Lost in Time: Ghatotkacha and the Game of Illusions

by Namita Gokhale

'I am the rakshasa Ghatotkacha, born of the Lord Bhimasena and the lady Hidimba. I rule over hill and vale, wood and stream, protecting the spirit of the forest and all who live in it.'
Young Chintamani Dev Gupta, on holiday in a bird camp near Lake Sattal, is transported via a wormhole to the days of the Mahabharata. Trapped in time, he meets Ghatotkacha and his mother, the demoness Hidimba. But the gentle giant, a master of illusion and mind-boggling rakshasa technology, wields his strength just as well as he knows the age-old secrets of the forest and the elemental forces. And in his enlightening company, Chintamani finds himself in the thick of the events of the most enduring Indian epic.
An intense yet tender look at a rare friendship as well as the abiding puzzles of the past, this is a fascinating read.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy

153 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2017

Reviews

[Ravi Teja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, okay, it's okay. Nothing more, nothing less but a grand okay. I don't see a clear direction for the story, it just rather happens. I am not sure I'd call this good book even for kids, for the same reason that it doesn't feel like a story, but rather like a series of happenings, weakly connected.

If it were to introduce History and mythology to kids, ummmm, I'm not sure it did a good job. The movies like 'Mayabazar' do a greater justice and are far more entertaining. And this is coming from me who isn't too much into movies.

Good illustrations though. Stars for that.

[Tushar Gagerna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intrigued by the name, picked up the novel in Jaipur Literature Festival. I guess it is for kids as being a 25 YO, I found it too childish. If that's true, it should be in Children's section. 2 stars for writing as 1 seemed too harsh.

[Neeti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off well but then went all meh.

[Enakshi J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I opted to read Lost in Time because of its theme and its association between the current era with a scripture that was composed aeons ago. The premise of the story is promising and it is, indeed, interesting to read about Chintamani’s adventures! When he is assigned a school project that requires reading Mahabharat, Chintamani delves deeper into the story and meets Ghatotkacha, the Rakshasa, in his make-belief world. What lies ahead is a rollercoaster ride that takes Chintamani into the wild world of jungles. He learns and unlearns several lessons that promise to help him in the long run.

Read the complete review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started as a interesting fantasy story with vivid descriptions, then meandered a bit then in the second half went downhill quite fast (with segues into time time travel and science). Maybe a good one-time read for children. Could have also benefited from ore illustrations and a better ending.

[Pradhuman Bhati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting reading

[Ganesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good single read book.

Personally I felt more compassion towards Ma Hidimbi than the main characters ghatotkacha and the little boy.