Chandrakanta: Of Tilisms And Techniques

If someone has read the classic novel 'Chandrakanta', written by Devakinandan Khatri, they will know what I'm writing about. And I'm not at all referring to the TV serial by the same name, because, though it was inspired by the same book, but I don't feel it did much justice to the original story.

So, for those who haven't read it, this is the story of princess Chandrakanta who wishes to marry a prince, but like any classic love saga, faces lots of conspiracies, and ultimately gets married to her prince. But the story doesn't end here, there are six more volumes of this story, by the name of 'Chandrakanta Santati', which is the story of Chandrakanta's children.

Now one might ask, what is so special about the story, and it is like any other novel, but it isn't actually so. This story is beautifully interwoven around the concept of 'tilisms', that are like puzzles and treasure hunts. Initially it all seems like magic or witchcraft, but there is actually a lot of logic behind every happening and event in the story.

This story features many 'aiyaars', that are highly skilled people, who could take any form, through their make up and dressing skills. These aiyaars were great help to the kings,  princes and princesses. They could sneak into the enemy's territory and carry out any mission easily. 

But, interestingly these highly skilled aiyaars were acquired by both the sides, which made the conflicts even more thrilling.

The tilisms which are made and broken all the time in the book are an example of the immense and boundless imagination of the human mind.

This book celebrates logic and skills intertwined with love stories and stories of friendship and solidarity. The most common human emotions, combined with an intricate storyline make it an all time blockbuster.

The suspense, thrill and excitement is unmatched, and the writing style is so good that you can visualize it all happening in front of you.

This saga transcends through the boundaries of time and still makes people hold their breath after all these decades. The classic novel is overly fictional but equally enjoyable. This is the type of writing that makes us feel proud of our language and writers. The most striking thing about this story is that no event here is baseless, there is a reason and explanation behind everything, nothing senseless is passed on to the readers in the name of magic.

If you get a chance, do read this timeless tale of tilisms and techniques.

Do let me know about what you think of it in the comments.

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