‘The glory of Patan’ comes alive
THE FIRST NOVEL in the Patan trilogy – ‘The Glory of Patan’ (Patan nee Prabhuta) and the kingdom will come alive when Delhi’s iconic Oxford Bookstore along with Namita Gokhale, a renowned Indian writer, publisher and festival director hold discussion about the famous trilogy by KM Munshi in Oxford Bookstore on July 29 at 6.30 pm
The book is translated by Rita and Abhijit Kothari, who will be in discussion with Santosh Desai (Managing Director and CEO, Future Brands Ltd) and Dr Tridip Suhrud (Director & Chief Editor Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad).
The kingdom of Patan faces an ominous future. King Karnadev lies on his deathbed. His son, Jaydev, is too young to ascend the throne. Rumours abound of scheming warlords’ intent on establishing their own independence and powerful merchants plotting to wrest control from Patan Fort. There is also the shadowy monk Anandsuri and his vision to unite Patan under one reli- gion: Jainism.
In the eye of this gathering storm are Queen Minaldevi and the shrewd chief minister, Munjal Mehta. Both have striven to maintain order in Patan and ensure that Jaydev’s succession is secure. But the growing attraction between them is threatened by betrayal and intrigue, with dramatic consequences for the future of Patan. A sprawling, fast-paced saga in the oeuvre of Alexandre Dumas, ‘The Glory of Patan’ is the first book in an epic trilogy about the exploits of the magnificent Chalukya dynasty at a crucial period in the history of Gujarat.
KM Munshi, the author, is one of Gujarat’s most well-known literary writers. His historical novels have contributed profoundly to the sense of past that Gujarat lives with. A multi-faceted personality, he was a prominent lawyer, freedom fighter and politician. He was also the founder of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.