AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "MYTHIC RETELLING AT ITS BEST." (R. F. Kuang, author of Yellowface) • A 2023 IGNYTE AWARD FINALIST • A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK “With a graceful, measured elegance” (New York Times), this lyrical novel reimagines the life of the infamous queen from the ancient epic the Ramayana, giving voice to an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me. So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. But as the evil from her childhood tales threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak—and what legacy she intends to leave behind. PRAISE FOR KAIKEYI "Patel resets the balance of power, creating an unforgettable heroine who understands that it isn’t necessarily kings or gods who change history." –Washington Post "Easily earns its place on shelves alongside Madeline Miller’s Circe." –Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Utterly captivating from start to finish." ―Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch’s Heart "Brave, compassionate and powerful." ―Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne "A lyrical and evocative retelling, full of power and grace." ―Ava Reid, author of Juniper & Thorn "Compulsively readable and infinitely compassionate." ―Roshani Chokshi, author of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride "A thought-provoking, nuanced new look at one of humanity’s most foundational stories." —Shannon Chakraborty, author of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi

When a six year old girl Kaikeyi gets nurtured by a babysitter after her father left her after getting married because of his transfer,she grow up without anyone’s love. While studying engineering in Lucknow University,she encounters a handsome boy who has no goals in his life but the political background and she gradually starts seeing him with no strings attached kinda relationsip.The days pass by and that boy joins the political party coincidentally led by his own beloved uncle.Meanwhile Kaikeyi gets placed in decent IT company in Mumbai. While working passionately as a IT worker in Mumbai, Kaikeyi bumps onto a guy who is a writer and film critic following his passion of filmmaking,quite positive about his life.The circumstances made Kaikeyi to fall in love with him though she doesn’t believe in love. After getting the producer for his film the guy proposes Kaikeyi for a marriage as he believes in eternal love and wants to settle down. But Kaikeyi rejects it, the altercation happens and both falls apart.Meantime Kaikeyi gets promoted as a senior software engineer and moves to Delhi . Kaikeyi’s life changes drastically with unexpecting twists and turns after the guy name Anshul joins her company as a relationship manager which makes her realize what the Love is.

This revision reflects recent developments and events in India. In particular, a new Part has been added entitled "The Meeting of East and West in India" which contains a new chapter on Mahatma Gandhi. There is also a new chapter on the position of women in Hinduism. In addition to the added chapters, the entire book has been rewritten with many new illustrations and maps. This book provides a comprehensive survey of the Hindu tradition, dealing with the history of Hinduism, the sacred writings of the Hindus, the Hindu worldview, and the specifics of the major branches of Hinduism--Vaisnavism, S aivism, and S aktism. It also focuses on the geographical ties of Hinduism with the land of India, the social order created by Hinduism, and the various systems of Hindu thought. Klostermaier describes the new development of Hinduism in the 19th and 20th centuries, including present-day political Hinduism and the efforts to turn Hinduism into a modern-world religion. A unique feature of this book is its treatment of Hinduism in a topical fashion, rather than by chronological description of the development of Hinduism or by summary of the literature. The complexities of Hindu life and thought are thus made real to the reader. Hindus will recognize it as their own tradition.

The absence of earthly logic in the popular versions of Rama-Katha and especially the absence of human rationality in the plot construction of Ramcharitamanas provoked me to a great extent. All the background events which caused the birth of Rama, were of little interest to me, as they were not the experience of our daily life and hence offered little possibility of any rational explanations. My aim, in any case was not to provide any reasoning as to why the ?avatar? took place, but to oppose injustice. The opposition to injustice, in the Rama- Katha begins in the Sidhashrama of Vishwamitra. However this entire episode related to Vishwamitra is quite mushy in the popular versions of Rama-Katha. What were the rakshasas doing near Sidhashrama? What shapes did their atrocities take away kill him? Was Vishwarhitra capable of handling rakshasas on his own? If yes, why did he not do so? Why did he choose Rama and none but him to slay the rakshasas? Against what backdrop of events did Rama agree to help Vishwamitra? What was the nature of the qualifications that Rama possessed to carry out the entrusted task?

Whether the story of the Raamaayana had really happened or it is a creation of the human imagination is difficult to argue. But the story is unusual (and at the same time, beautifully) structured- original in content and with remarkable characters and stunning events- that it is more likely that it is all a fact and not fabricated fiction. Mixed with divine and human elements, the story has had an irresistible appeal from time immemorial. The oldest and most complex version of The Raamaayana is by Sage Vaalmeeki. Legend has it God Brahma himself had ordained that Vaalmeeki should write the Raamaayan and the gist of the story was narrated to Vaalmeeki by Sage Naarada. It is amazing how from a brief narration, Vaalmeeki could fill i all the details to compose a monumental epic of about 22,000 verses. It shows the power of Vaalmeeki's vision.