Demons of Chitrakut

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PLEASE READ THE INDIAN EDITIONS INSTEAD - Rated
f you are reading my Ramayana series, then I gently urge and request you to please not buy the UK or US editions, even if they're available at bargain prices. Which they probably are, since the publishers there have more or less put the books out of print, due to a lack of interest by non-Indian readers.

The Indian editions are the definitive editions of my work, containing a lengthy Introduction by me titled 'Retelling the Ramayana', which provides an essential perspective on the work, the final versions of all the books--including some small but significant changes, particularly in some book endings--no glossary, thank God, and are generally the best-edited, designed and published versions, in my opinion at least. In short, they're the Author's Preferred Edition, particularly the new hardcover omnibus editions, which represent the story in the way I had originally intended and are truly sumptuous to hold (and behold). Also, significantly, they aren't packaged as 'Fantasy' or 'SF' like the firang ones, which is a ridiculously transparent attempt at cashing in on the commercial success of the fantasy genre a la LoTR and Harry Potter. Please, people, my Ramayana series is a retelling of an epic, and that's exactly what it should be called, 'Epic'. I'd venture to call it 'Itihasa', but even Mythology, which is the label Penguin uses for the books here in India, is acceptable. But certainly not Fantasy as in one of the ubiquitous Tolkien rip-offs that are churned out in droves by western publishers, or even SF, both genres that can sometimes be wonderful in their own right, but are totally inappropriate in the context of an epic that pre-dates Tolkien by some thousands of years, and the entire tradition of western literature as well!

Frankly, I feel so strongly about this that I'd even go so far as to say, if you can't get the Indian editions, then don't read the books! That's why I'm currently in the process of re-acquiring the rights to the US and UK editions and they will soon be out of print everywhere but India. Which is how it ought to be: this is a quintessentially Indian story, written by a contemporary Indian for other contemporary Indians to read. And the Indian editions are really the only way to go.

Ashok K. Banker
www.ashokbanker.com

incredible retelling - Rated
This is the third part of Ashok Banker's innovative retelling of the Ramayana series. I'm pleased to tell you that I bought the first copy in pondicherry, from Focus bookstore, and I must tell you- the third book is even better!!!

I loved the way Rama and Sita are portrayed as ordinary individuals, who are in love with each other. Each character is unique and hence, stands out- the devious Manthara, serving the dark lord Ravana, and manipulating Kaikeyi; the helpless Dasaratha, who is forced to send Rama to the forest; the wise Vibhishana, who hopes to create a righteous Lanka; Ravana, who is trapped inside a rock, powerless; the girlish yet forthright queen Sumitra;the vulture king Jatayu, who comes to Rama's aid- I could go on and on....

The scene where Rama tells Sita that he has been exiled is one of the defining moments of the book. Their exile in Dandaka van is very realistic. We observe Rama mature into a great persona, who follows his dharma steadfastly, no matter what the obstacles may be...

Some of the scenes which stand out are: the confrontation between Manthara and Kausalya, the entire Surpanakha episode, the meeting between Rama and Bharata etc... The story ends on a tantalising note with Rama, Lakshmana and Sita aided by a ragged band of bandits, fighting a 14,000 strong army of rakshasas determined to finish them once and for all...

Banker has the enviable ability to slip into the "skin" of the character, and it shows. The end result is truly a masterpiece. I feel that ashok banker's Ramayana series will achieve the same exalted status that Valmiki's Ramayana in Sanskrit, Kamban's Tamil version, Sant Tulsidas's Ramacharitamanas in Hindi, Ezhuthachan's Malayalam version, and lots of other Ramayanas retold by literary geniuses in their own vernaculars were able to attain... Truly an epic!!!! This book gets a 9.5 on 10....

Great book! - Rated
I am currently re-re-reading Demons of Chitrakut by Ashok K Banker and wanted to post this review of the same. Well I actually read Ashok’s Ramayana series over and over again, sometimes just a few chapters here and there or some incident or some interesting story of some character…because the books are really good and are so different from other re-tellings of the Ramayana and one would have never read the Ramayana in this style ever before and ofcourse the Ramayana itself is such a timeless and wonderful epic.

Like the previous two books, this one does not fail to hold you captive! Infact for once being held captive is a nice idea. You just don’t want this book to get over!

This 3rd book resumes immediately where Siege of Mithila left us…at the very exciting attack of the demons. The book goes on to describe Rama’s wedding with Sita and the interaction between Rama and Parashurama (one of my favourites).

This is the book in which Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are sent into exile thanks to the manipulated Kaikeyi’s demands of the two boons that were promised to her by Dasaratha. Manthara’s evil ways are finally revealed and she is banished from the Kingdom. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana go to Dandaka-van and a broken hearted Maharaja Dasaratha passes away with Rama’s name on his lips. We then read about Rama’s adventures in the forests with Guha, chief of the hunters and his meeting with Sabari, the tribal woman. It is after her that the Ayyappa temple hill is named Sabarimala in Kerala, and incidently after which I am named!

Rama, Sita and Lakshmana finally settle down at the beautiful and calm Chitrakut hill for their long fourteen year exile, but its not all peace and quiet…

Ashok takes the liberty of adding scenes and incidents to his re-telling (for that is what it is - a re-telling and not a translation), and he does so in a way that supports the central story and he manages to add a lot of background details and descriptions that literally let the reader experience the Ramayana, in Ashok’s own special, wonderful way.

It really sets the mood for further books of the series and is one of my favourite books in the series. A very action packed book with lots of interesting incidents and a definite must read and must have book.

A great re-telling - just read it - Rated
I haven't read any of the Ramayana stories in many, many years and the last time I read them was in comic-strip form about 15 years ago.

I just got done reading book two of the series (someone borrowed book 1 from me before I could really get into it). It's written in a very LOTR-esque style which makes it hard to put down. Yet I found that I was able to enjoy book 2 without having the first book (that may be because I know the basic characters of the story even though I don't remember specific incidents).

The pace of the story was fast, the descriptions detailed and colorful, and the characters fleshed out. Seeing the protagonist Rama as a man and not an outright demi-god added a connection that made me want to follow the progress of events.

I'm dying to read through all four books. Mr. Banker has made this epic not just palatable but very appealing to those not brought up hearing it from their grandparents.

To those who don't know what to expect, my suggestion is, just read the book and you'll see for yourself. When it comes to something so original, no amount of listening to other people's opinions ever does justice. Thi sis a great story, brilliantly retold. Don't believe anyone who says otehrwise.

Fairytale for entertainment - Rated
I have reviewed Prince of Ayodhya too, which is arguably the most readable in the series (have not read Armies of Hanuman yet). I am an avid reader of fantasy, and myth too, this fails to impress as either. In terms of fantasy, perhaps it scores better but fantasy has never claimed to do anything more than entertain, and good fantasy writers tend to go low on sentiment. As far as myth goes, i find this simply intolerable. I mean only because you know it is Ramayan based you think it is, change the names of the characters and it is not the Ramayan no matter how hard you try. I get the idea of interpreting epics to modern life but not to this extent, where you cannot recognize the original characters at all and you lose the archetypal beauty and spiritual essence. For readers who read for entertainment, do go on, it may be worth your while. But if you really want to understand the original epic or you are seeking to understand it at a deeper level, just toss this aside and focus on the original story from an archetypal standpoint,without moralistic judgements or modern life interpretations. It is great in itself and will reveal itself to you with time and patience.