Pralay: The Great Deluge

Harappa #2

by Vineet Bajpai

“Even death is afraid of the White Mask”

1700 BCE, Harappa – the devta of Harappa has fallen tortured and condemned to the dungeons of the dead. His murdered wife’s pious blood falls on the sands of the metropolis, sealing the black fate of Harappa forever.

2017, Banaras – A master assassin bites into cyanide, but not before pronouncing the arrival of an unstoppable, dark force. A maha-taantric offers a chilling sacrifice.

325 AD, Bithynian City (modern-day Turkey) – Unable to foresee the monster he was untethering, an extraordinary monarch commissions a terrifying world-vision spanning millennia.

1700 BCE, East of Harappa – A mystical fish-man proclaims the onset of Pralay - the extinction of mankind. The Blood River rises to avenge her divine sons.

What happens to the devta of Harappa? Is Vidyut truly the prophesied saviour? Who are the veiled overlords behind the sinister World Order? What was the macabre blueprint of the mysterious emperor at Bithynian City? Turn the pages to unravel one of the world’s greatest conspiracies and the haunting story of a lost, ancient civilization.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Thriller, Novels, Mystery

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2018

About the author

Vineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22 he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today Magnon is among the largest digital agencies in the subcontinent, and part of the Fortune 500 Omnicom Group.


He has led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO. This made him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.


He has won several entrepreneurship and corporate excellence awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016. He was recently listed among the 100 Most Influential People in India’s Digital Ecosystem.


Vineet’s second company talentrack is disrupting the media, entertainment & creative industry in India. It is the fastest-growing online hiring and networking platform for the sector.


He has written three bestselling management & inspirational books – Build From Scratch, The Street to the Highway and The 30 Something CEO.


He is an avid swimmer, a gaming enthusiast, a bonfire guitarist and a road-trip junkie. He is 39.

Reviews

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another master piece in the series

Detailed review may follow

[Sanjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! The story is very gripping and all the timelines are engaging. I didn't like the 1700 BC timeline in the last book but I like it in this one. The author wove a tale of fiction around the story of Satyavrata and Matsya avatar and combined that story with Manu and Shatarupa 's story. The Kashi timeline with Vidyut and Trijat's confrontation is great too

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in the three part series, Pralay carries forward the story from Harappa. Brilliantly combining stories from folklore, historical facts and beliefs, Vineet creates a spell binding thriller. Few Indian authors have managed to capture it as brilliantly as him. The series offers an alternate view of many customs and traditions. The end leaves you gasping for more. Brilliant work.

[Anukriti Malik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5/5

The second book in the Harappa Series , Pralay opens up with a flashback of what happened in the first book. This made the whole reading process a lot simple for no one would have the time to read the first book all over again and then pick the second one.

Plot

The plot of this book is similar like the first part. The story takes place in various dimensions and as the pages keep turning we travel to different dimensions throughout the book. The plot is a mix of mythology and fiction and equal weightage is given to both the genres. With the introduction of new characters the plot got interesting and gripping.
However , with too much going on I completely lost interest in the middle and had to keep the book down. It was hard to keep a track and I had to go back to the previous pages and then continue reading.
As compared to the previous book , the end again left me baffled waiting for the next book.

Writing

The writing is more technical and gripping this time as compared to the previous book. The writer has kept the pace fast this time with the action scenes more vivid and lively which kept me hooked.

Final Verdict

With new character developments , more action scenes and mythology blended with thriller , you can definitely pick this one up without a second thought.

[Harshita Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the story continues in this second book of the series. Vivasvan Pujari, the last devta has turned into a demonic form to avenge his wrong. The great deluge is about to come which will devour the whole of Harappa. Even the Saptrishis weren’t spared. And when the curse befallen on the last devta, his entire bloodline will have to bear it. This part of the book also explores more of Manu’s character, the son of Last devta that is Vivasvan Pujari and Sanjana.
In the current times, Dwarka Shastri was revealing to Vidyut about the curse of his bloodline and the history of The New World Order and the story of dark brotherhoods. Moreover, he also got face off with the new character named Trijat.
The history of Harappa vanished into nothing by a river has been so fascinatingly coined by the author that it turned up to be an amusing plot.
Furthermore, I loved how the character of Matsya was initiated and developed in the book. I had never expected that this character would turn up in the story. Well, his character made the story more captivating.
The writing style of the author has evolved better in this book than the previous book in the series. I must say this sequel was also better in terms of thrill and fantasization too.
The book towards the end becomes somehow unputdownable due to its thrill and adventure. And it left a very strong urge to read the next book in the series.

What wasn’t Good
• The book in its initial chapters was bit uninteresting owing to its sluggish pace of the story. The reason I didn’t like it was due to the narrative of 2017 times where the stories told by Dwarka Shastri to Vidyut were quite extended and gets uninteresting.
• I wanted to see more of Damini than Naina as she was the one who reincarnated for Vidyut. But the book has nothing to offer about her character and the reader doesn’t gets to know the better half of the last devta.
• Also, I couldn’t understand, if Damini was meant to be Vidyut’s partner, then why Vidyut was shown falling for Naina. I found that very much irksome.


Why to read this book
The author has coined the history of Harappan cicvilisation with an intriguing story. The book is a remarkable blend of fantasy, thrill and history. If you have loved the first part of the book, then you will surely love this one too.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have listened to my conscience, and should have avoided this so-called gripping book. After the rather traumatic first book, I was under the impression that in this book storytelling and penmanship would be better. Alas! The author proves to be terribly consistent in his writing style, and practically kills the story with bombast and cliches.
Is this curse of 'Dan Brown' type writing? Who knows. I quit this series.

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading and liking the first part Harappa, I was quite excited to read this book. Just like the first book, the cover page of this book is also eye-catching.

You can read more such review on my blog http://www.haloofbooks.com/

Plot summary:

The book starts with a glimpse of the previous book where Vivasvan Pujari is in the capture of princess Priyamvada and her husband Chakradhar. His wife Sanjana is no more. And his son Manu is no position to survive. Vivasvan Pujari vowed for the destruction of Harappa.

However, Manu escapes with the dead body of her mother and Vivasvan Pujari’s trusted aide Somdutt advised him to go to the black temple to the east of Harappa.

Present time, Naina and Balwanta luckily bring Vidyut in Mattha on time and this saves his life. Vidyut’s friend Bala is interrogated by him. After some time, Vidyut got to know about the horrible life story of Bala and he founds that Bala is just a tool of conspiracy. Meanwhile, Trijat Kapalik, the most powerful Aghori of Kashi comes to Mattha with his 666 discipline. After some time, they find a dead body of Bala which really shocks Vidyut. However, during all these events Vidyut hears about ‘New world order’. He decides to discuss this with Dwarka Shastri.

Slowly and steady, Vidyut got to know that this conspiracy of ‘New world order’ is far deeper.

In past, Manu is riding with the dead body of her mother towards the east of Harappa. There comes a time when he feels that he is going to die. But he meets enigmatic Matsya who magically weaves a new energy in Manu’s body.

In Harappa, Somdutt manages to save Vivasvan Pujari from the cage. However, this new Surya of Harappa is totally different from the previous one. Vivasvan Pujari tries to invoke his darker side. And he wants to wipe the whole Harappa with the great deluge by the Saraswati river. For help, he joins hands with Sura.

In between, the story describes the connection of some world mafia. Will Vivasvan Pujari able to cause the Pralay? Will Manu able to reach Black temple? Who is Matsya? Who is Trijat Kapalik? What is this new world order? Will the Pralay swipes up everything from the Harappa? Vivasvan Pujari’s decision is right? What is lies ahead of Vidyut? Read this gripping tale to know the answer to these questions.

Writing style:

The author has a powerful skill of narration and there is not a single dull moment in the book. There are so many stories going on but the author brilliantly manages to connect it. The language used by the author is super easy and is suitable for every type of readers.

My perception:

If I have to sum this book in one word then it would be ‘Adventurous’. The author interestingly developed the story from the first book and this time there are more mysteries. Hats off to the author for choosing such a vast concept. You can easily say that the author has done massive research to present this book. He has magically woven the mythological story with the mystery of Harappa. The characterization is another powerful aspect of this book as each one is important and perfectly portrays by the author. He has practically portrayed greed, anger, selfishness and other human tendencies. The author has built up so many mysteries in this book that I am eagerly waiting for the conclusion and third part of this series ‘Kashi’.

In the nutshell, this book is totally worth to read and I recommend it to everyone. Do not miss it.

[Kavitha Sivakumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book on Harappa series. The author skillfully combines Knights Templar, Illuminati, Manu's Ark and Indus Valley Civilization and kept the suspense about the black temple yet.

Pralay was about to happen starting from Harappa and engulf entire world. Matsya (Vishnu avatar) guide Manu (son of Vivasvan Pujari) to build a big boat to transport humans and species to preserve the knowledge and various species to create a new world. I heard about Noah's ark. But I didn't know this part of Indian mythology.

Vivasvan didn't know that his son was alive. Likewise, Manu didn't know his father was alive. Vivasvan Pujari, after subject to injustice and torture, decided to take revenge on Harappan people. He joined forces with Sura, King of Asuras and was brainwashed to reveal the location of saptharishis. For his sins, saptharishis cursed Vivasvan that his entire santhathi will die violent death till the end of fate.

The story goes parallel to today's happenings in Banaras. Vivasvan Pujari is reborn as Vidyut which was foretold to fulfill a destiny. The New Order is trying to kill him before he fulfill his destiny that Black Temple has part in it.

The author as usual convinces the intellectual supremacy of Indian race (sages) through the discussion between Vidyut and his grandfather Dwaraka Shastri, who is param-tantric.

[Kajal Dhamija · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books in this series indeed have a story that spreads over a span of thousands of years.

Just like the first book, this book is full of action and thrill. The book remains true to the first book and as a sequel, should satiate the thirst of the readers who have been waiting for the sequel of the book Harappa.

The book, just like its prequel, is fast paced and an easy read. The reader Will find himself turning pages at a rapid pace. To me, it didn't take more than 3 days to be done with this book. More so, I think, I read the last 1/3rd of the pages in one go.

In addition to the continuation of the first book, there are many new elements that have been added in this book, which mostly provide a newer dimension to the book. But at times, these elements became so many and that too disintegrated at places that it took some of the fun away.

The writing style is not bad, but things felt exaggerated at many places. Keeping things the way they were would've been so much better! I mean, so many efforts were made on the part of the author to surprise the reader. But honestly, not all of those efforts surprised me.

I'm still glad to have read this book, as I was wondering what is to happen next in the series.

Waiting to see how the story concludes in Kashi: secret of the black temple.

[Tavleen Kaur (Travelling Through Words) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews and recommendations, visit my blog- https://travellingthroughwords.wordpr...

First of all, I would just like to appreciate the author for providing a summary of the previous book right in the first few pages as this is always useful while reading a fantasy series.

The second book of a trilogy is always tricky. It can sometimes be boring and just a filler book as it takes place after the introduction of the story and before the final ending. I had high expectations from this book as I had loved Harappa and I was not disappointed.

Plot

The plot of this book takes an unexpected but very interesting direction. Just like the previous book the story is narrated in multiple places and time periods. There are action-packed and thrilling scenes one after the other that kept the plot exciting and intense. There was also an equal amount of fantastical elements and mythology in the book. Many creatures from Indian mythology were introduced. There was a lot of spine-chilling action. It was evident that an extensive amount of research on history, mythology, and different religions was done and included in the book. There was negligible romance which I thought fit perfectly with the book.

Writing

The writing of this book was more advanced and fluid as compared to the last book and I started loving it as the book progressed. The intense scenes were described very vividly to paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind. The book is fast-paced and very easy to read.

Characters

There was not much character development in this book as it was mostly plot driven. Some new characters were introduced. I thought the concept of a character becoming pure evil from being almost a saint was fascinating. The characters also talked about other topics than just the main plot such as the basis of religions, what they originally meant and how humans twisted their meaning, Every character played his role in the book and I’m excited to see their fate in the next one. I also liked that the book wasn’t completely focused on Vidyut and we see how each character plays their roles and not just the hero of the story.

What I Did Not Like

Despite all this, as the book progressed, I felt like there was definitely too much going on and it was hard to keep up even though the author wrote in a clear way,

Overall Verdict

I highly enjoyed reading this book. The ending had surprises as I expected and I am extremely excited for the next book.

This book will appeal to fans of fantasy, mythology and also thriller. It is an amazing blend of these genres. This is a book I would love to see on the screen. It did not disappoint and is an excellent sequel.

With an extensive but intriguing plot and flawless writing, I cannot recommend this book more.

[Nurul Abser · Rating 3 out of 5]

"কারণ এটা কোন সাধারণ বন্যা না, হে সানজানার পুত্র। এটা পৃথিবী আর তার সব বাসিন্দা- হোক মানুষ, প্রাণী,উদ্ভিদ,পোকামাকড়_সবাইকে ধ্বংস করবে।কিছুই এর করাল গ্রাস থেকে মুক্তি পাবে না।যা ধেয়ে আসছে সেটা আর কিছু না, সেটা প্রলয়-পৃথিবীর ধ্বংস! "


হরপ্পার শেষটা হয়েছিল বিভাষণ পূজারির প্রতিশোধপরায়ণ আর্তনাদ আর মানুর তীর বিদ্ধ শরীর নিয়ে অজানা উদ্দেশ্য যাত্রা দিয়ে। প্রলয়ের শুরু টা ঠিক এইখান থেকেই, স্বরসতীর সাধারণ জলধারা যে রক্তধারায় পরিণত হয়ে হরপ্পাবাসীর উপর আছড়ে পড়বে সবাই এর সম্মুখীন হওয়ার জন্য প্রস্তুত। 


সাধারণ মানুষ ভুল করলে একদিন না একদিন এর শাস্তি পেতে হয় আর যদি দেবতা ভুল করে তাহলে সেটা ভয়ংকর হয়ে পুরো পৃথিবীর উপর আছড়ে পড়ে।বিভাষণ হরপ্পাবাসীকে ভুল বুঝেছিল এবং মহা মূল্যবান সপ্তর্ষি এর উপর রেগে অজান্তে অনেক বড় পাপ করে। হরপ্পার সূর্য থেকে প্রতিশোধপরায়ণ শয়তানে পরিণত হয়। যার ফলস্বরূপ পবিত্র নদী তাদের মা সরস্বতী সন্তানের উপর রাগ করে মহা প্রলয় ডেকে আনে। তাহলে হরপ্পা বাসীর ভবিষ্যত কি?  বিভাষণের শেষ পরিণতি কি? আর মানুই বা গেল কোথায়? 


৩২৫ খ্রিস্টাব্দে তুরস্কে বিথনিয়ান শহরে রাজা কনস্ট্যান্টিন নিউ ওয়ার্ল্ড অর্ডারের নিয়ম সৃষ্টি করেন। যার অর্থ হলো সবাই এক ধর্মের অনুসারী হবে, পৃথিবীর সবকিছু এক নিয়মে চলবে। তিনি বিশ্বকে এমন এক নিরাপদ অবস্থায় রেখে যেতে চান, যা অনন্তকাল পর্যন্ত এক সরকারি এবং সামাজিক নিয়ম জারি করবে বলেই তার বিশ্বাস।তিনি বিশ্বাস করেন, বিশ্বাস এবং মতামতের ভিন্নতাই মানবজাতির জন্য সবচেয়ে বড় হুমকি।কয়েক দশকের যুদ্ধ, রক্তক্ষয় আর বিজয় অর্জন শেষে বিভিন্ন সংস্কৃতি আর সভ্যতার মানুষকে শাসন করে আর মানুষের সহজাত হিংসাত্মক ধারাকে খুব কাছ থেকে পর্যবেক্ষণ করার পর কনস্ট্যান্টিন একটা শক্ত মতাবাদ দাড়ঁ করালেন।এই পৃথিবী আসলে একক শক্তি, মানে অদ্বিতীয় এক শক্তিশালী ক্ষমতা দ্বারা পরিচালিত হওয়া দরকার।

আপাতত দৃষ্টিতে এই নিয়ম ভালো মনে হলেও মানবজাতির জন্য এটা ছিল ভয়ংকর। কনস্ট্যান্টিন এই নিউ ওয়ার্ল্ড অর্ডার পরিচালনার একটা গোপন ভ্রাতৃসংঘ গঠন করে। কিন্তু কনস্ট্যান্টিন মারা যাওয়ার পরেও এই ভ্রাতৃসংঘ নিজস্ব নিয়ম ভুল গিয়ে এক ভয়ংকর দৈত্য হিসেবে রূপান্তরিত হতে শুরু করে। 

এই ভ্রাতৃসংঘের সাথে আজকের বিদ্যুৎ এর প্রপিতামহ এর দেশরক্ষা মঠের ইতিহাসের সাথে সংযুক্ত। 

কাহিনি সংক্ষেপ:

অর্ধেক মানব-অর্ধেক দেবতা ঈশ্বর বিভাষণ পূজারি, প্রাচীন শহর হরপ্পার দেবতাতুল্য মানুষটি আচমকাই বদলে গেলেন যুদ্ধের ডামাডোলে।প্রিয়তমা স্ত্রী আর পুত্রের করুণ পরিণতি শুনে ক্ষিপ্ত আর হতাশ বিভাষণ হাত মেলালেন অসুর রাজের সাথে!তার পরের লক্ষ্য জাগতিক কেউ নয়, বরং সাধারণের উর্ধ্বে অনয় কেউ।


যুবক মানু ছুটে চলেছে রহস্যময় কালো মন্দিরের দিকে কি আছে সেঃ কালো মন্দিরে?খুব অল্প সংখ্যাক মানুষই জানেন এই কালো মন্দিরের রহস্য। যাদের মাঝে অন্যতম নীল চামড়ার মৎস্য!মানুকে নিয়ে কি করতে চান এই রহস্যময় ব্যক্তিটি?

দেব-রাক্ষস মঠের গোত্রপ্রধান দর্ক শাস্ত্রীর উপস্থিতিতেই মঠের ভেতর ঘটে গেল এক বীভৎস খুন! কপাল অপর্ণের প্রকাশ্য হুমকি দিয়ে গেল ভয়ানক ত্রিজাত কাপালিক।ত্রিজাতকে ঠেকানোর একটাই উপায়। সেই দুঃসাহসিক পথে কি সত্যিই এগিয়ে যাবে সর্বশেষ দেবতা?

পাঠপ্রতিক্রিয়া:

 বিলীন সভ্যতা হরপ্পার গল্প যত সামনে এগোচ্ছে তত বিস্তৃত হচ্ছে।বিভাষণ পূজারীকে নির্মম অত্যাচার করলেও তাকে শেষ পর্যন্ত বন্দি করা যায় নি। মুক্ত হয়ে এখন নিজের সততাকে বিসর্জন দিয়ে রাক্ষসে পরিণত হয়েছে। তার একটাই লক্ষ্য হরপ্পাকে ধ্বংস করা। 


এই পর্বে চরিত্রগুলো আরও সংবেদনশীল, ঘটনাগুলো আরও ভয়ংকর। প্রলয়ে সবচেয়ে যেটা উজ্জীবিত ছিলো সেটা হলো দেবতা শ্রী বিষ্ণুর দশ ঐশ্বরিক অবতারের একটি মৎস্য। সেই মহান মাছ যা সকল সৃষ্টিকে উদ্ধার করেছিল। হরপ্পা সূর্য পুত্র মানু যখন মৃত্যুর সম্মুখীন তখন মৎস তা বন্ধু হয়ে এসে তাকে যাপিত জীবনের নতুন অর্থ বুঝায়। মানুর কাছে মৎস্য সবসময় রহস্যময়। মানু-মৎস্যর কাহিনী যতটা না থ্রিল ততটা দার্শনিক ছিলো। মৎস্য বুঝিয়েছি নিজ সত্তাকে আগে ভালোবাসা উচিত, আমাদের ভাগ্যে যা আছে তাই আমাদের গ্রহণ করা উচিত। 

অন্যদিকে বিদ্যুৎ এখনো পুরো সত্যটা জানতে পারে নি। সে আহত কিন্তু লড়াইয়ে সদা প্রস্তুত। এখানে বিদ্যুৎকে কিছুটা বিরক্ত লেগেছে। প্রথমদিকে লেখক তার চরিত্রটাকে যেভাবে প্রদর্শন করেছিল প্রলয়ে এসে কিছুটা স্তিমিত হয়ে গেছে। তবে বর্তমান টাইমলাইনে নতুন চরিত্র ত্রিজাত কাপালিক এককথায় দুর্দান্ত ছিলো।তার চরিত্রটা বর্ণনা করতেই লেখক অনেক সময় নিয়েছেন। তার যে ভয়ংকর বর্ণনা এবং অতিপ্রাকৃত কার্যকলাপ দারুণ ভাবে ব্যাখা করেছেন। 


হরপ্পার মতো এখনও বিভাষণের কাহিনি চমৎকার ভাবে ব্যাখা করেছেন লেখক।আমার সবথেকে বেশি এই হরপ্পার মৃত সূর্য বিভাষণের প্রতিশোধের কাহিনি ভালো লেগেছে। বিভাষণ তার প্রিয়তমা স্ত্রী আর পুত্রের পরিণতি সম্পর্কে অজ্ঞাত। ভুল ধারণা নিয়ে সে রাগে ক্ষোভে পুরো হরপ্পার উপর আক্রমণ আনে। কিন্তু প্রকাশিত সত্যের আড়ালেও যে আরেকটা সত্য রয়েছে তা হয়তো বিভাষণ ভুলে গিয়েছিল তাই তো শেষ সময়ে নিজের পাপের প্রায়শ্চিত্ত করতে নিজেকে সরা মায়ের রক্তধারায় বিসর্জন দেয়। 


লেখক এখানে হরপ্পার ইতিহাসের সাথে যুক্ত কালো মন্দির কে রহস্যময় জায়গা হিসেবে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন। প্রলয়ে কালো মন্দিরের বিশদ ব্যাখা না দিলেও বুঝা যায় শেষ পর্বে এর রহস্য উদঘাটন হবে। এবং মানু তার তৈরি করা বিশাল জাহাজ যার মাস্তুল আকাশ ছুয়, যার অন্তগর্ভে এক লাখ উদ্ভিদ, পাখি,প্রাণী আর বীজ বহন করতে সক্ষম। সেই জাহাজ নিয়ে হরপ্পার অভিমুখে মানুর যাত্রা নিয়ে… 


লেখকের দুর্দান্ত লেখনশৈলী এখানে বজায় থাকলে এই পর্ব কিছুটা ধীরগতি লেগেছে। মনে হয়েছে কিছু জিনিস অতিরিক্ত এনেছেন লেখক। যদিও এটা ট্রিলজি হওয়াই অর্ধেক গল্পে এসে কিছু বুঝা যায়। হয়তো শেষে গিয়ে লেখক সবকিছুর ব্যাখ্যা দিবেন। এখানে সবচেয়ে বেশি যেটা ছিল সেটা হলো হিন্দু ধর্ম নিয়ে কিছু দার্শনিক ব্যাখ্যা।যুগে যুগে যে বিবর্তন তারপরেও ধর্মের মূল উদ্দেশ্য যে এক তা সুন্দর ভাবে ফুটে উঠে। 

অনুবাদ: অনুবাদ নিয়ে বিশেষ কিছু বলার নেই। প্রথম পর্বের মতো এইটাও দারুণ সাবলীল অনুবাদ। জুবায়েদ আহম্মেদ ভালো কাজ করেছেন।এই সিরিজ পড়লে অনুবাদ নিয়ে সংশয় না থাকা উচিত। 


দেখা যাক লেখক পরের পর্ব অর্থাৎ শেষ পর্ব কাশী-সিক্রেট অব দ্যা ব্ল্যাক টেম্পল এ কি রেখেছেন।


বই:প্রলয়-দ্য গ্রেট ডেলিউজ (হরপ্পা-২)

লেখক-বিনীত বাজপেয়ী

অনুবাদ- জুবায়ের আহমেদ

প্রকাশনী- নয়া উদ্যোগ 

পৃষ্ঠা- ২৪৮

[Karthik Kailash · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Harappa: Curse of the blood river, Pralay is as riveting a read, and leaves you with intrigue on what the next book holds.

Vivasvan Pujari is rescued from his cell by his friend Somdutt and the valiant Tara. However, the half devata seems to have embraced the dark side and goes on a revenge mission, to destroy Harappa, the city he once loved.

Parallelly, Manu scoures the Earth in search of the dark temple, with his mother's body resting on his horse. He comes across a blue hued fish resembling being on verge of death, and shares some water to revive him from a certain death. The celestial being ,Matsya, thanks him and guides him to the Black temple and also informs him off the impending Pralay or the great deluge.

In present world, Vidyut is bought face to face to a Maha Tantric and is facing the toughest duel of his life.

Will Vidyut, the half devata prevail? Read on, it's an enthralling read although the suspense still lives.

[সুমাইয়া সুমি · Rating 3 out of 5]

প্রাচীন শহর হরপ্পার দেবতাতূল্য মানুষটি যুদ্ধের ডামাডোলে নিজ প্রিয়তমা স্ত্রী ও পুত্র সন্তানকে হারিয়ে বদলে গেলেন আচমকাই। নিজের ভেতরের মনুষ্যত্বকে এক নিমিশে ত্যাগ করে হাত মেলালেন অসুর রাজের সাথে।

দেবতা পুত্র মানু ছুটে চলেছে রহস্যময় কালো মন্দিরের দিকে। কি আছে সেই কালো মন্দিরে? আর নীল চামড়ার মৎস্য মানব তার কোন পরিকল্পনার জন্য মনোনীত করেছে মানুকে?

শেষ দেবতা বিদ্যুৎ এবং তার দাদা মঠাধীশ শাস্ত্রীকে প্রকাশ্যে হুমকি দিয়ে যাওয়া এই ত্রিজাত কাপালিকই বা কে?

রহস্যের জট খুলতে খুলতেও রয়ে গেলো পরের খন্ডে সমাপ্তির জন্য।

এই বইটা পড়তে একটু বিরক্ত লাগসে। কন্সপিরেসি থিওরি এবং অনেক ইনফো ডাম্প হয়েছে তাই।

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harappa, its prequel, took the Indian Readers by surprise and dramatically made it to the list of bestsellers. However, Pralay has arrived to notch up a level higher. I am amazed after reading the story and imagination that flows through the book is stupefying.

The New World Order, the good and the evil, the devta and the rakshasa – each concept has been brought up pretty well in the book. The narrative proves it that the author has made painstaking efforts at undergoing a vast and rigorous research to come up with such an intriguing series. The mythology of the creation – the Pralay- has been described in profound words. The deluge was savage and the author managed to illustrate the development of the events leading to it remarkably.

While I was reading it, I always had to remind myself that it is purely a fictional tale. The writing style is influencing and effective that it actually casts a spell on the readers. It lures them into believing that whatever has been described has, in reality, taken place. Such is the literary prowess of the author. No doubt, the author is gifted with exceptional finesse to weave powerful plots.

The title offers a good prospect of what lies in the mystical pages of the book. It is the surplus violent emotions that bind the reader to keep reading it until the end. It is indeed a Pralay of different human emotions that this book contains so gracefully. The cover also explains the thunder, the lightning, the havoc that the sins of the humans wreaked on the Mother Earth.

Vidyut remained my favorite character. His enigma makes you fall in love with him. He is strong yet tender, powerful and weak, all at once. He does not falter as the bitter truths lingering around his existence present themselves to him. At no point, he is shaken by the dark powers, the impending disaster hovering his life. All he knows is that he is the last devta. He is half-human, half-god.

Love remains the cynosure of the narrative. Naina is head over heels in love with Vidyut. Their magnetic attraction towards each other is representative of the pure love that flows seamlessly between them. The Matthadheesh, great-grandfather of Vidyut, Dwarka Shastri loves his grandson dearly. The love of beings for wealth and power is also highlighted in the book. It is this predilection for material possessions and the lust of supremacy that culminates into the great deluge.

The language has been used with utmost perfection. Each word speaks loudly for the events happening at the backdrop. As you read the text, the scene comes alive in your head. The narrative grabs your attention, pulls you back and compels you to devour it. I was in tears when the particular incident portraying the cruel onslaught of saptarishis took place. Revenge and the vengeance fuming within you can surely make you a maniac. It robs you of your prudence and humanity ( or I should rather say divinity).

The book teaches the importance of knowledge and hints at the glory of this universe. A well-learned man Vidyut inspires us to lead a simple yet influential life. Naina propounds the essence of love. Balvanta teaches the significance of loyalty. And the book makes us learn the intricacies of the supposed history.

This book is superb in all the aspects. I praise the patience of the author with which he spun a marvelous plotline peppered with a variety of concepts, each giving us a new perspective. I am eagerly waiting for the Kashi to storm the markets.

I would strongly recommend it to every reader who wishes to immerse himself in the gore, bloodshed, violence and plenty of love and reverence. Pralay awaits you…

[Swathi Manchili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pralay, sequel to Harappa is as exciting and fast paced as the first part. There are many stories narrated in parallel this time. There is Manu and Matsya story who are building Manu Ark. Vidyut and Dwaraka Shastri along with their battery of warriors fighting Mahataantric Trijat. The title is apt for the story and there was no moment when I felt like taking a break from reading. There are a lot of questions unanswered like the black temple. I'm eagerly looking forward for the next one in the series.

[Manjri Gopalan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had known while buying the first book ("Harappa - Curse Of The Blood River") that the writer -
Mr. Vineet Bajpai intends to break the narration in 3 or more books, I would definitely not have bought the book or started it until I had the entire series with me. I hate such books where the readers are left in midst of a nail-biting mystery /action and forced to wait. Post "Harappa - Curse Of The Blood River", I was quite disappointed, as it involuntarily made me wait for almost 1 year. Now the second book "Pralay: the great deluge" does exactly the same.

I do not have any complaints as such about the book or about the plot or the characters. Though the second book in the series is a bit slow paced and but it is a lot more intense and dark as compared to the first. The plot keeps you enthralled, wanting to read more/finish quickly.

I'm now agog to read the third book "Kashi- Secret of the Black Temple". Hope book comes out soon and is the final one in this series 😋

[Rashi · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rating is 2 stars. I'm trying so hard to change it but GR just it brings it back to 3 stars. This is so frustrating.

The problem with the the book isn't the plot, in fact the plot is pretty good. It's the execution. The writing was bad. The use of 'arre yaar' in every single dialogue was unnecessary and annoying. The characters were bland, they had no personality. Naina was a bitch, who tries to steal her best friend from his girlfriend. SMH.

TBH I imagined Vidyut as Vidyut Jamwal, which didn't help the book. It was a bad book. Same goes for HARAPPA: Curse of the Blood River.

[Nikita Mittu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You could take away their homes, their lands, their loved ones, their wealth and everything they held dear. But you could never take away one thing from human being.

Hope.”

Pralay is the second book in the Harappa Series. It starts from where it was left off in the first book taking the reader through the journey of over thousand years of love and betrayal. Bajpai is a storyteller and he grips you with his story right from the start. He has a way of disclosing the facts of the book, which makes you crave for more.

Fact or Fiction?

I’ve said it before, and I say it again, that Bajpai is almost as good as Dan Brown. This book is rich in details beginning from 1700 BCE till the present day. The story of Satyavrata Manu, the New World Order, everything is so precisely detailed that it engulfs you in the story and makes you think along with the characters. Dwarka Shastri explaining the history to Vidyut made me wonder of our lives and I was unable to distinguish if it was a fact or merely a part of the story.

Father, Son & the Destined Devta

There were two main story lines simultaneously going on throughout the book. The last moments of the Surya of Harappa, Vivasvan Pujari, and the journey of his son Manu to the Black Temple. There is also Vidyut exploring the past, present and the future of what he is destined for. Although all these stories are written together in this book, it does not lose its effect, and makes you wonder what happened next.

It is a thrilling experience to read this book since it is action packed, richly detailed in facts and myths, involves the concepts of tantrics, daakinis, rakshasaas, and many more and you just can’t keep the book down.

Final Thoughts

Just like the previous book, I enjoyed this one as well and at the same time, I’m upset with the ending. Although it’s a trilogy, the ending was disappointing in a way that it was very abrupt.

All in all, it was a fantastic reading experience and I recommend this book to all lovers of Historical and Indian fiction. Bajpai is one of the most amazing writers I’ve read and the writing style is beautiful and the art of storytelling is at its best. I can’t wait for the final book, Kashi.

[Abhishek Chandorkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Well, this was much much better than part 1, and it finally answered a lot of questions.
Love the writing style with 2-3 parallel stories moving ahead at once.

This book also ended at a good point, not as abruptly as book 1, and I just can't wait to start the final part of the book.
Vineet Bajpai's evolution as a writer is quite evident from Book 1 to Book 2.

[Subhajit Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Name (with subtitle): PRALAY (The Great Deluge) [Harappa Series]
Author Name: Vineet Bajpai
Format: Paperback
No of Pages: 331
Publisher: VB Performance LLP (19/1/2018)
Blurb: The blurb portion of the book has been written in a compact way with highlighting the basic plotline of the book. Without revealing too much about the content of the story, the blurb is capable enough to tempt the reader to turn the pages of the book. So, it is good and apt I can say.
Cover: The cover design of the book is one of the most ecstatic and eye catching design I have ever laid my eyes on. The coloring shades, and the images have been chosen wisely and arranged them in such a way that made the look unique and it goes with the plot & theme of the book very well. A much appreciated work done by Munisha Nanda.
Title: Title (along with the subtitle) of the book is indeed a catchy one and keeping the ‘sequel’ factor in mind, I’d like to say that it is the most appropriate title that can be given precisely to this story only. It is justifying the substance of the book, hence I consider this appropriate. To be specific, the titular reference has been portrayed clearly in the half way of the book and continued thereafter as per the story need.
Language & narration: Language of the book is lucid and simple enough to comprehend; yet, I’d like to mention that there’s a lot places in the story where, the formation of the sentences impressed me indeed. I won’t say that there some heavy words have been used to craft the sentences but classic for sure. Uses of Hindi words & lines can be noticed there and of course with the meaning given accordingly. Well descriptive & fast pace narration is the main USP of the book. Not just because it is a thriller that I am saying, but keeping the narrating style intriguing as it should have been for a gripping sequel, it has some place that could have been improved. Not that I found any lack of grip in the story, never; it is just I am saying this, because in the middle, while describing about one of the connecting sub plot, the pace of the narration got a bit slow comparatively. But when it comes to twists and turns & the revelation of any mystery, the author proved that he is the Ace at this I must say.
Plot: Author Vineet Bajpai has crafted the plot after doing a heavy amount of research work and it is evident from this book. The entire plot of the Trilogy (Harappa Series) is being woven in an immensely intriguing way while intertwining a massive number of twists & turns in between through some noticeable connecting subplots with basic one in between. As there is one last concluding pat is still yet to reveal in the next volume of this series, I am hoping to see all the revelations in the upcoming. The story developed (in this part) from connecting 5 sub plots accordingly with 3 different time spans covering 6 major places simultaneously. Author has entangled all the corners of events with each other in a way that is clearly depicting the base of the entire plot significantly.
Setting: The story in this book has been set in more than 3 different eras and more than 6 major & minor places to cover as per the demand of the story. The time spans and places which have been portrayed & mentioned in this book are as follows- 1700 BCE- Harappa, East of Harappa, West of Harappa (Banks of the Indus), 2017- Banaras, outskirts of Banaras, Sarnath, Kashi, Rome (nearby), Manhattan, New York City , Milan, Geneva, Gurgaon, Kerala, 16th Century Goa, 325 AD- Bithynian City (Modern Day Turkey), Hindu Kush Mountains, 4th Century Constantinople, Nicaea, 1307 AD, 1139 AD, 1099 AD Jerusalem, 337 AD, 431 AD Byzantine.
Characterization: Crystal clear characterization is one of the strongest points of this book. All the characters have been portrayed connectively and each one of them justified to their respective roles till the end of this part and of course significant with their unique characteristics. Different shades of the characters have been presented in different phases of the story as per the need. Keeping aside the protagonists of the story (Vivasvan Pujari & Vidyut Shastri), there are a lot other major & minor characters mentioned in the story and they are- Pundit Chandradhar, Priyamvada, Ap, Sha, Gun, Ranga, Nayantara, Manu Pujari, Pundit Somdutt, Sanjana, Tara (Satarupa), Dwarka Shastri, Damini, Dr. Shashi Dikshit, Bala, Gopal, Purohitji, Balvanta, Govardhan, Sonu, Naina, Reg Mariani, Maschera Bianca, The Big Man, Romi Pereira, Matsya, ‘Lok-naas’, Sura, Prachanda, Brahma Raakshasa, Agostinho & Cristovao, Markandeya Shastri, Advait Shastri, Constantine, Trijat Kapaalik, Saptarishi (7 Sages), Sara Maa, Kartikeya Shastri & Pooja, Theodosius, Saint Bernard, Professor Prabhat Tripathi aka Brahmanand, Smashaan Tara, Shakti, King Philip.
Theme: Myths, Legends & Sagas, Action & Adventure, Thriller, Mystery, Mythology, History.
Story in a nutshell: As I mentioned earlier, it is the 2nd part in the Trilogy of Harappa Series. This is the continuing volume of the prequel book “Harappa- Curse of the Blood River” and thus, the story of this of book starts from exactly where the book ends; but of course the “Story so far” section of this book is enough clear for the reader to remind or understand what happened before. Story of this book is being divided into four main sections to be specific; 1) Vidyut’s & his great Grandfather Dwarka Shastri’s chapter in the Dev-Raakshasa Matth, 2) Chapter of Vivasvan Pujari’s revenge seeking against the entire people of Harappa (every son, every mother, every child) from West of Harappa to Harappa, 3) Chapter of Manu & the mystical fish-man Matsya about preparing for Pralay (the great deluge, the devastating end of the earth) in the East of Harappa & 4) The chapter of ‘New World Order’, conspiracy, ‘Dark Brotherhoods’ in Bithynian City (Modern day Turkey).
Greed for power & position, made Priyamvada, the Princess of Mohenjo-daro, & her husband Pundit Chandradhar so blind that they never thought twice before doing betrayal with the Great, Sun of Harappa, the Surya, the Devta himself, beloved Son of Sara Maa, The Vivasvan Pujari, who is ‘half human-half God’. While the gigantic inexplicable ruthless torture was going on to Vivasvan Pujari, he witnessed the last breath of his beloved wife Sanjana, and his one and only Son Manu, was being pierced by arrows after arrows, yet not a single person showed up to protest against the injustice or tried to prevent that. After being hurt the most (more mentally than physically), Vivasvan Pujari cursed the entire people of Harappa, to their existence! According to his curse, the entire Harappa will face the same fate and will be finished ruthlessly and there will be nothing left in the civilization..entirely…
Here, in Banaras, Vidyut Shastri’s close encounter with a skilled & trained, the most dangerous assassin Romi Pereira, left Vidyut’s life at the verge of the end. Before the suicidal attempt of Romi, he uttered something that left Vidyut perplexed and puzzled and when he saw her best brotherly friend Bala betrayed him, he couldn’t withstand that and was determined to find out the truth behind this assassination, but…for that…he needed to survive…first.
Now, here goes the story- Manu managed to escape with the dead body of his beloved mother by the help of Pundit Somdutt and rushed with his horse to the East of Harappa in search of the Black Temple as directed. In the way, he came across a mystical fish-man, who was almost breathing his last and was craving for a little water. In spite of being in the most tortured and ending condition himself, he offered the last drop of water to the fish-man, and soon after that, he witnessed the divine magical touch and aura of the fish-man, named Matsya. With his directed path, Manu somehow managed to reach where he was destined to and the last ritual of his mother had been taken care of with the best deserving way possible. There he foundd Matsya again and with his divine company, Manu sensed that Matsya is capable of doing Wonders, he wasn’t any ordinary person. Manu decided to avenge the ‘death’ of his father the Great Vivasvan Pujari, but he was not aware that his father is alive! But before he could proceed, Matsya stopped him, and to the surprise, told him about the condition of his father but with a camouflaged truth. Later, Matsya proclaimed, that, the end of the World, Pralay (the great deluge) is near and going to happen soon, and it was unavoidable, most devastating flood of the history will happen to wash away everything that is existing, and he decided to give Manu a responsibility, which…Manu was destined to fulfill…
On the other side, Somdutt & and his bravest Harappan battalion along with Tara, made a breathtaking and brave mighty unexpected attempt to set the Devta, the Great Vivasvan Pujari, free from the cage to save him from the ruthless torture. They succeeded in their attempt and…finally…the Devta…got freed and managed to leave the place and with that unimaginable pathetic condition, he landed himself to the West of Harappa, at the place of Sura (A-Sura) the mighty demon King, & with utmost mental state of seeking revenge of the death of his beloved wife Sanjana and his only son Manu (he presumed that Manu breathed his last already somewhere), he conspired with Sura & Senapati Prachanda to do something that will finish and vanish the entire Harappan civilization! (A)Sura agreed to help him seeking his avenge according to his plan but in return he demanded something that was unimaginable for even the Great Vivasvan Pujari; not only becoming the undisputed rulers of the entire Hindukush, they asked something more, which left Vivasvan Pujari in the utmost state of shock. (A)Sura was asking for…Saptarishi…!
Here in Banaras, Naina & Balvanta somehow managed to bring Vidyut inside the matth in his just breathing state. With the great effort of Dr. Shashi Dikshit, Vidyut was being brought again in his normal state, though not completely, but of course at the speed of the ‘last devta’ should have had been. Vidyut was determined to make Bala confess everything and for that, he confronted Bala directly. Bala didn’t utter the ultimate source of the assassination because he himself was just a mere part of this conspiracy. But Bala revealed something that stricken the core of Vidyut. Meanwhile, the Masaan Raja, the deity of the dead, Trijaat Kapaalik entered the matth with his 666 maniac followers and his guts left everyone stunned in the matth, including the Great Dwarka Shastri. It was evident that he did not come for any pleasantry visit and soon there was more shock awaiting Vidyut, when he discovered the beheaded lifeless body of Bala! That had shaken Vidyut’s inner self completely. Through Bala’s & Romi’s last words, Vidyut got to know about the term ‘New World Order’ and when he asked Dwarka Shastri about this, he realized that the source of this conspiracy was way too deep than his imagination. He got to know about ‘dark brotherhoods’ and then after realizing the depth and the ultimate result of what was going to happen through this “New World Order” that he was being chased by, the fact left him shocked, shaken, and perplexed from deep inside. More anxious he got when he wanted to the secret of the Black Temple that the Great Dwarka Shastri was referring to….
What happened after that? What is the ‘New World Order’ all about? Since when the conspiracy began to take place and from whom? What was the motive of this ‘New World Order’? Why they are after the life of Vidyut? What is the secret of the black temple? What it is being kept hidden from Vidyut also? What did Bala say before his death? What was the purpose of the visit of Trijat Kapaalik? What was he capable of doing that even the Great Dwarka Shastri was not aware of?
What will Vivasvan Pujari do after hearing the ‘demand’ of (A)Sura? A person blind by vengeance can surpass any limits, and when the person is none other than the Devta himself, then what kind of consequences that the entire Harappan civilization going to face? Most importantly, will the Surya of Harppa himself be able to sustain the outcome? When a ‘Mother’ curses her own Son, can that ‘Curse’ be reversible?
Who was Matsya actually? What was the truth that he camouflaged from Manu and why? What was “Pralay” he was referring to and what result will it bring if there is nothing to be left after that? Why it is inevitable and what is the responsibility that he decided to give Manu and why Manu only? Will Manu be able to fulfill his duty? Will Manu be able to survive the Pralay…the great deluge?
To know these answers and to know the rest of the story, grab your copy now and dive in the most devastating flood of the history….Pralay…the great deluge…
My Verdict: Author Vineet Bajpai has done well enough justice to this book as a sequel of the previous 1st volume of this Harappa Trilogy. I must say that the amount of efforts the author has put into the research work before penning down this book is really commendable. As a reader, I am amazed to see the vision of the Author, because this type of work about the sensitive historical topic, that too as a label of ‘Fiction’ needs huge guts to pen down and he has done his job perfectly. Giving the brief reference of the prequel in this book will help the reader to connect with this one easily. Different shades of the same character (be it the angry Vivasvan Pujari or repenting Vivasvan Pujari, be it the fuming Vidyut or sensitive caring Vidyut, be it the tough Dwarka Shastri or sacrificial Dwarka Shastri), has been clearly portrayed in the story. The pain of Manu, her confusion, dilemma, the love of Manu towards ‘his Tara’, Tara’s bravery and at the same time softness in heart for Manu, Dwarka Shastri’s love and care and sacrifice for Vidyut, Vidyut’s pain to see Bala go away forever, Vidyut’s state of mind after realizing what is going to happen next with Dwarka Shastri, his feelings for Naina and regrets, the deep conspiracy since ages about ‘One World – One Government), The vision of Matsya, his power and generosity, the true friendship of Somdutt for Vivasvan Pujari, his loyalty, the repentance of Priyamvada, the curse of the Saptarishi and Sara Maa, the helplessness of the Devta, the anger of betrayal, the avenging mentality of the Sun of Harappa, the ferociousness of the mighty ‘half human half God’- everything has been presented here in the book in an evidently touching way. Constantine’s opinion about the World, the origin of the “New World Order”, the hype behind the secret of the Black Temple (which is going to reveal in the next concluding part named “KASHI- Secret of the Black Temple”), the terror of Trijat Kapaalik, the plotting of Vivasvan Pujari regarding the construction plan, the details about the Aghori Taantrics, the death of Bala as an eye opening event for Vidyut, the childhood of Bala, the history behind becoming Maschera Bianca, conversation between Vidyut & Dwarka Shastri about the purpose of an Avatar (no one can stand in the way of destiny itself), (the greed for wealth and the lust for power starts the beginning of the end), the history of ‘Ap-Sha-Gun’- all these I mentioned are the noticeable key factors in the story. This book kept me at the edge of the chair, and I will definitely be looking forwards to the next concluding part of this ‘Harappa Trilogy’, which is named as “Kashi- Secret of The Black Temple”.
Recommendation: I’d like to recommend this action packed fictional thriller book to all the readers, especially mystery & adventure lovers, thriller enthusiasts, and to avid readers who are looking for a gripping and intriguing read. This book won’t disappoint them I can say. Thank you.
Rating (Overall): 5/5 Stars.

[Dhruv Singhal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
"You could take away their homes, their lands, their loved ones, their wealth and everything they held dear. But you could never take away one thing from human being.
Hope.”

Bajpai doesn't use heavy words or flaunts his vocabulary and yet delivers a commendable narration. I loved the formation of sentences at some points and applauded the author's ability of craft such thought provoking lines. Uses of Hindi words & lines can be noticed there and of course with the meaning given accordingly.

“Perhaps divinity is no greater than its believer. One would not exist without the other.” 

The narration was fast and gripping, and suited well to the book's setting. The events throughout the book, however in different time zones just like in the first book, connected really well. They were stringed like pearls in a necklace.The geography spans from the fertile plains of Harappa to the cold dry lands of the Northern mountains to the areas across Hindukush and finally to the present-day Rome.

However, towards the middle of the tale, the book suddenly slows down and it's pace turns slow, making it difficult for the readers to continue. Also, at times it becomes difficult to follow the storyline as the description becomes too much tangled and incoherent. Later, as the tale proceeds, the enthusiasm and pace returns.

Every page unleashes a new twist, a new mystery and this makes it impossible to put the book down. He quite effortlessly makes use of some of the world’s greatest conspiracy theories and incorporates them in the story to pen a captivating read.

What won me over? I can only say this : the behavior of all the characters, their characterization,  and their overall carriage is completely within the boundaries set in the first book; in fact, the story actually builds up the characters even deeper, with much better defined shades and etches. 

All the characters have been portrayed connectively and each one of them justified to their respective roles till the end of this part and of course significant with their unique characteristics. Different shades of the characters have been presented in different phases of the story as per the need. The major characters, as well as the minor characters, all get their own spotlight.

In the first book, we saw only a little part of Vivasvan’s son Manu and I am glad that he was in the center of the story in the second book. His journey to the Black temple and meeting to the new people to save the humanity and all of those gory details were really interesting. We saw how much he was influenced by Matsya and this indirectly refers that what a devotion to God can do to a man.

The book teaches the importance of knowledge and hints at the glory of this universe. A well-learned man Vidyut inspires us to lead a simple yet influential life. Naina propounds the essence of love. Balvanta teaches the significance of loyalty. And the book makes us learn the intricacies of the supposed history.

Vinnet Bajpai has cleverly sneaked in many facts all throughout the book. The book travels through many eras in a short time. It also gives recognition to the Indians who have contributed to the world in many ways and haven’t been recognized.

It was often hard for me to distinguish between the fact and the fiction. The way in which all of those things have been written, make you believe that those facts are actually real.

From Amish's Shiva Trilogy to Kevin's Kalki, I love how authors from India today are writing such great books and using our own colossal mythology and rich history as the theme. Plus points for that!

I praise the patience of the author with which he spun a marvelous plotline peppered with a variety of concepts, each giving us a new perspective. I definitely recommend it to you if you are a fan of mythological thrillers like Amish's Meluha trilogy or Kevil's Kalki and to every reader who wishes to immerse himself in the gore, bloodshed, violence and plenty of love and reverence. 
Pralay is definitely darker and more intense than Harappa. I am eagerly waiting for the last book, Kashi: Secret of the Black Temple which shall be the conclusion. 

[Yash Thakrar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just mind blowing

There are too many suspens going on simultaneously. Every chapter have bunch of suprises..From Indian mythology to European Mythology..From Knights Templar to Illuminati...From ap-sha-gun to Trijak kapalik every character, every chapter is too gripping.. writing style is too gripping..ok bye now you read this book & find more..I want to read part 3 of Harappan Series :- KASHI - THE SECRET OF BLACK TEMPLE

[Utkrisht Fella · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Pralay: The Great Deluge" by Vineet Bajpai is an absolute page-turner! Bajpai masterfully weaves together ancient Indian mythology with a gripping modern-day thriller. The pacing is relentless, the characters are compelling and the plot twists keep you on the edge of your seat. A truly immersive and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend for fans of mythological fiction and suspense!

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd book in the Harappa Series, equally interesting. Easy and quick read.

[Rajesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slower than the first but the pace picks up towards the 2nd half making you want to start number 3.

[Achilles___ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indeed ...Viduyt is half-man.... half-god.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book much better than first one.

[Anonymous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly Connected with mythology. 😪 Lacks proper factualization. 📝

Manu’s ark or Noah’s Ark? Same event, separate religions in opposite parts of the planet 🌍

I feel like The Kailashnath temple in Maharashtra is the black temple.

So it is true indeed that, there’s a woman behind a successful man but also a woman behind the destruction of a man and in the context even a civilisation.

Have to take these info. with pinch of salt:🧂

So if we take it as per the scriptures, Matsya avatar was the first and Manu supposedly the first man. If the year was 1700 BCE then when how come Parshuram lived a few centuries ago and what’s this distortion on the sequential existence of avatars? And as per chapter THE GREATEST KING the Mahabharata (and Krishna) happened around 700BCE.

Moreover in chapter THE LOST CIVILISATION the text “The earliest recorded mention of our planet being round was in Greek texts dating around the 6th century BCE. It did not become an accepted concept till as late as the 3rd century BCE, after Pythagoras championed it around 500 BCE. Then how did ancient Indians know about it hundreds or thousands of years before this time and describe the Earth as a sphere in the epics?” acknowledges Mahabharata and Ramayan to have occurred thousands of years prior while the author claims the Mahabharata to have occurred just two centuries prior to Pythagoras. Certainly the author has given in to delirium somewhere in the script.

Chapter THE LOST CIVILISATION scribes “Vidyut jumped in a Eureka moment. ‘Are you saying that their eternally youthful presence across hundreds and thousands of years was possible because they were travelling at the speed of light?!”
Well, if so they they would have to be in constant motion at the speed of light, right? But they are not machines or vehicles they are humans-mammals, how can they keep moving in light speed all the time first it would be exhausting and Secondly they would have to take rest, perform daily rites and other important duties. And moreover we know that Hanuman is cheeranjeevi (eternal, immortal). Matsya avatar leads Manu and others into Kali Yuga? This is not how the chronological events and avatars occurred.

So, the grand plot is the fall and extinction of a grand civilisation and era to pave the way for another yuga. Perhaps. But the cycle of Yuga is not this short.



Selectives:
“Beings that mirror the image of the Gods themselves- Humans.” Homo deus est.

“Differences in faiths and dogmas are the greatest threat to mankind. The world needed to be controlled by one force, one supreme power – that transcended the borders and Gods created by quarrelsome societies and lustful individuals. It needed to be governed by a novel and perpetual order. But Human beings are not sheep. It will never be possible to take away their liberty. You cannot control their free will. You cannot suppress their instincts.”

“A force above all we know, gets to choose the fate of humanity. How unfair is that?”

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: Pralay - The Great Diluge
Author: Vineet Bajpai
Format: Paper Back
Total Number of Pages: 315
Publisher: VB Performance LLP
Publishing Date: 19 Jan 2018
Printed Price: INR 162
ISBN-10: 8193642406
ISBN-13: 978-8193642405

Book Title:
The title of the book ' Pralay - The Great Deluge ' is interesting and sounds like just the right sequel.

Book Cover :
The book cover is a modern art in which the sky is bleeding, the holy cross thrown down and the helpless warrior standing. The word Pralay - which means devastation can be seen all the three mentioned objects.

Plot:
Right from the cover of the previous book 'Harappa' where the story unfolds a relation between Banaras city and Paris with Harappa which is ancient, the concept of last devta, the protagonist's journey throughout the many sequences made it an exciting and a definite page turner.

"Pralay" is the sequel of 'Harappa' and the story starts from 1700 BC to 325 AD, The council of Nicaea and back to Banaras. This timeline journey is what stands as an highlight. The exceptional writing skills of the author has the ability to get the reader stuck to the story and with every turn of the page, a new twist is gifted. There are several parallel stories running in the story that are inspired by some known stories and conspiracies of the world and human life, the excitement to read the next chapter takes the priority.

Surprisingly, few stories also talk about the social issues that the countries around the world are still facing since ages. The efforts that the author has put in coordinating several things into one story is to be appreciated.

What I liked in the book:
The plot, the narration, the characters and the swift journey between ages.

What I dint like in the book:
More no.of parallel stories, a little haphazard way of relating the story sequences and few places where the story looks dragging.

Characters:
Every character in the story is beautifully written and given importance. If this series of books are made into a movie or web series, it would really top the TRP ratings!

Narration:
A very proficient and fantastic narration.

Language and Vocabulary:
The language, grammar and vocabulary is very fine.

My Final Verdict—
A good sequel.

Book title: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language and Vocabulary: 4/5

I personally rate the book 4 out of 5