NotionPress presents Hastinapur - A version untold of the epic battle at Kurukshetra

Sept. 16, 2015 - PRLog -- Have you considered the possibility of the Mahabharata being an account of an actual occurrence in history? What if the heroes and the wisdom of the text are stories of real human beings, without supernatural powers, with the victors of the war re-writing history, creating a larger-than-life image of themselves and subsequently being sanctified as divinity? With questionable actions being attributed to ‘Dharma’, the anomaly extends to the protagonists, who just may be an antithesis of their true selves.

What if the version you have grown up believing to be true was actually an indoctrinated fallacy that gained universal acceptance? How would you react if you were told that the virtues of purity and dharma that you revere were nothing more than concepts used to justify evil actions and selfish motives? Could it be that the truth is nothing more than evil camouflaged in honesty? Is it possible for the blurred line between good and evil to become more distinct by questioning the portrayal of reality? Given the quintessential balance in the universe, doesn’t dharma exist in even the darkest souls? Is it not possible that evil can appear dharmic when seen upside down?

The portrayal of the Kauravas in an absolutely negative light reinforces the possibility of a cover-up of the truth. Are the magnanimous acts of the Kauravas purposely misconstrued? Is Suyodhan (Duryodhan) evil or just victimised? Was Shakuni a benevolent brother or an antagonised one? Why did Devavrath and Drona favor the Kauravas?

Hastinapur is one man’s version of the answers to these myriad questions.

Hastinapur is the story of a family of warriors and kings, of brotherhood and of a war. It is the powerful retelling of an ancient but significant story. The mighty canvas of the Mahabharat forms the backdrop of this saga that chronicles the 18-day war in Kurukshetra from far before the war actually unfolds. This book gives us the untold version of the epic battle from the standpoint of the Kauravas and causes us to question the virtues of dharma, good, and evil. It is a revelation of the intricacies of the maternal instinct, laying bare the love of a mother who manipulates circumstances to ensure the protection of her child and secure his future.

However, Hastinapur sheds the hackneyed perspective of the Mahabharat that has held the world riveted thus far. It challenges entrenched points of view regarding the quintessential age-old narrative of good versus evil. It poses compelling questions like were the Kauravas really evil and were the Pandavas really good? It examines plausible alternatives to the truth as we have accepted it and engages us with tantalizing alternatives.

It questions the fundamental nature of valour and honour, it provokes—and above all— combines beguiling simplicity and masterful storytelling to create a story which is an epic unto itself. Exploring the Mahabharat like never before, Hastinapur presents insights that defy our beliefs. Written without divine impregnations and celestial interventions, the book takes us on a journey of revelations and epiphanies.

With great pride, Notion Press brings you Hastinapur, a contemporary take on one of the two greatest Indian epics ever written—an epic we all grew up reading, watching and listening to. Notion press has been the backbone of many authors’ growth by providing them with its unique Author Incubation Program which provides the right platform to get published and sell a number of copies in the market. It has been acknowledged by many as a very helpful tool to showcase their talent in this very challenging field of books and publishing.

We invite you to give yourself a taste of history with a twist—the untold story of the Kuru clan. The book is now available to readers throughout the world.

Gautam served as a cavalry officer in the Indian Army. He has an avid interest in alternative thought and is fascinated with world mythology, religions, and their inherent connection with history.

He is a single parent and the centre of his universe is his daughter Zephorah.

Gautam currently lives in Bangalore. Hastinapur is his first novel.