First in the
Taj Mahal Trilogy, this novel explores the love affair of the Mughal Emperor
Salim and his twentieth wife Mehrunnisa who was a refugee from Persia. The book
is about how she eventually became his wife despite coming from a very poor
family. The book is a great read for those who love Phillipa Gregory’s books.
The author has done wonderful justice to that era by providing lucid
descriptions of that Mughal era.
The
description of palaces, cities, towns, clothes, food, rituals and festivals is
overwhelming. Reading descriptions carefully, the India of that era comes alive
vividly before your eyes. You can feel the soft murmur of silk curtains, the
clunking of wine goblets, the heavy scent of jasmine flowers and sandalwood and
incense in the palace rooms, the rough Gulal of Holi, the soft giggles of the
harem ladies as they lounge in the courtyards of the palace, the heat of the
plains and the cool of the heavy monsoons, the jingle of gold, ruby and emerald
jewelry, the dazzle of the diamonds sewn on the royal garments, the soft
sink-your-feet-completely kind of plush carpets.
Insight peeps
like the aroma of the royal kitchens where if a single cook even sneezes, he is
sent out and his dish thrown away and remade from scratch. That’s hilarious
that the emperor of India cannot be given a ‘sneezed at’ food.
The intricate
designs on red sandstone palaces, the vast Agra fort with the Yamuna River next
to it and innumerable sub-palaces inside it housing the Emperor and his Zenana.
This book is indeed a treat for your mind. Let your imagination be guided by
Indu Sundaresan's words.
As for the
story itself, it will keep you engaged too. The political games, power play and
all the family drama happening inside a royal family where everyone is hungry
for power, all of this will hold your interest.
Be careful,
although you will be fascinated by descriptions, well towards the middle of the
second book, you may feel like it is a hard and heavy one. The story seemed to
be getting overwhelmed by the descriptions. It slowed down the pace of the
story. On a safer side, don’t pick the second book immediately. However, both
the books are recommended. For Indian readers, it will make them overwhelmingly
proud to know that an Indian writer has penned down such a fabulous and fine
book with the Indian history in the backdrop. Not so captivating book, but the
title of the book has been twisted for the sake of gaining some popularity in
the heat of Triple Talak argument.
great stuff
ReplyDelete