Jaya

The Mahabharata has the privilege of being the longest epic ever written in the world. Jaya by Devdutt Pattanaik is a fascinating retelling of the Mahabharata with beautiful illustrations. But what sets this book apart from the many other versions of the epic is the seamless way the author has woven tales that are well known with little known variants from regional and folk tales. Originally known as Jaya, The Mahabharata has more than 100,000 2-line stanzas. This enthralling retelling by Devdutt Pattanaik draws its readers into the fascinating tale of the Kuru family, the complications and fights that lead up to the famous 18-day Mahabharata War and its impact. He weaves together well-and-lesser-known folk as well as regional versions of the epic including the Pandavani of Chattisgarh, Gondhal of Maharashtra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu and Yakshagana of Karnataka. The book is written in a 108 chapters and abundant with many little known facts like the names of the hundred Kauravas, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek and the deifying of Draupadi as a goddess in the temples of Tamil Nadu. The author has even tried to date the war with the astronomical data provided in the epic. Devdutt Pattanaik''s Jaya is a book that shows the epic in a new light.