be repeated?
Why does a mere questioning for equal rights turn a person communal? Why does a feminist and a modern-day woman not ask the same questions to every religion? What does it reflect? Why are the ones who question this hypocrisy lectured about women's oppression and rights? Is women's oppression really confined to one religion? The answers are uncomfortable. No one wants to talk about them.
Aavarana dares to do it. Lakshmi’s transition from a progressive converted woman to a woman with a wider perspective of life is not easy. It’s hard. It’s brutal. It’s filled with anguish, self-loathing, helplessness, and rage. Her realization that no amount of truth is going to convince those with an agenda pushes her into depression.
Amir, Lakshmi’s husband, is struck between conflicting emotions. The control of his religious teachings takes him further away from his wife. Does it give him a happy life? We can guess the answer. He is still a man who has always loved his wife- his strong, intelligent, and no-nonsense wife.
But the gap between them has widened too far. He’s done something he shouldn’t have done. Oh, he knows it’s not a crime. But…
All characters in the book are flawed; humans in their real form who are in no way perfect. But how many of them realize the truth?
The more one reads the book, the more it hurts. Not because the truth is uncomfortable. Some of us are used to it. But because the reality is even worse. There are way too many Prof. Shastri’s out there. The helplessness that fills and explodes in Lakshmi can be found in so many of us. It’s like a knife twisting the guts and taunting us for not being able to heal.
Does she win at the end? No. It is never that easy.
Does she lose? No. She cannot afford to lose. She cannot risk giving up. The truth has to be told. We deserve no less.
The fight is on. It isn’t for Supremacy or control. This fight is for survival. It is for real equality; not the twisted version of it. It is for justice.
P.S: If you truly want to know more, make a note of the bibliography at the end of the book. It's a treasure trove of history. And this history is not pretty.
P.P.S: If you intend to read the book, do your eyes a favor and pick the Kindle version. The paperback by Rupa Publications has been printed specifically designed to harm readers’ eyes. That font, ugh!
March 26, 2021
As name says its about covering something... History.
We had seen Mughal emperor Aurangajeb as hero in our history books. This book shows cruel part of him. Like all of his ascendant except Akbar how cruelly everyone was supporting Jihad.
Byrappa says he had done lot of research before writing this book. We can see the same in protagonist of the book. His emotions with destruction of temples like kashi, mathura by Aurangajeb are so touching.
Must read book!
We had seen Mughal emperor Aurangajeb as hero in our history books. This book shows cruel part of him. Like all of his ascendant except Akbar how cruelly everyone was supporting Jihad.
Byrappa says he had done lot of research before writing this book. We can see the same in protagonist of the book. His emotions with destruction of temples like kashi, mathura by Aurangajeb are so touching.
Must read book!
March 29, 2022
Not a very good start. Thought of even abandoning the book at one point. After 120 pages it was a great turnaround and I was totally hooked. It was interesting to know about Indian history that's omitted from school text books. Got to know more about the customs and traditions of Hindus. Overall a fantastic book and lived up to it's high rating of 4.44 as on 21/1/2022.
December 15, 2017
'Why should We know our HISTORY?'
I think this book answers the question.
This book is about Lakshmi aka Razia, the protagonist, is an intelligent, self confident and progressive woman who converts to Islam to get married to Amir against the wished of her father. Her visit to the ruins of Hampi for a documentary churns her thinking and questions the ideology she believes in. Through the works of Lakshmi's father, we are told the story of a war slave, Khwaja Jaan, originally a Rajput prince during the Mughal rule in India. There is a layered story telling, present times and Mughal era. Here is when the author's politically incorrect storytelling commences. The description of demolishing of the temples, treatment of war slaves, tax system which was imposed on non believers is just painful. The author shows no mercy on the reader. There were few instances when I couldn't continue reading and had to just stop. The important part about this book is that the author backs the incidents with appropriate references and also shows the amount of research and back breaking hardworking which has gone in to writing this.
This book also shows how the Marxist historians run the ecosystem and anyone who keeps opposite views is hounded. Sadly this what we see even in the present times, how the humanities space is taken over by people who believe in a certain kind of an ideology and anyone who has counter views is not welcome.
AAVARANA-in sanskrit it means 'concealing the truth' or 'hiding the truth'
What the book actually does is to hit reader with TRUTH.
Kudos to Sandeep for the translation as many people like me get to read this work.
I think this book answers the question.
This book is about Lakshmi aka Razia, the protagonist, is an intelligent, self confident and progressive woman who converts to Islam to get married to Amir against the wished of her father. Her visit to the ruins of Hampi for a documentary churns her thinking and questions the ideology she believes in. Through the works of Lakshmi's father, we are told the story of a war slave, Khwaja Jaan, originally a Rajput prince during the Mughal rule in India. There is a layered story telling, present times and Mughal era. Here is when the author's politically incorrect storytelling commences. The description of demolishing of the temples, treatment of war slaves, tax system which was imposed on non believers is just painful. The author shows no mercy on the reader. There were few instances when I couldn't continue reading and had to just stop. The important part about this book is that the author backs the incidents with appropriate references and also shows the amount of research and back breaking hardworking which has gone in to writing this.
This book also shows how the Marxist historians run the ecosystem and anyone who keeps opposite views is hounded. Sadly this what we see even in the present times, how the humanities space is taken over by people who believe in a certain kind of an ideology and anyone who has counter views is not welcome.
AAVARANA-in sanskrit it means 'concealing the truth' or 'hiding the truth'
What the book actually does is to hit reader with TRUTH.
Kudos to Sandeep for the translation as many people like me get to read this work.
October 21, 2018
We live in a world where you if you say anything about a particular religion you are either branded a fundamentalist or a secularist. Support something in Islam - you become secular. Say something a little against Islam - you become branded right-wing and ‘communal’. This is the world that SL Bhyrappa writes about in this historical novel that compels you to reexamine the history you have been taught from childhood.
The characters here are merely mouthpieces for Bhyrappa to project his views on the difficulties of presenting history as what it was rather than what it has been twisted into. So, don’t expect to feel for any of the characters - they appear and go irregularly - but after you get past the initial bewilderment of what the novel is, you are presented with a wonderfully courageous writer whose views make you think. Not for nothing is this one of the most celebrated novels of our times.
The characters here are merely mouthpieces for Bhyrappa to project his views on the difficulties of presenting history as what it was rather than what it has been twisted into. So, don’t expect to feel for any of the characters - they appear and go irregularly - but after you get past the initial bewilderment of what the novel is, you are presented with a wonderfully courageous writer whose views make you think. Not for nothing is this one of the most celebrated novels of our times.
August 27, 2020
One of the those book, every Indian should read this book. Probably one of the best literature i have come across. This book truly deserves 5 star. It has changed my view about looking at things through secularism practiced in India. Provided answer to "Why true history must be taught to students". Every concerned person interested in history should read this book. The book written in form of novel make it ever interesting to read. Book is available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Sanskrit, Malayalam and Gujarati.
March 10, 2021
It takes great courage to write a story like this, and I can only try to imagine what the author must have gone through while doing the research for the book at a personal level and after the book got published at a professional level.
It also took an emotional toll on me as a reader. Several times, I closed the book and took a step back from it, to get things into perspective before moving forward.
It was like through Lakshmi's journey, the author is lifting the veil (Aavarana) from his readers' "reality". Even though we know how the history is written, how a group of people owns the social/political/historical discourse, and how the common masses are manipulated with manufactured truths; confronting it in such stark terms was painful.
The book is not about appreciating our history but about understanding our present, and how we need to re-look at the so called established facts and challenge them (if need be) rather than continue to accept it. It is our duty towards building a better society for our future generations.
It also took an emotional toll on me as a reader. Several times, I closed the book and took a step back from it, to get things into perspective before moving forward.
It was like through Lakshmi's journey, the author is lifting the veil (Aavarana) from his readers' "reality". Even though we know how the history is written, how a group of people owns the social/political/historical discourse, and how the common masses are manipulated with manufactured truths; confronting it in such stark terms was painful.
The book is not about appreciating our history but about understanding our present, and how we need to re-look at the so called established facts and challenge them (if need be) rather than continue to accept it. It is our duty towards building a better society for our future generations.
January 4, 2021
Rivetting throughout. Engaging. Cold and sharp like a knife but true. It took courage to write such a book, or even think of this book in 2007 when cabals of Urban Naxals were at its peak.
The book starts with a story a Hindu woman who converted to Islam for the sake of marriage and in the name of progressiveness. If you ponder a little deeper, you can draw a parallel between the life of Razia and Kamalrukh Khan (wife of late Wajid Khan). Kamalrukh Khan has let the cats out in an interview how Wajid Khan and his family asked her to convert and could not practise her faith freely. Although there was love in between them, this was the weakness of Wajid Khan that he bowed down before the shortsightedness of orthodox Islam. There was a striking similarity between what happened to Razia in the story and what happened to Kamalrukh Khan in reality. And mind you, these are social elites, can you imagine the plight of women in lower rungs of our society?
Although no one is the antagonist in this novel, the intolerance of Islam reflects the antagonism throughout this book. This does not mean that today's Muslims are responsible for the destruction of temples like the author clearly stated it, but their silence or ignorance kind of justifies what the ancestors did. I did not find even Aurangzib as an antagonist; he was just following the commandments of the Book. This is what made this book very rare in which the protagonist (Razia, Lakshmi) is balanced with an immaterial antagonist (orthodox Islam). I would not categorise the professor as an antagonist in this novel since his pervert touches did not contribute to the central theme of the plot.
This book itself raises questions, answers them and put another counter argument until the reader come to terms with their own judgement. The problem in the current narratives is that it only put forward one side of the coin in the name of objectivity. It blinds the students of history and does a disservice, not to the students but the nation as a whole. Throughout this book, you would encounter questions such as: What should be Razia's husband response should have been when her in-laws put pressure on her to change her belief, her culture? What could be Razia's recourse in future after her husband helps her in running away from the police? On what terms should she accept him back after five years of separation and his marriage with another young girl?
I also found my answer in this book itself to the recent controversy that Rohit Sharma created by posting a bill in which he had ordered a beef. Although the dietary habit is a personal choice, one must realise what our ancestors paid a price for all this. If Rohit is Rohit today, it is because a Brahmin stood up for the scriptures, a Baniya did not bargain profit for the destruction of temples in the hands of invaders. I am in no way advocating for his rebuke but one must be considerate after knowing that our ancestors have committed johar, and fought until their last breath than to consume beef. When you are in someone's house, you pay them respect by following their customs. As much as this Earth belongs to our children, the soil of this nation belongs to our fathers and mothers as well.
Another interesting thing that I noticed that I can very much relate to SL Bhyrappa's own journey to publishing this novel to Razia's journey to publish her novel. The story that Razia wrote coalesced with SL Bhyrappa's story; it was quite interesting to note how flawlessly it happened. Bhyrappa's conscience to balance artistic freedom with Razia's effort to fine-tune the artistic freedom and historical facts were almost similar; it was as if SL Bhyrappa was telling his own journey through Razia.
Overall, an excellent read. And what a start for 2021 for me! A beautifully translated and meticulously researched book. Recommended for everyone: friend or a foe!
The book starts with a story a Hindu woman who converted to Islam for the sake of marriage and in the name of progressiveness. If you ponder a little deeper, you can draw a parallel between the life of Razia and Kamalrukh Khan (wife of late Wajid Khan). Kamalrukh Khan has let the cats out in an interview how Wajid Khan and his family asked her to convert and could not practise her faith freely. Although there was love in between them, this was the weakness of Wajid Khan that he bowed down before the shortsightedness of orthodox Islam. There was a striking similarity between what happened to Razia in the story and what happened to Kamalrukh Khan in reality. And mind you, these are social elites, can you imagine the plight of women in lower rungs of our society?
Although no one is the antagonist in this novel, the intolerance of Islam reflects the antagonism throughout this book. This does not mean that today's Muslims are responsible for the destruction of temples like the author clearly stated it, but their silence or ignorance kind of justifies what the ancestors did. I did not find even Aurangzib as an antagonist; he was just following the commandments of the Book. This is what made this book very rare in which the protagonist (Razia, Lakshmi) is balanced with an immaterial antagonist (orthodox Islam). I would not categorise the professor as an antagonist in this novel since his pervert touches did not contribute to the central theme of the plot.
This book itself raises questions, answers them and put another counter argument until the reader come to terms with their own judgement. The problem in the current narratives is that it only put forward one side of the coin in the name of objectivity. It blinds the students of history and does a disservice, not to the students but the nation as a whole. Throughout this book, you would encounter questions such as: What should be Razia's husband response should have been when her in-laws put pressure on her to change her belief, her culture? What could be Razia's recourse in future after her husband helps her in running away from the police? On what terms should she accept him back after five years of separation and his marriage with another young girl?
I also found my answer in this book itself to the recent controversy that Rohit Sharma created by posting a bill in which he had ordered a beef. Although the dietary habit is a personal choice, one must realise what our ancestors paid a price for all this. If Rohit is Rohit today, it is because a Brahmin stood up for the scriptures, a Baniya did not bargain profit for the destruction of temples in the hands of invaders. I am in no way advocating for his rebuke but one must be considerate after knowing that our ancestors have committed johar, and fought until their last breath than to consume beef. When you are in someone's house, you pay them respect by following their customs. As much as this Earth belongs to our children, the soil of this nation belongs to our fathers and mothers as well.
Another interesting thing that I noticed that I can very much relate to SL Bhyrappa's own journey to publishing this novel to Razia's journey to publish her novel. The story that Razia wrote coalesced with SL Bhyrappa's story; it was quite interesting to note how flawlessly it happened. Bhyrappa's conscience to balance artistic freedom with Razia's effort to fine-tune the artistic freedom and historical facts were almost similar; it was as if SL Bhyrappa was telling his own journey through Razia.
Overall, an excellent read. And what a start for 2021 for me! A beautifully translated and meticulously researched book. Recommended for everyone: friend or a foe!
June 9, 2022
Edit (9 June 2022) - I had mentioned this book in one of my conversations with a family member and came back here to read what I had written about it. Quite a haunting book this is. It has ignited a kind of hunger within me to know more about my dharma, and the history that has been kept hidden for so long and one that I didn't really bother to acknowledge. Well, not anymore 🙏🏾
------- Original Review -----
Stayed up half the night to finish this. This book has been quite an intense ride for me, took an emotional toll on me. At this point, it's a little difficult to review this book, so I am sharing a 'journal entry like note' I wrote while I was in the middle of reading this book.
----------------------------------------
I am currently reading Aavarana and it's turning out to be a difficult read. So much that, I am having to pause and stare off into oblivion thinking about all that has happened and is happening.
I am starting to realise that it's not just modern (Pre and Post independent Indian) history that I need to educate myself about, but also about the long gone past such as the Vijayanagara empire, The Tipu Sultan imagery, the Shaivaite-Vaishnava strife, the ancient past, Hindu scriptures and literature, cultural history, and so much more.
How do I get to terms with all the lies that have been fed and the lies that I believed to be the truth. How do I come to terms with my own ignorance and arrogance that led me to shaming my own Dharma and being apologetic about it.
At the same time, what I am also noticing, is the silent strength and calmness that is seeping into me. The clarity that is brewing within me. The conviction to learn about what actually happened and what is being hidden.
Once this happens, I might redeem myself in my own eyes.
------- Original Review -----
Stayed up half the night to finish this. This book has been quite an intense ride for me, took an emotional toll on me. At this point, it's a little difficult to review this book, so I am sharing a 'journal entry like note' I wrote while I was in the middle of reading this book.
----------------------------------------
I am currently reading Aavarana and it's turning out to be a difficult read. So much that, I am having to pause and stare off into oblivion thinking about all that has happened and is happening.
I am starting to realise that it's not just modern (Pre and Post independent Indian) history that I need to educate myself about, but also about the long gone past such as the Vijayanagara empire, The Tipu Sultan imagery, the Shaivaite-Vaishnava strife, the ancient past, Hindu scriptures and literature, cultural history, and so much more.
How do I get to terms with all the lies that have been fed and the lies that I believed to be the truth. How do I come to terms with my own ignorance and arrogance that led me to shaming my own Dharma and being apologetic about it.
At the same time, what I am also noticing, is the silent strength and calmness that is seeping into me. The clarity that is brewing within me. The conviction to learn about what actually happened and what is being hidden.
Once this happens, I might redeem myself in my own eyes.
March 12, 2015
A very thought provoking read which meshed up the past and the present and the ever going feud between religions. I am not adept enough to add on to the history of India, the Mughal Empire or the smaller sultanates and provincial rulers. This book is a well researched treatise told in the former of a story involving an inter-religious couple and the hardship they face.
January 3, 2021
ನನ್ನ ಬಹು ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಲೇಖಕರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ. ತನ್ನ ವಿವಾದಾತ್ಮಕ ಕಥಾವಸ್ತುವಿನ ಕಾರಣ ಕೆಲಕಾಲ ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಪುಸ್ತಕ. ಪ್ರಾಯಶಃ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹುವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಇದೇಇರಬೇಕು. ಇದನ್ನು ಮುಟ್ಟುಗೋಲು ಹಾಕಿಕೊಳ್ಳ ಬೇಕು ಎಂದೂ ಬಹಳ ಒತ್ತಾಯಗಳು ಬಂದವು.
ಕತೆ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಂಡ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಉರ್ಫ ರಜಿಯಾ ಮತ್ತ ವಳ ಗಂಡ ಅಮೀರ್ ರ ವೈಚಾರಿಕ ಸಂಘರ್ಷದಿಂದ ಮೊದಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.ಪ್ರಗತಿಶೀಲ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಅಮಲಲ್ಲಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಂಡರೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ವೈರುಧ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸುವ ಕಾರಣ ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಹಿರಿಯರ ಕೆಂಗಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಗುರಿಯಾಗ್ತಾಳೆ.ಒಕ್ಕಲಿಗಳಾದರೂ ಗಾಂಧೀವಾದಿಯಾದ ತಂದೆಯ ಪ್ರ ಭಾವದಿಂದ ಸಸ್ಯಾಹಾರಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದ ಅವಳು ಇಸ್ಲಾಂನ ಬದ್ಧತೆಯ ಅಂಗವಾಗಿ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳಿಗೆ ನಿಷಿದ್ಧವಾದ ಗೋ ಮಾಂಸ ಭಕ್ಷಣೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾಳೆ.ಅವಳ ಭ್ರಮೆ ಕಳಚಲು ಬಹಳ ದಿನ ಬೇಕಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.ತನ್ನ ಮಗ ಕೂಡಾ ತಾನು ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಧರ್ಮದ ಕಟ್ಟರ್ ಅನುಯಾಯಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.ತನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯ ಸಾವಿನ ಬಳಿಕ ಹಳ್ಳಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ತಂದೆಯ ವಿಚಾರ ಸಂಗ್ರಹ ಓದುವ ಅವಕಾಶ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಾವಿರಾರು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಮೇಲಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ದೌರ್ಜನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಬೇರೆ ಮಗ್ಗುಲಿಗೆ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತರ ಮುಸುಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬೀಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಆದರ್ಶವಾದದ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಕಿಡಿ ಕಾರಲಾರಂಭಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಟಿಪ್ಪು ನಂತಹ ನಾಯಕರ ನೈಜ ಸ್ವರೂಪ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತಾಳೆ.ಅವಳ ಗುರು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಗಳು ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಜೀವಿಯ ಸೋಗು ಹಾಕಿದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಮಗಳೇ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಳುವ ಸಂದರ್ಭ ಬಂದಾಗ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಬೆರಗು ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.ಅಮೀರನು ತನ್ನ ಧರ್ಮದ ಕಟ್ಟಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯ ಮೇಲೇರಲು ವಿಫಲವಾಗಿ ವ್ಯಗ್ರನಾಗಿ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಹುಡುಗಿಯನ್ನು ಮದುವೆ ಆಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಮಾನಾಂತರವಾಗಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಬರೆಯುವ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೆರೆಸಿಕ್ಕಿ ಬಲವಂತವಾಗಿ ಹಿಜಡಾ ಆಗಿ ಪರಿವರ್ತಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವ ರಜಪೂತ ರಾಜಕುಮಾರನ ದಯನೀಯ ಕತೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇನ್ನೊಬ್ಬ ರಾಜನ ಜನಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನ ರಾಣಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ತಲ್ಲಣಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ.ತನ್ನ ಅಸಹಾಯಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಲೇ ತಾನು ಮತಾಂತರಗೂಂಡ ಧರ್ಮದ ಸಾಧಕ ಬಾಧಕಗಳನ್ನು ತೂಕ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಕಡೆಗೆ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯ ಮಗ ನಜೀರ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಇಸ್ಲಾಂಗೆ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಳಿಸಿ ವಿವಾಹವಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಕೋಮು ಸಂಘರ್ಷದ ಕಾರಣ,ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಘಾತಕ ಎಂದು ಮುಟ್ಟುಗೋಲು ಹಾಕಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ.ಅವಳನ್ನು ಬಂಧಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಆದೇಶವಾದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿಸಿ ಅಮೀರನೇ ಅವಳನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ಯುವಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತದೆ.
ಹೀಗೆ ಆವರಣ ತಿರುಚಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ಸತ್ಯ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳ ಅನಾವರಣ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ.ಇಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿರುವ ಹಾಳು ಹಂಪಿಯ ಭಿನ್ನ ದೇಗುಲಗಳ ಕಂಡು ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲುಕ್ಕುವ ಸಾತ್ವಿಕ ಕೋಪಕ್ಕೆ ಪುರಾವೆಗಳೊದಗಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.ಹಿಂದಿನ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ದೊರೆಗಳು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಇಂದಿನ
ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂರು ಹೊಣೆಯಲ್ಲ ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪುತ್ತಲೇ ಅವರ ತಪ್ಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾಂಜಲವಾಗಿ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮುಂದಿಡುತ್ತದೆ.ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆಯ ನೆಪ ಹೇಳಿ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ನಗ್ನ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಮುಚ್ಚಿಟ್ಟ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ವಿರುದ್ದ ತಣ್ಣಗೆ ಸಿಡಿದೇಳುತ್ತದೆ.ಬಹುಶ ಇದೇ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಖೋಟಾ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತ ವಾದಿಗಳ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಬಿಸಿ ತುಪ್ಪವಾಯ್ತು.ಈ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಅತಿ ದಾಖಲೆ ಮಾರಾಟವಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕವಾಗಿ ಸಾರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕ ಸರ್ವ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಸಾಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆವರಣ ಮುಂಚೂಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿದೆ.
ಭೈರಪ್ಪರವರ ವಿವಾದಾತ್ಮಕ ಕಥಾವಸ್ತುಗಳ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಗೆ ಅವರು ಒದಗಿಸುವ ಪುರಾವೆಗಳು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ದಲ್ಲಿವೆ.ಸರಾಗವಾಗಿ ಓದಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುವ ವೈಚಾರಿಕ ಸಮಕಾಲೀನ ಹಾಗೂ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ಸಮನ್ವಯವಾದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. ತಪ್ಪದೇ ಓದಬೇಕಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.
ಕತೆ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಂಡ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಉರ್ಫ ರಜಿಯಾ ಮತ್ತ ವಳ ಗಂಡ ಅಮೀರ್ ರ ವೈಚಾರಿಕ ಸಂಘರ್ಷದಿಂದ ಮೊದಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.ಪ್ರಗತಿಶೀಲ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಅಮಲಲ್ಲಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಂಡರೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ವೈರುಧ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸುವ ಕಾರಣ ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಹಿರಿಯರ ಕೆಂಗಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಗುರಿಯಾಗ್ತಾಳೆ.ಒಕ್ಕಲಿಗಳಾದರೂ ಗಾಂಧೀವಾದಿಯಾದ ತಂದೆಯ ಪ್ರ ಭಾವದಿಂದ ಸಸ್ಯಾಹಾರಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದ ಅವಳು ಇಸ್ಲಾಂನ ಬದ್ಧತೆಯ ಅಂಗವಾಗಿ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳಿಗೆ ನಿಷಿದ್ಧವಾದ ಗೋ ಮಾಂಸ ಭಕ್ಷಣೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾಳೆ.ಅವಳ ಭ್ರಮೆ ಕಳಚಲು ಬಹಳ ದಿನ ಬೇಕಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.ತನ್ನ ಮಗ ಕೂಡಾ ತಾನು ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಧರ್ಮದ ಕಟ್ಟರ್ ಅನುಯಾಯಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.ತನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯ ಸಾವಿನ ಬಳಿಕ ಹಳ್ಳಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ತಂದೆಯ ವಿಚಾರ ಸಂಗ್ರಹ ಓದುವ ಅವಕಾಶ ಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಾವಿರಾರು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಹಿಂದೂ ಧರ್ಮದ ಮೇಲಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ದೌರ್ಜನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಬೇರೆ ಮಗ್ಗುಲಿಗೆ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತರ ಮುಸುಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬೀಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಆದರ್ಶವಾದದ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಕಿಡಿ ಕಾರಲಾರಂಭಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಟಿಪ್ಪು ನಂತಹ ನಾಯಕರ ನೈಜ ಸ್ವರೂಪ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತಾಳೆ.ಅವಳ ಗುರು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಗಳು ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಜೀವಿಯ ಸೋಗು ಹಾಕಿದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಮಗಳೇ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಳುವ ಸಂದರ್ಭ ಬಂದಾಗ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಬೆರಗು ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.ಅಮೀರನು ತನ್ನ ಧರ್ಮದ ಕಟ್ಟಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯ ಮೇಲೇರಲು ವಿಫಲವಾಗಿ ವ್ಯಗ್ರನಾಗಿ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಹುಡುಗಿಯನ್ನು ಮದುವೆ ಆಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಮಾನಾಂತರವಾಗಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಬರೆಯುವ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೆರೆಸಿಕ್ಕಿ ಬಲವಂತವಾಗಿ ಹಿಜಡಾ ಆಗಿ ಪರಿವರ್ತಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವ ರಜಪೂತ ರಾಜಕುಮಾರನ ದಯನೀಯ ಕತೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇನ್ನೊಬ್ಬ ರಾಜನ ಜನಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನ ರಾಣಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ತಲ್ಲಣಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ.ತನ್ನ ಅಸಹಾಯಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹಳಿದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಲೇ ತಾನು ಮತಾಂತರಗೂಂಡ ಧರ್ಮದ ಸಾಧಕ ಬಾಧಕಗಳನ್ನು ತೂಕ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಕಡೆಗೆ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯ ಮಗ ನಜೀರ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಇಸ್ಲಾಂಗೆ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಳಿಸಿ ವಿವಾಹವಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಕೋಮು ಸಂಘರ್ಷದ ಕಾರಣ,ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಘಾತಕ ಎಂದು ಮುಟ್ಟುಗೋಲು ಹಾಕಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ.ಅವಳನ್ನು ಬಂಧಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಆದೇಶವಾದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿಸಿ ಅಮೀರನೇ ಅವಳನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ಯುವಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತದೆ.
ಹೀಗೆ ಆವರಣ ತಿರುಚಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ಸತ್ಯ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳ ಅನಾವರಣ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ.ಇಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿರುವ ಹಾಳು ಹಂಪಿಯ ಭಿನ್ನ ದೇಗುಲಗಳ ಕಂಡು ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲುಕ್ಕುವ ಸಾತ್ವಿಕ ಕೋಪಕ್ಕೆ ಪುರಾವೆಗಳೊದಗಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.ಹಿಂದಿನ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ದೊರೆಗಳು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಇಂದಿನ
ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂರು ಹೊಣೆಯಲ್ಲ ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪುತ್ತಲೇ ಅವರ ತಪ್ಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾಂಜಲವಾಗಿ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮುಂದಿಡುತ್ತದೆ.ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆಯ ನೆಪ ಹೇಳಿ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ನಗ್ನ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಮುಚ್ಚಿಟ್ಟ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ವಿರುದ್ದ ತಣ್ಣಗೆ ಸಿಡಿದೇಳುತ್ತದೆ.ಬಹುಶ ಇದೇ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಖೋಟಾ ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತ ವಾದಿಗಳ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಬಿಸಿ ತುಪ್ಪವಾಯ್ತು.ಈ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಅತಿ ದಾಖಲೆ ಮಾರಾಟವಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕವಾಗಿ ಸಾರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕ ಸರ್ವ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಸಾಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆವರಣ ಮುಂಚೂಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿದೆ.
ಭೈರಪ್ಪರವರ ವಿವಾದಾತ್ಮಕ ಕಥಾವಸ್ತುಗಳ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಗೆ ಅವರು ಒದಗಿಸುವ ಪುರಾವೆಗಳು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ದಲ್ಲಿವೆ.ಸರಾಗವಾಗಿ ಓದಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುವ ವೈಚಾರಿಕ ಸಮಕಾಲೀನ ಹಾಗೂ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ಸಮನ್ವಯವಾದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. ತಪ್ಪದೇ ಓದಬೇಕಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.
January 28, 2019
"The study of history should help us to honestly. dispassionately understand the rights and wrongs of people we regard as our ancestors and use those lessons to shape our present and future."
In the preface the author explains Aavarna is the term in sanskrit for concealing the truth. This is an important book - not so much for the content, but the message. My first read of Bhyrappa and I am impressed by the bold theme, the technique for wrapping non-fiction and the characterisation of it's characters.
Lakshmi alias Razia Begum is a 50 year old documentary script writer who converts to Islam to marry Amir. In the wake of Babri Masjid demolition, the Government is trying to reduce the communal tension by re-writing history to calm people down. In the quest the ministry ropes in 'progressive' thinkers like Prof Shastri and Muslim script writers to spread false history. Lakshmi, who is disturbed by the desecrated temples and disillusioned by the demands from a muslim wife - moves back to her village and does extensive historical research in quest for truth.
The book traces her slow transformation and discovery and she decides to use fiction to talk history. So she writes about a captured Rajput prince who is emasculated, converted to Islam and joins Aurangazeb's historians to witness the destruction of Kashi and Mathura temples. The book within the book is blunt and makes you squirm with it's matter of factness. The second layer of story of someone who talks ill of the minority in the country is even more realistic of the scenario in our country. In search of the middle ground, he has a hindu converted to Islam to explain the view point.
Though the book becomes preachy, the message that the solution to future is not to rewrite history is loud and clear. An extensive bibliography sewn into the book is a big plus. However, irony is that this book in itself stirred up enough controversy where he was tagged an RSS mouthpiece and the book dubbed an ignorant divisive force. I think this is the story of the book in essence.
A compelling read - dangerous in the hands of fundamentalists. So is history. Better to know the truth than knowingly kept in ignorance.
In the preface the author explains Aavarna is the term in sanskrit for concealing the truth. This is an important book - not so much for the content, but the message. My first read of Bhyrappa and I am impressed by the bold theme, the technique for wrapping non-fiction and the characterisation of it's characters.
Lakshmi alias Razia Begum is a 50 year old documentary script writer who converts to Islam to marry Amir. In the wake of Babri Masjid demolition, the Government is trying to reduce the communal tension by re-writing history to calm people down. In the quest the ministry ropes in 'progressive' thinkers like Prof Shastri and Muslim script writers to spread false history. Lakshmi, who is disturbed by the desecrated temples and disillusioned by the demands from a muslim wife - moves back to her village and does extensive historical research in quest for truth.
The book traces her slow transformation and discovery and she decides to use fiction to talk history. So she writes about a captured Rajput prince who is emasculated, converted to Islam and joins Aurangazeb's historians to witness the destruction of Kashi and Mathura temples. The book within the book is blunt and makes you squirm with it's matter of factness. The second layer of story of someone who talks ill of the minority in the country is even more realistic of the scenario in our country. In search of the middle ground, he has a hindu converted to Islam to explain the view point.
Though the book becomes preachy, the message that the solution to future is not to rewrite history is loud and clear. An extensive bibliography sewn into the book is a big plus. However, irony is that this book in itself stirred up enough controversy where he was tagged an RSS mouthpiece and the book dubbed an ignorant divisive force. I think this is the story of the book in essence.
A compelling read - dangerous in the hands of fundamentalists. So is history. Better to know the truth than knowingly kept in ignorance.
November 2, 2016
The act of concealing truth in Sanskrit is called "Aavarana" !!!.
What a brilliant book. I could not put the book down once I picked it up. This book is a must must read.
It is not an anti-Islam or a pro Hindu book. This book just tells the truth.
As mentioned correctly in the book, "you can't build a strong society on the foundation of untruth."
Unfortunately, this is what is happening in today's world. The progressive liberals want to rewrite the history to please certain minorities..
We must accept the past in its complete ugliness. Germany did that. They never said that nothing like the holocaust happened.
Temples did get destructed in an era and we must accept that. A certain ruler was NOT secular and we must accept that.
This book should be a textbook and should be made a compulsary read.
My head bows down to S.L. Bhyrappa..
What a brilliant book. I could not put the book down once I picked it up. This book is a must must read.
It is not an anti-Islam or a pro Hindu book. This book just tells the truth.
As mentioned correctly in the book, "you can't build a strong society on the foundation of untruth."
Unfortunately, this is what is happening in today's world. The progressive liberals want to rewrite the history to please certain minorities..
We must accept the past in its complete ugliness. Germany did that. They never said that nothing like the holocaust happened.
Temples did get destructed in an era and we must accept that. A certain ruler was NOT secular and we must accept that.
This book should be a textbook and should be made a compulsary read.
My head bows down to S.L. Bhyrappa..
February 26, 2021
A very powerful story which is a perfect blend of historical accuracy and an artist's imagination.
All the statements,facts are backed by citations and proofs.
Even after being historically accurate the story does not become dull and remain crisp till very end. Story revolves around a progressive Hindu women and Muslim men who fell in love and later married together.
Being an interfaith marriage she faced many hardships from family Which made her even more hard critique of hindu religion. Both being full fledged artists wrote many plays and dramas undermining the hypocrisy of Hinduism.
While making a script for a documentary of a certain historical place, she recalls memories of her childhood,which leads her to question everything including the "progressive historians" and her life decisions as a whole.
Hitherto, a progressive activist finds herself caught up in factually incorrect historical facts and lies made up by so called "progressive historians" .
This book is about her journey to discover the truth and exposing the lies which are filled in our daily life about certain historical figures.
Which leads her to question the foundation in which these so called progressive historians are trying to build hindu-muslim unity on i.e making hindu as the scrape goat for every ill in today's society,for which they manipulate historical facts and add absurd lies to make it look so.
This book also try to expose hypocrisy of islam extremist and their ignorance for other religions.
And how supremacy of their god over others is very dangerous for modern democratic India in which all gods are equal.
Some Historical facts are very harsh and might hurt some people, few might even try to deny it but one cannot deny it because everything is backed by proof.
Which further proves the point of the author which is trying to show how history is being manipulated,and how lies are feeded to the normal citizens of the country, which has made people ignorant about certain historical figures and made them glorify them even though they were tyrants.
The primary storyline is accompanied by a secondary story, which give the readers vague idea of the conditions in which Hindus were in during mugal era.
Even though the book is a good attempt by the author to undermine this problem in modern India, it is a novel and not a history book.
All the statements,facts are backed by citations and proofs.
Even after being historically accurate the story does not become dull and remain crisp till very end. Story revolves around a progressive Hindu women and Muslim men who fell in love and later married together.
Being an interfaith marriage she faced many hardships from family Which made her even more hard critique of hindu religion. Both being full fledged artists wrote many plays and dramas undermining the hypocrisy of Hinduism.
While making a script for a documentary of a certain historical place, she recalls memories of her childhood,which leads her to question everything including the "progressive historians" and her life decisions as a whole.
Hitherto, a progressive activist finds herself caught up in factually incorrect historical facts and lies made up by so called "progressive historians" .
This book is about her journey to discover the truth and exposing the lies which are filled in our daily life about certain historical figures.
Which leads her to question the foundation in which these so called progressive historians are trying to build hindu-muslim unity on i.e making hindu as the scrape goat for every ill in today's society,for which they manipulate historical facts and add absurd lies to make it look so.
This book also try to expose hypocrisy of islam extremist and their ignorance for other religions.
And how supremacy of their god over others is very dangerous for modern democratic India in which all gods are equal.
Some Historical facts are very harsh and might hurt some people, few might even try to deny it but one cannot deny it because everything is backed by proof.
Which further proves the point of the author which is trying to show how history is being manipulated,and how lies are feeded to the normal citizens of the country, which has made people ignorant about certain historical figures and made them glorify them even though they were tyrants.
The primary storyline is accompanied by a secondary story, which give the readers vague idea of the conditions in which Hindus were in during mugal era.
Even though the book is a good attempt by the author to undermine this problem in modern India, it is a novel and not a history book.
September 9, 2020
Aavarana is probably the second bravest book I've ever read recently. I had heard the book had a lot of facts saying but the way it presented them is really mind blowing. Bhyrappa's words are blunt and they have neither sugar coating and omission nor over exaggeration. What really surprised me a lot was the gravity in the book. This work consists a lot of historical factors which are hard to deny. The thing that shocked me was how I could relate the current situations with the incidents, thought patterns and behaviors of communists and leftists. The author clearly explains the left narrative constructions. One could observe the instances of twisting the real histories as per their agendas. Aavarana has this main character who goes through an ideology transformation that makes her question the entire knowledge that had been drilled into her mind through textbooks. She then realises the series of truth that she had been deprived of through her father's research. The book indeed received a lot of criticism but the sources the author has mentioned have enough credibility. This book is a fiction with the spine of non fiction, that is it's full of facts presented to the readers through a story inside another story which covers major historical incidents.
On the writing style, it's very simple and straight forward. But the author has this gripping narrative manner that keeps the reader on his toes to know more, to know what happens.
On the writing style, it's very simple and straight forward. But the author has this gripping narrative manner that keeps the reader on his toes to know more, to know what happens.
July 31, 2018
Aavarana :)
. “the goal of history is to enable the forward march of humanity towards Progressiveness.” -S.L. Bhyrappa.
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.
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I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure about this book because I don’t often read Kannada novels. But this writer is very well known and after I put down this novel couple of days back, I bow down to him 🙌🏻 And considering that this book was published in 2007, I can imagine the kind of uproar it must have caused. .
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Aavarana is a spectacular book that should be a wake up call to all Indians who have been writing false history for generations! I wouldn’t want to summarise the story and spoil the fun for others but I would really urge fellow book lovers to pick this up right now! Let me say this, even though there‘s a lot of fiction in this novel, the historical facts haven’t been tampered with. I would rate it 5/5. (10 if i could) .
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This book is disturbing yet so utterly beautiful. .
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.
P.S. I think I found my top favourite book of the year!
. “the goal of history is to enable the forward march of humanity towards Progressiveness.” -S.L. Bhyrappa.
.
.
.
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure about this book because I don’t often read Kannada novels. But this writer is very well known and after I put down this novel couple of days back, I bow down to him 🙌🏻 And considering that this book was published in 2007, I can imagine the kind of uproar it must have caused. .
.
.
Aavarana is a spectacular book that should be a wake up call to all Indians who have been writing false history for generations! I wouldn’t want to summarise the story and spoil the fun for others but I would really urge fellow book lovers to pick this up right now! Let me say this, even though there‘s a lot of fiction in this novel, the historical facts haven’t been tampered with. I would rate it 5/5. (10 if i could) .
.
This book is disturbing yet so utterly beautiful. .
.
.
P.S. I think I found my top favourite book of the year!
August 13, 2021
ಅದ್ಭುತ!
ನಂಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದಿ ಓದುತ್ತಾ ಇರುವಾಗ ಮತ್ತು ಮುಗಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ ಅನ್ನಿಸಿದ ಮೊದಲ ಅಂಶ ನಮ್ಮ history ನ ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ತಿರುಚಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅಂತ.
ನಾ ಓದಿದ ಶಾಲಾ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಂತಹ 95% ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಅಥವಾ biased ಅಂತ ಈಗ ಅನುಭವ ಆಗ್ತಾ ಇದೆ.
ಮೊಘಲ್ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ ಹೇಗೆ ಭಾರತವನ್ನ ಕತ್ತಲಿಗೆ ನೂಕಿತು ಅನ್ನೋದರ ವಿವರಣೆ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ.
ಎಲ್ಲಕಿಂತ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಘಾಸಿ ಆಗುವ ವಿಚಾರ, ಹಿಂದಿನ ತಪ್ಪನ್ನ ತಿದ್ದಿಕೊಂಡು ಮುಂದಿನ ದಾರಿ ವಿಚಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನ ಬಿಟ್ಟು, ಇನ್ನೂ ತಾವು minority ಅಂತ ತೋರ್ಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳೋಕೆ ಲಾಗ ಹೊಡಿತೀರೋ ವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಎನ್ ಹೇಳ್ಬೇಕೋ ನಾ ಕಾಣೆ.
ಹಾಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಈ ಬುದ್ದಿಜೀವಿಗಳು ಅಂತ ಹೇಳ್ಕೊಂಡು ಸುತ್ತಾಡೋ ಜನರು ಇರ್ತಾರೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿವರೆಗೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆ ಸುಲಭ ಅಲ್ಲ.
ಈ ಮೇಲಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನು ತುಂಬಾ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು.
Needeless to say, ಅವರ ಪಾತ್ರ ಚಿತ್ರಣ, ಕಥೆ ಹೆಣೆಯುವ
ರೀತಿ, ಈ ಒಂದು ಪುಸ್ತಕಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅವರು ಓದಿರಬಹುದಾದ ನೂರಾರು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು - ಇದಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ hats off 😊
ನಂಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದಿ ಓದುತ್ತಾ ಇರುವಾಗ ಮತ್ತು ಮುಗಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ ಅನ್ನಿಸಿದ ಮೊದಲ ಅಂಶ ನಮ್ಮ history ನ ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ತಿರುಚಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅಂತ.
ನಾ ಓದಿದ ಶಾಲಾ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಂತಹ 95% ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಅಥವಾ biased ಅಂತ ಈಗ ಅನುಭವ ಆಗ್ತಾ ಇದೆ.
ಮೊಘಲ್ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ ಹೇಗೆ ಭಾರತವನ್ನ ಕತ್ತಲಿಗೆ ನೂಕಿತು ಅನ್ನೋದರ ವಿವರಣೆ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ.
ಎಲ್ಲಕಿಂತ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಘಾಸಿ ಆಗುವ ವಿಚಾರ, ಹಿಂದಿನ ತಪ್ಪನ್ನ ತಿದ್ದಿಕೊಂಡು ಮುಂದಿನ ದಾರಿ ವಿಚಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನ ಬಿಟ್ಟು, ಇನ್ನೂ ತಾವು minority ಅಂತ ತೋರ್ಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳೋಕೆ ಲಾಗ ಹೊಡಿತೀರೋ ವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಎನ್ ಹೇಳ್ಬೇಕೋ ನಾ ಕಾಣೆ.
ಹಾಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೂ ಈ ಬುದ್ದಿಜೀವಿಗಳು ಅಂತ ಹೇಳ್ಕೊಂಡು ಸುತ್ತಾಡೋ ಜನರು ಇರ್ತಾರೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿವರೆಗೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಪರಿವರ್ತನೆ ಸುಲಭ ಅಲ್ಲ.
ಈ ಮೇಲಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನು ತುಂಬಾ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು.
Needeless to say, ಅವರ ಪಾತ್ರ ಚಿತ್ರಣ, ಕಥೆ ಹೆಣೆಯುವ
ರೀತಿ, ಈ ಒಂದು ಪುಸ್ತಕಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅವರು ಓದಿರಬಹುದಾದ ನೂರಾರು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು - ಇದಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ hats off 😊
February 28, 2014
My mom got me this book and said it's an interesting one and one that created lot of debates.
Honestly I had to skip few pages in the beginning coz the reality was too harsh to bear - but I caught up and now conclude that this is a great read with lot of facts for backup. The perception is thought provoking and encourages discussions (which could very well turn to arguments coz you'll find several not agreeing with the facts or conclusions here)
Would look for more from the author.
Honestly I had to skip few pages in the beginning coz the reality was too harsh to bear - but I caught up and now conclude that this is a great read with lot of facts for backup. The perception is thought provoking and encourages discussions (which could very well turn to arguments coz you'll find several not agreeing with the facts or conclusions here)
Would look for more from the author.
July 11, 2013
One of Bhyrappa's best books. The ease with which the story shifts back and forth in time is excellent.
May 22, 2014
One of the best of S.L.Bhyrappa
January 12, 2015
Let me start by asking a fundamental question. “Why should we read history ?” Why should we read about the lives of our forefathers? Why should we be interested in the lives and times of the kings who dwelled on this earth a few centuries ago ? Why should we be interested in the lives of the people who ruled the nations , built great monuments and were the originators of various customs and rituals? The learned men of the world give us the answer , “History curses those who do not read it by repeating itself for them”. Well, once we begin to read history are we sure that we are reading the correct version of it. First of all, is history authentic? Big question isn’t it ?
They say history is always written by winners and losers have no place in it. True, history to me is the “story” of the winners. I always feel that we are unfortunate and donot get to hear the story of the vanquished , well that’s something we ought to live with. However, what should we say about the people who wilfully distort history and present it to the masses in a way it suits their needs? or the needs of their political masters ? In a scenario where one section is already disadvantaged, we have one who wants to play with their story to meet his/her ideological needs, in a situation of this sort , we, the people who want to read history and take lessons from it are genuinely doomed aren’t we ?
Shri S.L. Bhyrappa, the renowned Kannada writer tries to expose these acts of self styled historians and intellectuals in this book
The book starts with an incident that creates a lot of turbulence and internal turmoil in Razia Qureshi. What she sees in Hampi disturbs her, little does she know that these were the first ripples of the ocean she is about to cross. While the disturbing sights keep coming to her , a very bad news awaits her back home. Her father with whom she severed all ties, passes away and he leaves her something that changes her life altogether.
She leaves to her native village and takes a deep dive into the books that adorned her father’s personal library. What does she discover? How does it impact her life and lives of the people around her? What does she do with the resources at her disposal ? Do read the book to know all that .
This is not just a run of the mill novel, it opens the readers mind to a wealth of information about the customs , practices and lives of the Muslims of India. It takes us into the annals of the history and introduces us to a totally different world where the Mughals lorded over this nation. What were the customs of them? How did they treat people of their ilke ? How did they handle the ones who were not following their customs? How did they treat people whom they conquered ? etc..
This book also gives us great insights into slavery that existed in the times of Mughals, the eunuchs of the time and the way people were made into eunuchs to serve some specific needs of the kings. Then we also get to see how intolerant a few people were and how they destroyed many places of worship. The author uses the technique of story inside a story to get his point across and that worked extremely well as far as the book is concerned. It’s some thing you ought to read and experience.
What did I like in the book ? A lot actually. First the research, it takes prodigious amount of research to come up with such a book and it takes humongous courage to write what S.L.Bhyrappa has written. Yes, he goes against the widely accepted view of the Mughal rule and brings out facts and figures about the tough times people of other faiths had to endure under that rule. Then he proves that all he is saying is not a cock and bull story, he actually provides proofs from the books written by the Mughal historians. He gives names of the historians of that era and as to what they recorded. Yes, at the end of the book you see a list of 59 books that Lakshmi aka Razia refers to. That’s the amount of research that went into the book.
We get to realize that Mughal rule was not the paradise as it is widely touted to be, we also get to realize that many of the so called progressive people do have their own agenda, the Marxist historians of the country are exposed. Well, if you think that these historians are being criticised unjustly, just have a look at history text books of ours. I remember reading pages and pages about the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire but I read only a few paragraphs about the heroes like Sivaji. How many of us remember reading good amount of history about the Vijayanagar empire. If I am not wrong we would have read a
few paragraphs about Harihara and Bukka and then a paragraph or two about Sri Krishnadeva raya. Is it in any way comparable with the mammoth reading you do about the invaders who came and controlled less than half of what the kings of Vijaynagara controlled. This books raises some very good questions about all this.
Standing up to the politically correct version of discourse is not easy . You will have to take harsh criticism, endure tough and at times rogue comments, will have to take comments like anti-national, communal, partisan and all in your stride. I would commend Shri Bhyrappa ji for doing this . One ought read the book for this.
I also liked the way the characters were built, the way he portrays a certain Mr. Shastri the progressive professor, Amir, the man who made a lot of promises to Lakshmi and breaks them when she becomes Razia. Razia’s son , Shastri’s father and the villagers all of them were very well sketched. I loved the climax and the way the transformation begins. I liked it all.
What I did not like in the book, honestly I am not qualified to criticise a man of that stature and the work of this sort. I only felt
that there must have been more space devoted to Aruna (Professor Shastri’s daughter) and why she chooses to marry a stranger and convert to new religion. Again just plain curiosity that’s it.
All in all a wonderful book, awesome message. This is not against anyone or any religion, it speaks about an unbiased narration of history and acknowledging the mistakes and wrong doings of the past. It would be tough to accept these things but then every thing that’s very good in the long run will start with the acceptance of a bitter truth, won’t it ?
I must thank Sandeep Balakrishna for the wonderful translation of the book. He kept the narrative in simple plain English and ensured that the book is easy to read. It is because of him that we are able to read such a wonderful book today . Thank You sir.
Reading this book was indeed an educative experience for me. As Shri Bhyrappa himself says, “The act of concealing truth is called Aavarana in Sanskrit, the act of spreading lies is called Vikshepa” Read the book and understand as to how the truth was concealed while telling the history of this country. Do read the book .
They say history is always written by winners and losers have no place in it. True, history to me is the “story” of the winners. I always feel that we are unfortunate and donot get to hear the story of the vanquished , well that’s something we ought to live with. However, what should we say about the people who wilfully distort history and present it to the masses in a way it suits their needs? or the needs of their political masters ? In a scenario where one section is already disadvantaged, we have one who wants to play with their story to meet his/her ideological needs, in a situation of this sort , we, the people who want to read history and take lessons from it are genuinely doomed aren’t we ?
Shri S.L. Bhyrappa, the renowned Kannada writer tries to expose these acts of self styled historians and intellectuals in this book
The book starts with an incident that creates a lot of turbulence and internal turmoil in Razia Qureshi. What she sees in Hampi disturbs her, little does she know that these were the first ripples of the ocean she is about to cross. While the disturbing sights keep coming to her , a very bad news awaits her back home. Her father with whom she severed all ties, passes away and he leaves her something that changes her life altogether.
She leaves to her native village and takes a deep dive into the books that adorned her father’s personal library. What does she discover? How does it impact her life and lives of the people around her? What does she do with the resources at her disposal ? Do read the book to know all that .
This is not just a run of the mill novel, it opens the readers mind to a wealth of information about the customs , practices and lives of the Muslims of India. It takes us into the annals of the history and introduces us to a totally different world where the Mughals lorded over this nation. What were the customs of them? How did they treat people of their ilke ? How did they handle the ones who were not following their customs? How did they treat people whom they conquered ? etc..
This book also gives us great insights into slavery that existed in the times of Mughals, the eunuchs of the time and the way people were made into eunuchs to serve some specific needs of the kings. Then we also get to see how intolerant a few people were and how they destroyed many places of worship. The author uses the technique of story inside a story to get his point across and that worked extremely well as far as the book is concerned. It’s some thing you ought to read and experience.
What did I like in the book ? A lot actually. First the research, it takes prodigious amount of research to come up with such a book and it takes humongous courage to write what S.L.Bhyrappa has written. Yes, he goes against the widely accepted view of the Mughal rule and brings out facts and figures about the tough times people of other faiths had to endure under that rule. Then he proves that all he is saying is not a cock and bull story, he actually provides proofs from the books written by the Mughal historians. He gives names of the historians of that era and as to what they recorded. Yes, at the end of the book you see a list of 59 books that Lakshmi aka Razia refers to. That’s the amount of research that went into the book.
We get to realize that Mughal rule was not the paradise as it is widely touted to be, we also get to realize that many of the so called progressive people do have their own agenda, the Marxist historians of the country are exposed. Well, if you think that these historians are being criticised unjustly, just have a look at history text books of ours. I remember reading pages and pages about the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire but I read only a few paragraphs about the heroes like Sivaji. How many of us remember reading good amount of history about the Vijayanagar empire. If I am not wrong we would have read a
few paragraphs about Harihara and Bukka and then a paragraph or two about Sri Krishnadeva raya. Is it in any way comparable with the mammoth reading you do about the invaders who came and controlled less than half of what the kings of Vijaynagara controlled. This books raises some very good questions about all this.
Standing up to the politically correct version of discourse is not easy . You will have to take harsh criticism, endure tough and at times rogue comments, will have to take comments like anti-national, communal, partisan and all in your stride. I would commend Shri Bhyrappa ji for doing this . One ought read the book for this.
I also liked the way the characters were built, the way he portrays a certain Mr. Shastri the progressive professor, Amir, the man who made a lot of promises to Lakshmi and breaks them when she becomes Razia. Razia’s son , Shastri’s father and the villagers all of them were very well sketched. I loved the climax and the way the transformation begins. I liked it all.
What I did not like in the book, honestly I am not qualified to criticise a man of that stature and the work of this sort. I only felt
that there must have been more space devoted to Aruna (Professor Shastri’s daughter) and why she chooses to marry a stranger and convert to new religion. Again just plain curiosity that’s it.
All in all a wonderful book, awesome message. This is not against anyone or any religion, it speaks about an unbiased narration of history and acknowledging the mistakes and wrong doings of the past. It would be tough to accept these things but then every thing that’s very good in the long run will start with the acceptance of a bitter truth, won’t it ?
I must thank Sandeep Balakrishna for the wonderful translation of the book. He kept the narrative in simple plain English and ensured that the book is easy to read. It is because of him that we are able to read such a wonderful book today . Thank You sir.
Reading this book was indeed an educative experience for me. As Shri Bhyrappa himself says, “The act of concealing truth is called Aavarana in Sanskrit, the act of spreading lies is called Vikshepa” Read the book and understand as to how the truth was concealed while telling the history of this country. Do read the book .
August 6, 2014
I was terribly disappointed with this novel . I felt that the book just remains as a work of nonfiction , kind of historical record of islamic attacks on hindu temple on one side and on the otherside it details the pseudo nature of progressive doublespeak.
But this is not a piece of literature , the book never elevates into a work of fiction , the characters are really plastic , they are just talking what the author wants them to speak . Like a well orchestrated debate. I felt that people have acclaimed it for its highly political content. Terribly disappointed from Bhyrappa.
But this is not a piece of literature , the book never elevates into a work of fiction , the characters are really plastic , they are just talking what the author wants them to speak . Like a well orchestrated debate. I felt that people have acclaimed it for its highly political content. Terribly disappointed from Bhyrappa.
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