The Legend of AmrapaliAn enchanting saga buried within the sands of time

Anurag Anand

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This book is awork of fiction

� You can also pre-order your copies online, starting December, 2011

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Beauty is usually a boon - in my case

it turned out to be a bane.

Authority is normally an outcome of

ambition - for me it was a result of survival instinct.

Hi, I am Amrapali, the Nagarvadhu of Vaishali…

And with me, you are about to embark

on a fascinating journey – a journey

into the world I come from.

In the following pages you shall witness glimpses

of a time that is yours as much as it is

mine – your glorious past and my enduring

present. You shall meet characters – imposing

and mystical, who helped chart my ascent to

being one of the most revered women of Aryavart.

Speaks

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Excerpts from the book

The jungle smelled of trampled leaves and moist woods and was clad in adeep eerie silence. Sporadically he could hear faint calls and animal cries at adistance, and more than once he thought he heard the snipping of twigs or ahustle of leaves at uncomfortably close quarters. The scene was chillingenough to cause a seizure in the weaker of hearts, but he continuedunabated. He had bigger fears that needed to be conquered.

He had barely passed the first couple of trees when a sound made him halthis advancing steps. It was a child crying. There was someone other thanhim in the orchard, an intruder. Perhaps some of the from the nearbyhouseholds had found the time to be opportune for stealing some greenmangoes for making pickle. 'What brazen display of audacity! Getting achild along while stealing, these people are not scared of anyone. Wait till Iget my hands on her,' he thought as he tiptoed towards the origin of thesound.

dasis

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Let me begin by introducing myself…

My parentage is unknown. I was found under a mango tree ina garden of Vaishali by Somdutt, a humble farmer, who alongwith his wife fostered me – showering upon me an abundanceof affection that even my real parents would have struggled to

match.

I had not even emerged out of my adolescence when my beautybecame a matter of all round engrossment. My patrons claimed

that my splendor was blinding and my dancing prowessunmatched. Later, as the Nagarvadhu of Vaishali, my exquisitenesswas available for all who could afford its price, to drown their

sorrows and worldly worries in.

But there is much more to my story than just the riches andopulence. What underlines the story of my rise to eminence? Was

the title of Nagarvadhu - in effect a glorified prostitute, amatter of choice for me? In a society that remained heavily

prejudiced against my gender, how did I acquire the means toramshackle the existing hierarchy of power? Did I eventually

manage to savor the sweet taste of revenge or did it continueto remain elusive?

Speaks

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Excerpts from the book

At one end of the playground he spotted a group of boys shouting andcheering over something. He peered over their heads to spot three set ofbodies entangled in a wrestle in a small clearing that the crowd hadencircled. One of them looked vaguely familiar. He immediately rushedtowards the centre, using both his hands to carve a way amid the energeticonlookers and tugged on the hand he thought was his daughter's.

‘History is witness that no king is bigger than his subjects, Maharaj. A reignbuild on thousands of unsuspecting and innocent corpses can never be asuccessful one. We might lose one election, but the people will know whatwe stand for and it will just be a matter of time before Kalki's evil waysbecome known to the other . We will come back to power again,retaining the faith of our people,' the Amatya almost pleaded. He wasworried at the direction the discussion seemed to be heading.

Rajas

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Let us now meet some people who played a pivotal role inshaping my story

– The Legend of Amrapali.

The revered guru of Rajkul - the Gurukul ofthe Kshtriyas. Acharya was the Senapati of Vaishali in his

younger years and later, one of the most regarded teachers inthe whole of Aryavart. It was Guruji to whom I owe myentire knowledge of the subtleties of politics and governance.

The list of my admirers was endless - with nobleprinces and wealthy merchants scampering over each other to

gain my attention and favor. However, the one individual whosetenderness never failed to envelop me and whose presence was

enough to make my heart skip a beat was Pushp – thecharming prince of my world.

Acharya Narhari:

Pushpakumar:

Speaks

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Excerpts from the book

As the little girl winched opened the door, Somdutt felt a gush of smokeescape into the open from the confines of the house. Amrapali was sweatingprofusely and the house smelled of burnt sandalwood and camphor. 'Whathave you been doing?' he exclaimed.

'Baba, guru ji had said that if you do a , the Gods are bound to listento you. I was doing a for mother's well being. She will be alrightnow,' she responded with an accomplished smile of belief.

She could see a bunch of peacocks dawdling in the distance. As if sensing thehuman presence, a flock of nervous parrots emerged from one of the nearbytrees, fluttering away into oblivion. She was still admiring thesynchronization of the flight when a white fluffy rabbit emerged fromnowhere, dashing off to a nearby bush brushing past her toes. The gardenpresented a scene of such immense beauty unlike any she had witnessedbefore and instinctively she burst out into a dance of joy – whirling andspinning to soak in the panorama around her.

havanahavana

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Ballabh:

Prabha:

Bhaichunk, a Xiongnu (Mongolian) warrior who, inVaishali, had been rechristened as Ballabh for the ease of

articulation. A ferocious fighter, the movement of whose swordwielding arm became visible, it was claimed, only after it had

severed the heads of his adversaries. Marred by the limitations oflanguage, he took his orders from none but me. Ballabh and

his five comrades constituted my personal bodyguard unit.

There are some bonds that are forged at the time ofones birth – I had none. And out of the associations that

were formed during my lifetime, one of the most selfless andtreasured ones was that with Prabha – my childhood friend andsoul mate. Her altruistic gallantry and unrelenting support lent a

whole new meaning to the word 'friendship' and but for her,the canvas of my story would have adorned a completely

different shade.

Speaks

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Excerpts from the book

Dressed in white and without the embellishment of other adornments, shepainted a picture of purity and serenity that left the crowd stunned andspeechless. It was as though she in her simplicity was making a statementthat her beauty was imperforate and not subjugated to extraneousornamentation.

The hall was ablaze with light from giant silver candelabras and torches.Rugs gleaming with gold thread covered the floors while the walls were hungwith richly colored brocades decorated with strings of pearls and coloredglass globes. The soothing smell of frankincense from incense burners inwhich golden crystals of resins were smoldering created an aura that no mancould resist. 'Welcome to the of Amrapali, your belovedNagarvadhu,' muttered Amrapali, as with the pre-decided beats of the tabla,Prabha took to the stage.

Mahal

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Manudeva:

Yudhveer:

The illustrious Lichchavi King whose initial years atthe helm marked Vaishali's ascent into a new era – one ofprominence and all round prosperity. Contrastingly in his later

years Manudeva – corrupted by the throes of conceit andarrogance, was also responsible for bringing about widespread

misery and suffering to his populace. A man who was one ofmy most fervent admirers and yet my staunchest adversary.

The Deputy King of Vaishali and a promisingmember of the Lichchavi clan. An able administrator and aworthy being marred only by the unrestrained flight of his

ambitions. Yudhveer was instrumental in bringing about one ofthe most remarkable political coups in the history of Vaishali.

Speaks

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Excerpts from the book

Unperturbed by the developments, the pace of Amrapali's movements wasgradually intensifying as the musicians went hard on their instruments.Prabha had slowly drifted to the background and had made a quiet exit,leaving the entire stage open for Amrapali. Her bhavas changed like themoods of the sea, her eyes communicating with every member of theaudience from under the flickering arch of her brow. If indeed there were

dancing in the heavens, they would surely be laden with pangs ofjealousy at the act a mere mortal was putting up on stage tonight.Apsaras

Within the affluent quarters, especially the wives of those who were regularvisitors to Amrapali's palace and those handful of exceptional men who hadmanaged to refrain from the indulgences, there were hushed whispers aboutthe palace being a center of occult arts. The hypnotic effect of theNagarvadhu's beauty on the men who set their eyes on her was well-knownand it was only convenient to attribute it to powers beyond that of meremortals. The reasoning also helped the women with an excuse to forgivetheir erring husbands and refrain from seeking uncomfortable explanationsfrom them and their own selves. The constant chugging of the palacechimneys and the sightings of untimely entries and exits added furthercredence to these rumors making the palace and its residents somewhatfeared and dreaded as well.

from

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Now that you are familiar with the cast, let me introduce youto the battleground – the glorious land where my saga unfolded…

The Vajji Kingdom (or Kingdom of Vaishali), in 500 B.C. andaround, was one of the sixteen prominent confederacies of the

Indian Subcontinent. It spanned from the Himalayas in the northto the Gandak River to its West, occupying most of the fertile

lands of the Himalayan Gangetic Plains. The axial location of itscapital city, Vaishali, also made it a prominent center for inland

trade. Vaishali has the distinction of being one of the firstrepublics to have a democratically elected government.

The city of Vaishali derives its name from King Vishal whoseheroic deeds are chronicled in the Hindu epic Ramayana. In mytime, the city was a hotbed for religion and learning as well.

The Jain Tirthankar, Lord Mahavir was born in Kuldalgrama, avillage in Vaishali. Lord Buddha too traveled to the city more

than once during his lifetime. He even made a stop at Vaishalion his way to Kusinara, the place of his Mahaparinirvana – the

final deathless state and abandonment of his earthly body.

Speaks

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Excerpts from the book

As they stepped inside they were greeted by a heavy, basal voice pronouncingthe harmonic words of a shloka in a melodious chant. The voice clearlybelonged to the old man who sat in one corner, eyes closed and using histhumb to count the rudraksha beads of a rosary he held between his indexand middle fingers. His attire, like his beard and hair, was white like snowand a mercurial glow seemed to be emanating from his unusually broadforehead. 'Pranam Guruji,' Amrapali said as she went down on her knees totouch the man's feet.

'The chakra of suffering has completed a full circle today - with the tyranthimself being exposed to the agonizing stings of torment. But unlike you, heturned out to be a gutless escapist and succumbed to the inflictions of hisown debauchery. Rejoice my friend, the Nagarvadhu of Vaishali, for thedemon rests slain,' Prabha said, reaching out to embrace her friend.

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I come from a time when we used chariots and horses insteadof the machination you call motor vehicles. We didn't have

gadgets like mobile phones that you today use to communicatewith each other and neither were we blessed with devices like

the television and radio. Also, a man whose name I struggle topronounce had not thought of what you know as 'Facebook',

back then.

So, if you are indeed interested in knowing more about meand my story, you can't call me and neither can you visit my

Facebook profile. The one thing you can do though is grabyour copy of 'The Legend of Amrapali' from your nearest

bookstore and the one thing I can promise you is a story farmore compelling than the glimpses you have already witnessed.

Speaks

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About the Author

Anurag Anand is a Banking Professional from the city of dreams, Mumbai.His passion for writing is an offshoot of one of his favorite pastimes –cuddling up with an interesting book and embarking on a voyage of fantasy,severing all ties with the world around.

His other bestselling titles under the banner of Srishti Publishers include:

Reality Bites: A not to innocent love story, and

The Quest for Nothing: Where love and deceit are on a collision path

Anurag's past works have been widely acclaimed for their realism, cleardefinition of characters and ability to transport readers into the worldconcealed within their pages.

You can reach Anurag through:

www.anuraganand.in

contact@anuraganand.inAnurag Anandanuraganand1978