The Rise of Sivagami

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The Rise of Sivagami
The Rise of Sivagami cover.jpg
AuthorAnand Neelakantan
CountryIndia
LanguageEnglish, Hindi Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam
SeriesBaahubali
GenreHistorical fiction/Fantasy
Published7 March 2017
PublisherWestland (Tata Group)
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages492
ISBN9789386224446
OCLC987429288

The Rise of Sivagami is an Indian historical fiction novel written by Anand Neelakantan.[1] It acts as a prequel to the film Baahubali: The Beginning.[2] It was originally released in English on 7 March 2017, with Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil versions released in April 2017.[3][4]

The story revolves around Sivagami, a character of Baahubali. The novel is intended to extrapolate the Baahubali films.[5] It also tells the readers more about Kattappa, another important character of the story.[6]

Plot[]

Years of simmering in the abundant empire of Mahishmathi is coming to a boil.

Orphaned at a young age, Sivagami is waiting for the day she can avenge her father's death. She hates the king of Mahishmathi, Somadeva, who accused her father of being a traitor and sentenced him to a cruel death. Sivagami's path crosses with the king's, and his family, when her foster father Thimma seeks permission from him for Sivagami's stay at the royal orphanage till she turns eighteen. Prince Mahadeva, the king's younger son, falls in love with her instantly.

Thimma leaves for a secret mission. His son and Sivagami's childhood friend, Raghava, confesses his love for Sivagami, who is taken aback and rejects him as she sees him as a brother. He leaves as well, promising that he will always help her in her mission.

Sivagami takes with her to the orphanage a manuscript that she has inherited from her father. Written in the indecipherable Paisachi language, she thinks it might solve the mystery of what led to his death. She becomes good friends with two other orphans: Kamakshi and Gundu Ramu.

Maharaja Somadeva's elder son, Prince Bjjaladeva, is anxiously awaiting the day he will be declared the crowned prince. He has a frail ego and is bothered by his younger brother's popularity with the masses. Bjjaladeva is cruel and a bully and the family slaves bear the brunt of it.

Kattappa, who has his father Malayappa's subservience ingrained in him, is a dedicated slave to Prince Bjjaladeva. Contrastingly, his younger brother Shivappa resents being born a slave and dreams of freedom. Shivappa is in love with Kamakshi, Sivagami's friend. He wants to build a new world and join the Vaithalikas, the rebel tribe that is fighting against Mahishmathi from the forests.

Besides the familial and personal, there is a political hustle at play for the precious cave stones at the sacred Gauriparvat in Mahishmathi. This mountain is rich in Gaurikanta stones, which are used to make Gauridhooli, the magical powder that gives the weapons of Mahishmati their great power.

The empire is ridden with political decadence and a corrupt bureaucracy, of which one of the most unscrupulous members is Bhoomipathi Pattaraya. And of the very few honorable people in the kingdom, by far the most honest is the deputy prime minister of Mahishmathi, Skandadasa. He discovers that Mahishmathi is producing Gauridhooli in a un underground workshop under the palace. He starts recording the process of making this secret ingredient. Pattaraya is after this secret.

Kattappa goes into the forest in search of his brother. Shivappa, more faithful to his cause than to his brother, stabs him from behind and leaves him for dead in a river. Kattapa in enslaved by Jeemotha, a pirate and slave trader. Jeemotha sells Kattapa to Bhoomipathi Guha as a slave. Jeemotha is hatching plans to make a fortune out of Gaurikanta stone. Ally, and member of a secret gang of women rebels led by Achi Nagamma, a mysterious old warrior, allies herself with Jeemotha to find out more about the Gaurikanta stones.

In Bhoomipathi Guha's land, the Mahishmathi government is getting a huge statue of Kali made. Every year, the Gaurikanta stones are secretly filled in a Kali statue and transported into the city. The statue is take in ritual procession during the Mahamakam festival and immersed in the river Mahishi. The officials of Mahishmathi then fish out the stones from the riverbed and carry them to the underground workshop where they are converted into Gauridhooli.

With the help of Kattappa, on the eve of Mahamakam, Ally destroys the Kali statute and then frees Kattappa from slavery. Ally is caught by Jeemotha. Kattappa ruses to Mahishmathi where he meets Prince Mahadeva and tells him about the coup that Shivappa is planning during Mahamakam.

Kattappa then goes in search of Shivappa and stumbles of Prince Bjjala attempting to rape Kamakshi. He bears the brunt of Bjjala's wrath when he tries to stop the rape. Kamakshi commits suicide by jumping from the balcony. Kattapa immobilizes Shivappa, who rushes to murder Bjjala.

Sivagami's treasured manuscript is confiscated and handed over to Skandadasa. When she sneaks into his office to retrieve it, she witnesses Pattaraya murdering the deputy prime minister. She is chased by Pattaraya's men. Sivagami flings her manuscript to her friend Gundu Ramu, who is waiting on the other side of the fort wall. Gundu Ramu is caught by Hidumba, a dwarf and the chief miner of Gauriparvat, who kidnaps the boy so he can take him to the dreaded Gauriparvat mines.

Sivagami inadvertently ends up in the middle of the coup. In fighting off an attacker in self-defense, it appears as though she has saved the king's life from an assassin. The king awards her with the title of 'bhoomipathi' for her act of courage. He also confers Prince Mahadeva with the title of Vikramadeva, a title given to the bravest kings and princes.

For unsuspecting Sivagami, the first execution she is to carry out is of her foster father, Thimma. It is believed Thimma might have been off of the members of the Vaithlikas and was a part of the coup.

Hardened by the injustices of an unequal world, will Sivagami side with the power she hates and kill Thimma, or will she choose to honor and protect her foster father who was fighting for the wronged?

BOOK 2: Chaturanga | Resumes the story

Sequel[]

A Sequel CHATURANGA was announced on 25 July 2020. It is scheduled to be released on 6 August 2020.

Reception[]

The Rise of Sivagami received generally positive reviews. The Indian Express wrote, "Despite its flaws, the book cobbles together enough good elements by the end for readers and especially for fans of the movie to await the next installment."[7] The Hindu wrote, "Matching the film, the book too has grand portrayal of the era, places, people, culture and customs it depicts."[5] The book has also been reviewed by The New Indian Express,[1] Firstpost[2] and India TV.[6]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "The Rise of Sivagami: Dynastic Tale". The New Indian Express. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Baahubali prequel novel The Rise of Sivagami explores SS Rajamouli's epic universe". Firstpost. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017.
  3. ^ "The Rise of Sivagami: First Book in Baahubali Series Unveiled Amidst Fanfare". News 18. 1 April 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Book 1 in Baahubali trilogy out; will reveal Rajmata Sivagami, Kattappa's backstories". Hindustantimes.com. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b "The story of the 'Rise of Sivagami'". The Hindu. 3 April 2017. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017.
  6. ^ a b "'The Rise of Sivagami': First Book in 'Baahubali' series launched amidst fanfare". India TV News. 1 April 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Paper Backers: Kingdom Cometh". The Indian Express. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017.

External links[]

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