Sunday, December 31, 2017

eGranth - Books Newsletter, December 2017

Editor’s Note: - This is the December Newsletter, that I, Anvita Agarwal, am editing. This time, we have many books in the Fantasy section, and all of them are books you will love to read. During this month, I managed to complete another Rick Riordan series, and have shared that with you. Along with that, I have included a book that will simplify your History and Geography lesson’s. ‘The Incredible History of India’s Geography’ is a book that will surely spark you interest in these two subjects. Two other famous series have been included in this newsletter. The ‘Tom Gates’ series, a series of side-splitting books on the life of Tom Gates, and his journey through school with Mr. Fullerman, his grumpy teacher, and Delia, his annoying sister, and a lot of unexpected accidents. Enjoy as you delve deeper into the mystical world of Narnia, as you read the adventures of Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy, as they solve the different issues that keep popping up in the wonderful world of Narnia. Join them as they visit different lands and meet different creatures. Hope you enjoy this newsletter!     - Anvita 
 

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Markandeya Purana, by Bibek Debroy

The Markandeya Purana, translated by Bibek Debroy

This is the eighth Purana I am reviewing, and it is a Rajasika Purana as it goes into detail about the process of creation. It is the shortest Purana and is only nine thousand shlokas long. This Purana talks in detail about a few unanswered questions from the Mahabharata. When you read the Mahabharata, questions will start popping up like, ‘Why did Draupadi have five husbands?’, ‘Why did Draupadi’s sons die in the dead of night instead of on the battlefield?’ This Purana has answered these questions. It has many stories, but focuses more on the histories of the different Manvantaras (duration of a Manu). The Markandeya Purana has 137 chapters. Towards the end of this Purana, it starts narrating stories of the goddess Chandi. In the original text, this extends from chapter eighty-one to ninety-three.