Showing posts with label Usha Narayanan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Usha Narayanan. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Book Review : Awaken the Durga Within.

Women feel oppressed & suppressed . They are used as doormats & walked over by others .How to overcome so many odds stacked against them ?

Usha Narayanan provides some rare insights to overcome the odds & march on. Her latest offering , Awaken the Durga Within,From Glum to Glam Caged to Carefree  deals with the power inherent in women .Only that this power needs to be rekindled. And Usha Narayanan shows the way or rather ways !

The publisher is Rupa Publications, Delhi.This book has been published in 2018.Its priced at 195 /- only . It has 152 pages. This book is available as an e book as well.

The book has a lovely red front cover which depicts a woman wearing a golden crown with a halo around her head. She is dressed in jeans, a white tee shirt & a red checked shirt as a jacket over her tee shirt. Her hair is free & falls over her shoulders. She wears a bindi .She has ten pairs of hands to depict that she multitasks .She is folding her two hands in namaskara pose. The remaining hands are holding a remote, a cell phone, a laptop, a book, a writing pad, a pen, some ropes or strings & piece of cloth each. The items she is holding are in light blue colour. Her complexion is wheatish in colour . She is wearing white shoes & standing with one leg folded at the knee. This is to convey that she is walking a tightrope. The cover itself, is a tell tale sign of the problems faced by women.

The back cover is red & gives a summary of the book .Usha has written this book as a guide so that women can get whats' due to them.The back cover towards the bottom gives a facial illustration of  Durga with prominent eyes & bindi .The illustration is faint as it almost merges with the background.

The book's printing is good .The book introduces the readers to Usha as an author who has written four books on Indian mythology , a thriller & two books on romance.All her books have been successful. Usha had a rewarding career in advertising& media in the corporate world before she became a successful author. She is a gold medalist with a master's degree in Englsih Literature.


Usha has dedicated the book to her mother who helped her to break free.The book begins with Introduction as the first chapter & ends with Conclusion as the eighth chapter. Introduction states the misgivings a majority of the women have regarding themselves.And the chapter concludes with a story from the Indian mythology about a Goddess. As one reads , the story, the reader is mesmerised by the revealations that the Goddesses are the source of strength .And we as Indian women should take inspiration from them as the Goddess resides in each one of us !

In the next chapters, Usha talks about the three C's ...choice, change & create. She opines that women have to choose , change & create a better world for themselves. She says that women must be assertive not aggressive to get their points across. The change may be stressful initially .And yet after assertiveness is repeated , it becomes second nature & changes & transform us. And as the women are transformed, they create a better world for all !

The uniqueness about this book is that each chapter narrates a story of a female character from the Indian mythology .Some characters are known to us. Some are unfamiliar & yet all are strong female characters who were assertive & stood their ground. They were able to change the tide which were unfathomable even for Gods & the Trinity ! Usha narrates lesser known tales which are  revelations & how ! They unveil traits of the personalities of Goddesses which were never made public ! And Usha connects the mythological tales to the modern day Indian women.

And the suggestions are practical & simple. The author prods us on gently & states that women can take one step at a time. And these steps will add up to giant strides .And these strides will lead to scintillating  metamorphosis !!!!

The author says that Indian Goddesses have shown us the paths on which the Indian women need to embark to affirm themselves .And when women do that , they make this world a much better place .Because as the author rightly opines, a happy person ( more so a happy woman ) reflects her inner happiness on to the world converting the globe into  paradise !

A must read for girls as also women. Men can read it too & get insights into how they can assist their women & change for the better ! The title of the book " Awaken the Durga Within" is embossed in Gold on the cover of the book.  Likewise, the book is worth its weight in gold ! 

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Book Review : Kartikeya & his battle with the soul stealer.

Kartikeya is very much in news today for obvious reasons. And to read this book meant discovering so many tales surrounding Muruga s he is popularly known in the south.I had only seen people going to Palani & Sabarimala .I had no idea about the folk lore or even a story relating to Karthikeya except that he came second to Ganapati circumvating around the world.

This story of Kartikeya by Penguin Books starts with the enmity between asuras & devas. Asuras take great pains to perform severe austerities & get granted  boons from the trimurtis. And then asuras begin  their mayhem. One such asura is Surapadma. He is so strong that all gods fear him .And they want him to be annihilated. And yet , Surapadma's boons seem to have made him invincible . Is there any salvation for the gods ?

On a hill, there is small child .He has no idea how he came there. He is pining for some care. He is cared for by the wild beasts & how ? Yet, he longs for someone like him ,to care for him. Who is he ? He is strange. And brave too. And his compassion makes him the favourite of one & all ,as time goes by. And then ,his parents come to claim him. Does he go with them ? And he has many sets of parents ?

As Harihara putra  grows up, he engages ,the mighty Taraka in a fight .Yet, before that , he ponders if fighting is the only way to get rid of Taraka . His doubts are cleared & he emerges victorious ! Skanda says that he would rather remain unattached & yet he cannot take his eyes off Indra's daughter soon after. Does he get hooked ? The author makes  the characters so human like that this book gets very  interesting !

And then ,he decides to go seek his destiny ? What happens next ? The wait gets long for his parents & others. And then , he has to be reminded of his duty. Yet, nobody is sure ,if he can do his duty in such a way that Surapadma will no longer trouble earth or its inhabitants. Does Muruga have the courage & skills to defeat Surapadma ? Skanda thinks he is overconfident or is he ? Does he achieve what all he is destined  to ?

The author , Usha Narayanan, has weaved so many tales into this book  giving cross references about how all the tales are interlinked .This makes the tale complete ! She makes the characters stand out ,with their vulnerabilities ,which makes them so real & believable !

The author describes the beauty & the valour of the characters in magnificient ways .Even the scenarios of forests & palaces are vividly described ,so much so, that they come alive !

Readers would surely read mythology if books are written in such an interesting manner . And this can come about ,only ,when someone has done painstaking  research .Perhaps, Sabarimala row would have never arisen, if the parties to the row, had ever read about the Shivaputra !

Monday, February 26, 2018

Book Review :Prem Purana


This book is a delightful read of love stories. The tales are of love amongst Gods & Godesses, among Rakshasas & among Rajas & apsaras.The stories narrate the longing & the passion in a subtle manner without sounding lustful.And these stories describe how love can strengthen the relationships & make the couples stronger !

 There are three stories. One is about Ganpati & his three wives. Ganpati takes on different forms to win over each of his wives & how ! This makes for very interesting reading. Gods may have it all ,we think .And yet, it is not so. Hence Ganpati has to work hard for winning over each of his brides & that too in various  ways.

Next, is the tale of Ravana & Mandodari.Ravana had many wives & yet, Mandodari was special to him as Ravana was to her. Despite his passionate love for Mandodari, why does Ravana abduct Sita ? And though Mandodari urges him to return Sita to Rama, he refuses & goes ahead with war .Had Ravana outgrown his love for Mandodari ? And the war destroys Ravana's family & yet, he refuses to see the writing on the wall.Why ? What are the reasons or is it because, Ravana is too arrogant ?

The last story is about Nala & Damayanti .Their love story faces too many obstacles. And when they feel that they have settled into a world of pure bliss, misfortune strikes again & the two are separated.Are they united again ? Who is at fault ..Nala or Damayanti or maybe both ? And what about their children ? Do they end up losing everything ?

The tales are told in such  a manner, that one is mesmerised by the descriptions, be it the beauty of the female characters , the handsomeness of the male characters, the blooming scenes in the garden, magnificence of the places et al. All these things make them come alive !

A superb read !
Blog Tour by The Book Club of PREM PURANA by Usha Narayanan


PREM PURANA:
MYTHOLOGICAL LOVE STORIES
by
Usha Narayanan

Blog Tour by The Book Club of PREM PURANA by Usha Narayanan


BLURB

Stories of love and extraordinary devotion 

No one is untouched by love, not even devas and asuras, kings and nymphs. And when they face life’s unexpected tribulations, their love also undergoes trials. Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love, Mandodari and how Nala and Damayanti’s relationship was tested till almost nothing remained. 

Tormented by passion, wracked by betrayal, torn by the agony of separation, love in its many splendored forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories of Prem Purana. 

READ AN EXCERPT
Ganesha stood with Brahma’s daughter Siddhi on the sacred soil of Kailasa, offering worship to the linga that Parvati had installed. He glanced at his companion’s proud face, knowing that he had embarked on a rough path in attempting to win her over. For now, however, he had to focus on his confrontation with Parasurama whom Shiva had blessed with his great axe.
Siddhi watched from a safe distance as Ganesha bowed to the warrior and requested him to wait until Shiva granted him permission to enter. But Parasurama angrily pushed him aside and strode towards the cave. Ganesha intercepted him, causing the angry warrior to raise his axe to threaten him.
Finding that his antagonist would not listen to mere words, Shiva’s son extended his trunk by many lengths and wound it around Parasurama 100 times. He then raised the warrior into the skies so that he could see the seven mountains, the seven oceans and the seven islands of the earth below him. Then he whirled him around and showed him all the lokas including Vaikunta, where Lord Vishnu presided on his lotus throne with Devi Lakshmi. With his yogic power, Shiva’s son granted Parasurama a vision of Goloka, the purest of realms, where blue-hued Krishna resided with Radha and his gopis.
After showing Parasurama how insignificant he was when compared to the primordial universe spanning endless time and space, Gajamukha dropped him gently on the ground outside Shiva’s cave. He smiled at Siddhi who stood dazed, clinging to a tree for support, as she too had been granted the supernal vision by Ganesha’s grace. She realized now that her cheerful friend was called Vakratunda not because of his crooked trunk, but because he was the one who straightened out the crooked.
Parasurama recovered from his stupor and saw that he was lying on the ground at Ganesha’s feet. Incensed by this humiliation, he sprang to his feet and took up his mighty axe. The parasu hurtled towards Ganesha with a deafening roar. Siddhi trembled, certain that her friend would not survive the dire power of his father’s weapon.
Strangely enough, Gajamukha made no attempt to counter Parasurama’s axe. Instead, he joined his hands in worship to the parasu and stood calmly as if reconciled to his death.
Siddhi heard a horrific crack as the parasu struck one of Ganesha’s tusks and severed it completely. It fell to the ground with a crash, smeared in blood, looking like a crystal mountain covered in red chalk. Shiva rushed out of the cave, followed by Parvati, who turned into fiery Durga when she saw that her son had been wounded. She discerned what had happened and raged at the warrior who stood before her with the axe that had returned to his hand.
‘O Parasurama!’ she said. ‘You may be learned and wise and the son of a great sage, yet you have allowed wrath to overcome you. You received your parasu from your guru, Shiva, but abused your gift by using it to wound his son. Ganesha, on the other hand, allowed the axe to sever his tusk due to his respect for his father’s weapon. What next will you do, Parasurama? Will you assail mighty Shiva himself? Presumptuous warrior! I curse you this day that though you are an avatara of my beloved Vishnu, no one on earth or heaven will ever worship you!’
Parasurama cowered before the angry goddess whose fury grew by the moment. ‘It is only due to Ganesha’s forbearance that you are still alive, for he can kill a hundred thousand Parasuramas in the blink of an eye,’ she said. ‘But I am unwilling to be so tolerant and will end your life today!’
Durga rushed towards him, with her trident aimed at his head. Parasurama stood unarmed and unresisting. He closed his eyes, joined his hands together and surrendered to Krishna.
‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!’ Parasurama chanted, invoking his god with his last breath.
At once, Krishna appeared before him, lustrous and omnipotent, granting him protection with one raised hand. Durga stopped mid-stride and gazed at Krishna. Her wrath vanished, dissolving like mist in the light of the sun. A beatific smile adorned her face. She offered him a reverential welcome along with Shiva.
Krishna addressed them gently, a calm smile on his face. ‘I have come here to rescue my devotee,’ he said. ‘Though Parasurama has committed a grievous sin, I request you to forgive him, Parvati. He is your son too, for you are the divine mother, the refuge of all creation. As for you, Parasurama, you have to undertake a severe tapasya to attain forgiveness. Worship the Devi who animates the three realms in the form of the gentle Gauri and the fierce Durga. Seek the blessings of Ganesha who is now Ekadanta, the lord with one tusk.’
Having offered his counsel, the lord returned to Goloka. Parasurama prostrated himself before the gods and laid his axe at Ganesha’s feet in tribute. He then retreated to a distant mountain to begin his worship. Parvati took her son into her mansion, to coddle him after his fierce encounter.  

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About the Author



Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. Her bestselling novels span multiple genres: ‘The Madras Mangler’, a suspense thriller; ‘Love, Lies and Layoffs’ (Harlequin) and ’Doctor Stalker Spy’ (Juggernaut), lighthearted romances; ‘Pradyumna: Son of Krishna’, ‘The Secret of God’s Son’ and her latest ‘Prem Purana’ (all from Penguin) that have been praised as ‘Indian mythology at its fiercest and finest.’ Two new books are in the offing. When she is not travelling, writing or editing, Usha reads everything from thrillers and romances to the puranas.

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...


Praise for Usha’s books:

'Like the best of our mythological tales, Pradyumna: Son of Krishna too is a multilayered one...There is valour, there is cowardice, there is glory, there is shame, there is sex, lies and deception.’

The Secret of God’s Son is a compelling read on mythological tales.’ – The Sentinel


Prem Purana is so good! I am impressed at how Usha can write about Ganesha with so much personality while at the same time showing him as a cosmic divine being. ’ Dr Laura Gibbs, Professor, Indian Epics, University of Oklahoma 


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Sunday, December 3, 2017

Book Blitz : Prem Purana


Book Blitz by The Book Club of PREM PURANA by Usha Narayanan


Book Blitz by The Book Club of PREM PURANA by Usha Narayanan


Print Length: 272 pages
Publisher: Penguin Random House India 
Publication Date: September 18, 2017
Language: English
Genre: Romance 



No one is untouched by love, not even devas and asuras, kings and nymphs. And when they face life’s unexpected tribulations, their love also undergoes trials. Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love, Mandodari and how Nala and Damayanti’s relationship was tested till almost nothing remained.

Tormented by passion, wracked by betrayal, torn by the agony of separation, love in its many splendored forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories of Prem Purana.


It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, media and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. She has written several books, including 'The Madras Mangler', a suspense thriller, and 'Love,Lies and Layoffs', a Harlequin romcom. Her latest is 'The Secret of God’s Son', the sequel to her bestselling book,'Pradyumna: Son of Krishna', both published by Penguin.

When she’s not juggling travelling, writing and interviews, Usha reads everything from thrillers to romances, provided her cat isn’t fast asleep on her Kindle. 

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @
      
        

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Saturday, September 17, 2016

Book Review : The Secret of God's Son

This is the tale of the son of Rukmini & Krishna, Pradyumna. Pradyumna is lost. He spent his childhood among the asuras & then realised, that he is Krishna's son. He is valiant & kind. He is torn by the prophecies that he has dreamt & heard. He is afraid of Gandhari's curse .Will it come true ? Will the Yadavas kill each other ? What will happen to Dwaraka & most important to Krishna ? Though , he is brave, yet Pradyumna is confused about his path.Is his path the right one or the wrong one ? And when one has dreaded enemies in the family itself, hell bent on destroying the family &  the clan , what are the chances of anything good happening ?

Pradyumna , does the impossible .Yet, is Gandhari pleased ? Does she take back her curse ? Can any curse be rolled back ? Pradyumna has just one guide ,his father Krishna.He follows his father's instructions .He meets Shiva & Ganpati. Yet, he finds, he has to put faith in himself & his near & dear ones to fight Kali,the demon. .Can Pradyumna do that ? And, will he be able to do that in time, before the demon ,Kali annihilates, all that is good .Pradyuman is assisted by Maya.Do Maya & Praduymna stay together ? Or do they part & why ?

The Secret of God's Son begins  the story where Mahabharata ends.And what a tale it is. A tale of a son who is pained to learn about the curse of Gandhari. He goes all out, to lessen the effects of the curse. And yet, does  success embrace him ? He is assisted by Maya & many others.The tale emphasises the contribution of women in raising hopes, when surrounded by  hopelessness.It states that if women are disrespected then prosperity deserts such a society. And injustice rules. An empowering read about women ! A must read, to understand what happened after the epic battle of Mahabharata .



THE SECRET OF GOD'S SON
by
Usha Narayanan




Blurb

‘The seas will devour the glorious city of Dwaraka. People will forget your name and your Gita. May the world perish! May the world perish!’

With this cruel curse on Krishna, Queen Gandhari plunges mankind into the unspeakable evil of the Kali Yuga. 

It is up to Pradyumna to try and reverse the dire prediction. To journey into terrifying realms, confront Yama and Shiva, and to vanquish the Kali demon. In order to do so, he must shed all that holds a mortal back—his arrogance, his fears, his baser instincts… He must lead his people out of the swirling vortex of greed, disease and misery. And there is one powerful weapon still…the secret surrounding Pradyumna’s origin.  

Will he uncover it in time to fight off the cataclysm? 

In the answer lies the destiny of all humanity! 


Grab your copy @

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About the author


USHA NARAYANAN

Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time writer. She is the author of The Madras Mangler, a suspense thriller, and Love, Lies and Layoffs, a light-hearted office romance. The Secret of God’s Son is the sequel to her bestselling book, Pradyumna: Son of Krishna, which was published in July 2015. 

When she’s not juggling travel, writing and interviews, Usha reads everything from thrillers to romances, provided her cat isn’t fast asleep on her Kindle. She would love to hear from her readers here: author@ushanarayanan.com 

You can stalk her @


Website | Facebook | Twitter 

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Media mentions

Praise for Pradyumna: Son of Krishna

Usha Narayanan has taken a quantum leap . . . to the outright spine-tingling narrative from the leaves of a time before. This book is Indian writing coming of age" Femina

"Like the best of our mythological tales, this too, is a multilayered one . . .There is valour, there is cowardice, there is glory, there is shame, there is sex, lies and deception" The Hindu

"This engrossing tale takes readers on a mythological saga" Times of India


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Monday, July 4, 2016

Book Blitz : The Secret of God's Son


BOOK BLITZ

THE SECRET OF GOD'S SON
by
Usha Narayanan




Blurb

'The seas will devour the glorious city of Dwaraka. People will forget your name and your Gita!


May the world perish!
May the world perish!'

With this cruel curse on Krishna, Queen Gandhari plunges mankind into the unspeakable evil of the Kali Yuga.

It is up to Pradyumna to try and reverse the dire prediction. To journey into terrifying realms, confront Yama and Shiva, and to vanquish the Kali demon. And to do so, he must shed all that holds a mortal back-his arrogance, his fears, his baser instincts . . . He must lead his people out of the swirling vortex of greed, disease and misery.

And there is one powerful weapon still -- the secret surrounding his origin. Will he uncover it in time to fight off the cataclysm? In the answer lies the destiny of all humanity!


Grab your copy @


About the author


USHA NARAYANAN

Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time writer. She is the author of The Madras Mangler, a suspense thriller, and Love, Lies and Layoffs, a light-hearted office romance. The Secret of God’s Son is the sequel to her bestselling book, Pradyumna: Son of Krishna, which was published in July 2015. 

When she’s not juggling travel, writing and interviews, Usha reads everything from thrillers to romances, provided her cat isn’t fast asleep on her Kindle. She would love to hear from her readers here: author@ushanarayanan.com 

You can stalk her @


Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Media mentions

Praise for Pradyumna: Son of Krishna

Usha Narayanan has taken a quantum leap . . . to the outright spine-tingling narrative from the leaves of a time before. This book is Indian writing coming of age" Femina

"Like the best of our mythological tales, this too, is a multilayered one . . .There is valour, there is cowardice, there is glory, there is shame, there is sex, lies and deception" The Hindu

"This engrossing tale takes readers on a mythological saga" Times of India


This Tour is Hosted by 



We Promote So That You Can Write 

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Book Review :The Madras Mangler

Usha Narayanan spins a thriller in her debut novel "The Madras Mangler ".Usha Narayanan is a jack of many trades.She was an English Teacher, creative director in advertising agencies,jingle writer,web editor,journalist,green volunteer ,head of copy right publishing in e publishing,etal.She has completed Masters in English Literature with a  gold medal.She has a diploma in creative writing from the Hawaii University as well.

The cover of her thriller shows a girl's face with hair  scattered all around.The eyes are closed .The cover is in black & white .Just like the snaps of old times before colour photographs became a rage.The title of the novel is printed in red towards the top of the cover.The bottom of the cover states the name of the author in white. The back cover of the book is greenish grey with a synposis of the novel towards the upper end.The back cover has faint images of a beaded necklace & some more scattered hair.

The printer is Jufic books.Paper quality is good.Chapters are short in length.There are fifty five chapters in the book of 280 pages.The author thanks all the people who made her debut novel a reality in Acknowledgements.There is a Prologue to the story, which sets the tone.

This is a story full of action & thrills.It is sets in a college in Chennai. Girls go missing from colleges.This is a tale of five girls.....Deepika,Kat, Lolita,Minx,Moti  studying at SS Padmaja College,Chennai.One of the five girls goes missing.No leads are available.

The deputy commissioner Reddy is eager to mingle with the press. Reddy expects girls to remain indoors so that they will remain unharmed. Vir,the NRI criminologist has a scientific approach to the missing girls problem.His Indian batchmate Bishnu has set up an enviable state of the art technology office for detection.Reddy is unimpressed & keeps shooting his mouth off.The girls have to fight on so many fronts....their parents,hooligans at the college,the khap like dictats of Reddy ,etc.

As the bodies of missing girls are found ,the city gets scared.There is a serial killer on the loose.Why is he targeting girls ? Why does he disfigure the girls ? The bodies are battered & barely recognisable.

Who is the killer ? Why has he started killing girls ? Is he trying to break some record in killing ? Do Reddy & police team unamsk the killer ? What about Vir & Bishnu  ? Are they able to rescue girls from the menace of the killer ?

The story is fast paced.It is so much rooted in the current scenario in our nation where girls & women fear for their safety in their homes & even outside.Molestation,ragging,rapes,eve teasing are so common place .It has humour too. Kat opines  that her mom thinks of the boys available for marriage is like a clearance sale ! Kat sarcastic remarks to boys about their evolution ( if any ).Girls like  the college for  freedom from their prying parents,possessive fiances & others gundas.Yet in college ,they encounter hooligans pretending to study,Principal making rules for the supposed safety of girls,etc.

The language is good.A glossary at the end of the book explains the Indian terms used in the novel.At a price of RS 195 /- this book is worth every page !

The author writes from the perspective of the woman .Her narrative makes it  very interesting & immensely readable.

I am thankful to Storizen for making this book available to me for review.


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