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Tunnel of Varanavat: Mahabharata Reimagined
Badri, chief miner of the Kuru empire and a soldier with a dark past, has given up the glamorous life of a Kshatriya and lives like an ordinary citizen, hiding in the intricate mesh of tunnels he has created for the protection of the royals. But when Prince Duryodhan hatches yet another conspiracy to kill the Pandavs, this time by burning them in Purochan’s house of lak at Varanavat, it is only Badri who can save them. On this mission, he has to deal with treacherous cannibals, rebel leader Janaki and mercenary Durjan. He also needs to rekindle love with soldier-soulmate Urvashi and fight his biggest enemy Vishnu. At the same time he must conquer the demons within. Will he succeed in saving the Pandavs—and himself?
Set in the mystical world of the Mahabharata, Tunnel of Varanavat explores the physical and spiritual transformation of a reluctant warrior.
Set in the mystical world of the Mahabharata, Tunnel of Varanavat explores the physical and spiritual transformation of a reluctant warrior.
306 pages, Paperback
Published February 20, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 17, 2017
The Varanavat conspiracy has to be counted among the most pivotal episodes in the epic along with Droupadi’s humiliation by the Kauravas in the gambling hall, or the killing of Shishupala at Yudhishthira’s Rajsuya yagya. The sense of fatality and inevitability it conveyed is undeniable.
Who was Purochana, the evil executioner of the evil plot? What were his motivations beyond the orders of his king and the lure of immense riches? How did Purochana manage to get so much of inflammable material without arousing the suspicions of the people of Varanavat? Who was the skilled digger – the tunnel digger that Vidura sent? Did he work alone? How did he manage to stay hidden even as he dug a tunnel from under the palace to a place far away that would ferret the Pandavas to safety?
All these are tantalisingly unanswered questions that Gautam Chickermane seeks to answer in his taut thriller, Tunnel of Varanavat. If it makes you want to read the full epic, in its unabridged glory, it would have served its purpose even more completely.
Secret passageways and tunnels – “surang” as they are also often called – used to be the favored means of escape for kings. These allowed kings to exit the palace undetected during times of peace, and to escape quickly in times of war. Thus, when Badri, expert miner, civil engineer, and architect of tunnels, is approached by Vidur, the prime minister of Hastinapur, with a mission to save the future of the Kuru dynasty, he cannot refuse. Surangraj – the honorific by which Badri goes – sets out to Varanavat, accompanied by his dog, Veer, and horse, Kadak. The forests are not safe any longer – by design, for a reason. Once at Varanavat, he meets Purochana, the formidable giant of a man who stands between him and the lives of the Pandavas. Purochana has a history. Then, there is Rishi Kedar’s ashram that binds several of the characters together, including Badri, Purochana, and a woman of mystery.
This is not to say that the plot is complete and watertight. There are elements of the inapposite. Like Drona – what Surangraj thinks of Drona is made clear, but why, is not elaborated. Perhaps, there is no need. This is like the gun in the thriller that makes an appearance in chapter two, but is never fired throughout the novel. It feels like the itch of a phantom limb. Or like the tension between Purochan, his erstwhile guru Kedar and his ashram is brought forth palpably in the initial part of the book, but once the Pandavas arrive at Varanavat, this thread is more or less abandoned. Or the romantic angle between Badri and Urvashi feels oddly extraneous – evocative but unfulfilling.
The plot is tightly woven, and the narrative is built skilfully. It maintains a tautly-woven tension throughout. The pages flip by. The words are skilfully employed to make the characters and situations vivid. Humanising Purochana is one of the successes of the book, as is imagining the role of Kunti in determining one important aspect of the escape from the palace (I will leave it for the reader to discover). Much in the same vein as The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the Temple of Varanavat is one of the more satisfying re-imaginings of the Mahabharata.
Who was Purochana, the evil executioner of the evil plot? What were his motivations beyond the orders of his king and the lure of immense riches? How did Purochana manage to get so much of inflammable material without arousing the suspicions of the people of Varanavat? Who was the skilled digger – the tunnel digger that Vidura sent? Did he work alone? How did he manage to stay hidden even as he dug a tunnel from under the palace to a place far away that would ferret the Pandavas to safety?
All these are tantalisingly unanswered questions that Gautam Chickermane seeks to answer in his taut thriller, Tunnel of Varanavat. If it makes you want to read the full epic, in its unabridged glory, it would have served its purpose even more completely.
Secret passageways and tunnels – “surang” as they are also often called – used to be the favored means of escape for kings. These allowed kings to exit the palace undetected during times of peace, and to escape quickly in times of war. Thus, when Badri, expert miner, civil engineer, and architect of tunnels, is approached by Vidur, the prime minister of Hastinapur, with a mission to save the future of the Kuru dynasty, he cannot refuse. Surangraj – the honorific by which Badri goes – sets out to Varanavat, accompanied by his dog, Veer, and horse, Kadak. The forests are not safe any longer – by design, for a reason. Once at Varanavat, he meets Purochana, the formidable giant of a man who stands between him and the lives of the Pandavas. Purochana has a history. Then, there is Rishi Kedar’s ashram that binds several of the characters together, including Badri, Purochana, and a woman of mystery.
This is not to say that the plot is complete and watertight. There are elements of the inapposite. Like Drona – what Surangraj thinks of Drona is made clear, but why, is not elaborated. Perhaps, there is no need. This is like the gun in the thriller that makes an appearance in chapter two, but is never fired throughout the novel. It feels like the itch of a phantom limb. Or like the tension between Purochan, his erstwhile guru Kedar and his ashram is brought forth palpably in the initial part of the book, but once the Pandavas arrive at Varanavat, this thread is more or less abandoned. Or the romantic angle between Badri and Urvashi feels oddly extraneous – evocative but unfulfilling.
The plot is tightly woven, and the narrative is built skilfully. It maintains a tautly-woven tension throughout. The pages flip by. The words are skilfully employed to make the characters and situations vivid. Humanising Purochana is one of the successes of the book, as is imagining the role of Kunti in determining one important aspect of the escape from the palace (I will leave it for the reader to discover). Much in the same vein as The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the Temple of Varanavat is one of the more satisfying re-imaginings of the Mahabharata.
January 2, 2017
The Tunnel of Varnavat is a poem written in prose. From the very first passage you are overwhelmed completely by the imagery inherent in each single sentence. The story weaves around the life of the tunnel maker who does end up performing an important role in the epic of Mahabharat but thankfully the story doesn’t delve into the epic any more than is necessary. The language gets a little repetitive at few places but more than anything, to me it shows how engrossed the author was in the story. The book not only takes you into the tunnels of the Hastinapur kingdom, but also the tunnels of human psyche and make you realize that often things are not as simple as they appear, and there are many a shade of grey in between the good and the bad. The book is a valuable addition for those who seek to understand the characters of the past in a more holistic way and is a refreshing break from the glut of redone Mahabharat/Ramayan versions available in the mythology genre today.
Wishing for more such interesting books by the author.
Wishing for more such interesting books by the author.
December 17, 2020
I've always been a big fan of the Mahabharata and have read different versions of it by different authors. My favourite version being the one by Kamala Subramaniam, which was a behemoth of a book both in size and content! The Pandava's escape from the burning palace was but a small segment of the mighty epic so to see a whole book dedicated to that one segment was very intriguing for me and I jumped to buy it. Now, 3 years later, I've finally read it and I loved it.
The detail in the story to lay out a plausible escape plan from the burning house of lac was excellent! This book, which concentrated more on outlying characters to tell it's story, was very different from the usual storylines of the Mahabharata which, generally, concentrated on the 5 brothers and their wife.
I truly enjoyed Badri's character who was pivotal to the entire escape process. The chief engineer of the Kuru tunnelling system, he was a man of many roles - warrior, sage, miner. He made the escape real & believable while facing many trials & challenges of both body & mind. In Urvashi & Janaki there were 2 very strong female characters which was refreshing in a usually male-centric plot line. They both stood tall & proud and never backed down from any difficulty they faced. Worthy of much admiration indeed. Even the villains were so well layered in their characters that you'd be hard pressed to say that they were evil or bad.
This is a definite must read for all fans of the Mahabharata and a good introduction to the epic for those who have not read it. I highly recommend it.
The detail in the story to lay out a plausible escape plan from the burning house of lac was excellent! This book, which concentrated more on outlying characters to tell it's story, was very different from the usual storylines of the Mahabharata which, generally, concentrated on the 5 brothers and their wife.
I truly enjoyed Badri's character who was pivotal to the entire escape process. The chief engineer of the Kuru tunnelling system, he was a man of many roles - warrior, sage, miner. He made the escape real & believable while facing many trials & challenges of both body & mind. In Urvashi & Janaki there were 2 very strong female characters which was refreshing in a usually male-centric plot line. They both stood tall & proud and never backed down from any difficulty they faced. Worthy of much admiration indeed. Even the villains were so well layered in their characters that you'd be hard pressed to say that they were evil or bad.
This is a definite must read for all fans of the Mahabharata and a good introduction to the epic for those who have not read it. I highly recommend it.
March 30, 2016
Takes a small segment of the Mahabharata and imaginatively retells it to create an intriguing and absorbing tale of menace and thrill
September 5, 2023
The tunnel of varanavat…
The legend on the cover says Mahabharat Reimagined.
The center stage is the incident at Varanavat… the attempted killing of the Pandavas’s by Duryodhana.
Standard renderings talk about the Duryodhana’s attempt and the attempt being foiled by Vidura etc.
The actual process of having to commission and execute the tunnel is not dealt with.
the author tries to walk us through what might have happened. The surmise being Pandavas have to protected they needed Kshatriyas or soldiers to do so but Vidura sends a miner to create a tunnel so that they can escape.
The events are narrated through the voice of Badri the chief miner of the Kuru empire. The author tries to create an intriguing character with a dark past, who gives being a kshatriya and buries himself in the tunnels. Of course, these tunnels are meant to protect the royals
Badri has a power animal who he had rescued a wolf crossed with a panther. Veer. Badri’s thoughts are brought to the readers through him. His challenges are many…
Cannibals of the forest. The bandits lead by Janaki with whom Badri is mildly infatuated. Badri strikes a deal with them as Janaki says that all that her people want is their forest back as the city expands, they are pushed out. There is Durjan who is a mercenary looking to avenge his slaughtered family. Varad the Lac merchant who is trapped by Purochana the town administrative head. Varad strikes a deal with the cannibals that he would send a person a day to them so that they do not harm the others. Badri figures that Varad is also a spy.
Vishnu one of Purochana’s lieutenants who seem to have a person score to settle with Badri. Urvashi his old flame Kedar the Guru at Varanavata.
However, there are few flames of interest though, like
Badri being taken aback at Kunti’s ruthlessness. Kunti plans to the slaughter of Damayanti and her 5 sons as 6 bodies have to be found. At that moment Badri makes an interesting observation – that was the moment when Dharma won and Dharma lost.
Badri’s recognition of Bhim’s immaturity and thirst for revenge.
the actual high light of the book is Purochana… the administrator of the city. his dedication to the King, and the King in waiting, the ruthlessness in his dedication. Purochana is crafted by the author as an able administrator who put Varanavata before everything else. His parental pride and affection for the orphans in the ashram. Purochana also comes as person who stands by the rule. Purochana is consumed by the fire in the house of lac which was meant for the Pandavas he dies trying to save a child.
At point he points out to Badri that prosperity weakens the moral of the population, and world will stop honoring the nature and resources to begin to worship Vishnu and wealth bestowing wife.
Interestingly Krishna remains a vague figure who is yet to emerge to center stage. Yudhistir is the idealist and Sahadev a mystic.
As the book concludes it turns out that Varad is a double agent and he betrays them. Badri’s soul mate is at the end of her life and Badri has visions of his past life where the roles were the same. Guru Kedar reveals to him that unless Badri’s soul moves on Urvashi cannot and Badri’s soul has been addicted to the emotion of patriotism.
The book penned by Gautam Chikermane is neither tense, nor racy or insightful as Amish declares. Published by Rupa Publication. ISBN 9788129137272
This post is written for Blogchatter Half Marathon.
The legend on the cover says Mahabharat Reimagined.
The center stage is the incident at Varanavat… the attempted killing of the Pandavas’s by Duryodhana.
Standard renderings talk about the Duryodhana’s attempt and the attempt being foiled by Vidura etc.
The actual process of having to commission and execute the tunnel is not dealt with.
the author tries to walk us through what might have happened. The surmise being Pandavas have to protected they needed Kshatriyas or soldiers to do so but Vidura sends a miner to create a tunnel so that they can escape.
The events are narrated through the voice of Badri the chief miner of the Kuru empire. The author tries to create an intriguing character with a dark past, who gives being a kshatriya and buries himself in the tunnels. Of course, these tunnels are meant to protect the royals
Badri has a power animal who he had rescued a wolf crossed with a panther. Veer. Badri’s thoughts are brought to the readers through him. His challenges are many…
Cannibals of the forest. The bandits lead by Janaki with whom Badri is mildly infatuated. Badri strikes a deal with them as Janaki says that all that her people want is their forest back as the city expands, they are pushed out. There is Durjan who is a mercenary looking to avenge his slaughtered family. Varad the Lac merchant who is trapped by Purochana the town administrative head. Varad strikes a deal with the cannibals that he would send a person a day to them so that they do not harm the others. Badri figures that Varad is also a spy.
Vishnu one of Purochana’s lieutenants who seem to have a person score to settle with Badri. Urvashi his old flame Kedar the Guru at Varanavata.
However, there are few flames of interest though, like
Badri being taken aback at Kunti’s ruthlessness. Kunti plans to the slaughter of Damayanti and her 5 sons as 6 bodies have to be found. At that moment Badri makes an interesting observation – that was the moment when Dharma won and Dharma lost.
Badri’s recognition of Bhim’s immaturity and thirst for revenge.
the actual high light of the book is Purochana… the administrator of the city. his dedication to the King, and the King in waiting, the ruthlessness in his dedication. Purochana is crafted by the author as an able administrator who put Varanavata before everything else. His parental pride and affection for the orphans in the ashram. Purochana also comes as person who stands by the rule. Purochana is consumed by the fire in the house of lac which was meant for the Pandavas he dies trying to save a child.
At point he points out to Badri that prosperity weakens the moral of the population, and world will stop honoring the nature and resources to begin to worship Vishnu and wealth bestowing wife.
Interestingly Krishna remains a vague figure who is yet to emerge to center stage. Yudhistir is the idealist and Sahadev a mystic.
As the book concludes it turns out that Varad is a double agent and he betrays them. Badri’s soul mate is at the end of her life and Badri has visions of his past life where the roles were the same. Guru Kedar reveals to him that unless Badri’s soul moves on Urvashi cannot and Badri’s soul has been addicted to the emotion of patriotism.
The book penned by Gautam Chikermane is neither tense, nor racy or insightful as Amish declares. Published by Rupa Publication. ISBN 9788129137272
This post is written for Blogchatter Half Marathon.
October 25, 2018
Very good book. Mahabharata re imagined but no compromise with core story and incidence. I wonder how magic was created by author to script the story without compromise with line of actual story. Awesome, I will put this book in my re-read section. it deserve.
I recommend it to read to unfold the story.
I recommend it to read to unfold the story.
March 19, 2016
The characters of the epic Mahabharata are as complex as it can get with each one having shades of good and bad, right and wrong, compassion and ruthlessness and the more you read various stories of Mahabharat, more facets to each character are exposed.
Every author has his own version of the individual player from the great epic. While most books I have read have stories revolving around the members of royal family or the estranged son ‘Karna’, less has been written about all those characters that played subtle yet important role in life of Pandavas or Kauravas.
In the great epic, the Pandavs had to fend off conspirators, death threats, fight for their rights and face hardships all their life. But where a political conspiracy brews, bravery alone might not suffice for escaping a bid on life. A warrior besides all his skills needs loyal people around him to be his eyes and ears in a hostile atmosphere, people he can trust to warn him of impending danger around the bend or to fight by his side if the need arises.
And though Pandavas, having spent much part of their growing up years away from palace, royal life and subjects of the kingdom, seemed helpless, alone and vulnerable but their endearing politeness and humility had won them trust and affection of people in and around the high walls of palace. People were ready to ensure that the Pandavas escape unscathed and every attempt to compromise their safety was foiled. Vidur, their uncle cum prime minister of Kuru kingdom, the grand regent Bhishma Pitamah, their grandfather, and their maternal cousin the divine Krishna helped them throughout against the reining blind King Dhritarashtra’s secret desire to see his nephews destroyed.
Duryodhana, the crown prince with his maternal uncle Shakuni, always carried a grudge against his five cousins and sought out ways to kill the Pandavas. In one such conspiracy, he built a palace of highly inflammable lacquer and gifted it to the five brothers with an aim to burn the building while the five men slept at night. However Pandavas escaped yet again through a tunnel under the palace.
Tunnelling is an engineering skill which needs careful planning, knowledge of terrain, soil conditions and accurate execution for it to become a successful escape route. It certainly is not an overnight work. The thought, that the ‘Lakshagrah’ the palace of lac, might have tunnels that could be used to escape either would not have occurred to Duryodhan and his scheming uncle or the more likely explanation could be that Pandavas had a friend in the enemy camp who was loyal enough to construct a tunnel after the palace was built to save them.
This is the aspect that the author Gautam Chikermane explores in his book ‘Tunnel of Varnavat’. Never in the stories was the making of an escape tunnel given its due... Author 'digs out' a story about this intricate world of tunnels which permitted royals to escape and be safe.
The chief engineer, Badri along with the prime minister Vidur chalk out a parallel conspiracy in favour of Pandavas and right under the enemy's nose successfully execute the escape. With a few impromptu allies the tunnel is dug and enemy fended off.
I simply loved the idea around which the story is woven because in all other stories it was always taken for granted that Pandavas knew the peril and would escape. The author takes the reader under the ground describing the making of a tunnel and the dangers involved. I was almost transported to that era and could smell horses, hear the metal clang of the practising swordsmen, walk through the forest with hidden tribal warriors and feel the conspiracy brewing.
The story though quite gripping drags sometimes at places. Also I was not convinced of the inner demons, turmoil and webs of tunnel in the mind of the chief engineer. The wolf-dog and his army of wild dogs was stretching the fiction a bit too far.
In all it was entertaining read but could have been slightly shorter even without losing its flavour. Good for readers who love elaborate period stories.
Every author has his own version of the individual player from the great epic. While most books I have read have stories revolving around the members of royal family or the estranged son ‘Karna’, less has been written about all those characters that played subtle yet important role in life of Pandavas or Kauravas.
In the great epic, the Pandavs had to fend off conspirators, death threats, fight for their rights and face hardships all their life. But where a political conspiracy brews, bravery alone might not suffice for escaping a bid on life. A warrior besides all his skills needs loyal people around him to be his eyes and ears in a hostile atmosphere, people he can trust to warn him of impending danger around the bend or to fight by his side if the need arises.
And though Pandavas, having spent much part of their growing up years away from palace, royal life and subjects of the kingdom, seemed helpless, alone and vulnerable but their endearing politeness and humility had won them trust and affection of people in and around the high walls of palace. People were ready to ensure that the Pandavas escape unscathed and every attempt to compromise their safety was foiled. Vidur, their uncle cum prime minister of Kuru kingdom, the grand regent Bhishma Pitamah, their grandfather, and their maternal cousin the divine Krishna helped them throughout against the reining blind King Dhritarashtra’s secret desire to see his nephews destroyed.
Duryodhana, the crown prince with his maternal uncle Shakuni, always carried a grudge against his five cousins and sought out ways to kill the Pandavas. In one such conspiracy, he built a palace of highly inflammable lacquer and gifted it to the five brothers with an aim to burn the building while the five men slept at night. However Pandavas escaped yet again through a tunnel under the palace.
Tunnelling is an engineering skill which needs careful planning, knowledge of terrain, soil conditions and accurate execution for it to become a successful escape route. It certainly is not an overnight work. The thought, that the ‘Lakshagrah’ the palace of lac, might have tunnels that could be used to escape either would not have occurred to Duryodhan and his scheming uncle or the more likely explanation could be that Pandavas had a friend in the enemy camp who was loyal enough to construct a tunnel after the palace was built to save them.
This is the aspect that the author Gautam Chikermane explores in his book ‘Tunnel of Varnavat’. Never in the stories was the making of an escape tunnel given its due... Author 'digs out' a story about this intricate world of tunnels which permitted royals to escape and be safe.
The chief engineer, Badri along with the prime minister Vidur chalk out a parallel conspiracy in favour of Pandavas and right under the enemy's nose successfully execute the escape. With a few impromptu allies the tunnel is dug and enemy fended off.
I simply loved the idea around which the story is woven because in all other stories it was always taken for granted that Pandavas knew the peril and would escape. The author takes the reader under the ground describing the making of a tunnel and the dangers involved. I was almost transported to that era and could smell horses, hear the metal clang of the practising swordsmen, walk through the forest with hidden tribal warriors and feel the conspiracy brewing.
The story though quite gripping drags sometimes at places. Also I was not convinced of the inner demons, turmoil and webs of tunnel in the mind of the chief engineer. The wolf-dog and his army of wild dogs was stretching the fiction a bit too far.
In all it was entertaining read but could have been slightly shorter even without losing its flavour. Good for readers who love elaborate period stories.
April 21, 2016
There is no significant mention of the miner who built the tunnel for the Pandavas’ escape in the ‘Adi Parv’ of the various versions of ‘Mahabharata’ I have read till now,except for a mere mention of a miner being ordered by Vidur to dig out a tunnel and eventually return to Hastinapur (Do let me know if I am wrong). Also, any reader of Mahabharata will know that the Pandavas did escape from the palace built to kill them.Yet, writing a story by reimagining the epic without tampering its greatness , giving the deserved honour to the various so called ‘insignificant’ characters, keeping the reader engaged though we know the fate of the ‘Pandavas’ is no mere task. For this the writer rightly deserves an applause and due appreciation be given for making this story very much plausible.
Reading this story I was reminded of the lines from ‘Mahabharata’- Dharmecha arthecha kaamecha mokshecha bharatarshaba Yadhihasthi tadanyatra yannehasti na tadkvachit : Meaning, “What is found here may be found elsewhere. What is not found here will not be found elsewhere.” And this is exactly what this story from the Mahabharata too does – conveys about everything that is happening around us!
In conclusion, let me say that this exciting book is a voyage through the conscious and subconscious minds of lesser known souls like soldiers who work behind the scenes tirelessly without any recognition and importance in the name of loyalty n dharm!Do grab a copy and switch on some soothing music to experience and enhance the poetic words of the book...
I received a copy of this book from Rupa Publishers in exchange for my honest review
The complete review can be read on my blog
https://polkajunction.wordpress.com/2...
September 21, 2016
Tunnel of Varanavat redefines the subaltern narrative of Ancient India. For a reader interested in the ancient past, this book has many things to offer. Rather, it has many levels to take the reader to. A spiritual journey, a romantic quest, a pursuit of Dharma. I like it that the author leaves the notion of Dharma for open interpretation. Another unique aspect the first person narrative which does not even for a moment indulge in blaming the royalty for any problem. Badri, the protagonist, is a forgotten hero as far as the mainstream epic is concerned. But the miner who is entrusted with the job that determines the future of Aryavarta tells his story with the passion of a warrior and the authority of a sage.
A definite must read.
A definite must read.
July 11, 2016
The story of the guy who built the tunnel that helped the Pandavs escape while the lac palace burned - great imagination, very good writing, and a good mix of the philosophical and action stuff. Loved Veer. A writer to look out for.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews