The Shambala Sutras by Aurijit Ganguli: Book Review

Let’s get straight into the topic, briefly, before we begin getting into the details while doing a book review of The Shambala Sutras by Aurijit Ganguli. The very debut novel of Mr Ganguli, The Shambala Sutras, is the book which tells you the story that revolves largely around the secrets of Shambala, a magical place (rather Kingdom) somewhere on the high snowy peaks of the great Himalayan range… in Tibet as the legends tell. Many ancient scriptures talk about this mythical place among which, the novel tells, the Kalachakra Tantra is prominent. The kingdom has connections with Hinduism, Buddhism and also some conspiracy theories suggest that Hitler and the USA tried finding the kingdom for their political and power goals… quite a history about the place!

Literary Background: Opinions

If we closely observe then we will notice that the Indian English Literature is going through a transformation, setting a new tread, a trend of retelling Indian history or the retelling of prominent places or characters from the rich history of ancient India. The aforesaid trend is spreading like a wildfire. For instance, Shiva Trilogy and Ramchandra Series by Amish; Chanakya Chant, The Vault of Vishnu, The Krishna Key of Ashwin Sanghi; Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of Ramayana,  Hindu Trinity Series of Devdutt Pattanaik, Asura: Tale of the Vanquished (read Asura book review) by Ananda Nilakantan; Palace of Illusion by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and many more. Certainly, it is a great thing that Indian authors are doing – expounding the unexplored or rarely explored angles of the ancient texts through their novels. Nonetheless while doing so, many authors wrongly present, or I should say manipulate the original facts, and depict distorted versions of the history in the name fictional freedom and based on their individual experience or interpretation. This should not be done! It is like a poison which will slowly kill the ORIGINALS and ORIGINALITY. I believe that the authors should strictly avoid doing this destruction to the great history of the country in name of destructing it. It is a serious responsibility, of showing the truth to the readers in an easy to understand manner, which authors carry on their shoulder and they should do it genuinely. However, there are some authors who are sincerely putting efforts in order to reiterate the history and mixing it well with a fictional tale. And one of them is Aurijit Ganguli.

Back to The Shambala Sutras:

Though it is the first work of the author, I must say that The Shambala Sutras has found a permanent place on my bookshelf. The book is a perfect amalgamation of mythology, spirituality, history and mystery. The author has beautifully combined all the elements, without tempering the facts and manipulating the history. The Shambala Sutras solves the purposes simultaneously for the readers – it portrays the history of Shambala Kingdom; it entertains and enthrals you with an amazing tale, far beyond the normal or regular stuff which you usually read and it enlightens by providing Sutras for Happy, Healthy and Peaceful Life.

The plot of the novel revolves around the two central characters – Lisa (a chef) and Arjun (a botanist) who come to India on a mission of finding out Sanjeevani Booti, the mentions of which are there in the great Indian epic Ramayana. However, their findings on the mission change the entire course of their research and lead them to Shambala. In between, there are a number of interesting twists and revelations which keep the readers astonished all the way.

Aurijit has done a wonderful job in his debut work and for I congratulate him for such an awe-inspiring story. The pace, the momentum, the language,  the narrative… all are maintained throughout the novel in such a way that all these together keep the readers intrigued to every line, every page, every chapter of the book and make their Shambala experience delightful. Moreover, as far as the relevance of the book in the present context is concerned, the book contains inspiring messages which assist the readers in leading content and peaceful life, which has become the topmost priority in this mechanical world.

So, if you want to know how Arjun and Lisa do discover the route of the place? Is there someone who guides them? Will they come back to their home or get lost in the peaks of Himalaya? What are the Sutras the book offer? Read Shambala Sutra. The book is for everyone including the readers who do have immense interest in Mythology. And do remember to share the novel with others who might be interested in this one… all the best! You can download your Kindle copy from Amazon link below or just order a physical copy to get your hands on this debut wonder by Aurijit!

Buy the novel from Amazon India – click here 

Review by a contributor for The Last Critic