Excerpt:

Usha Narayanan’s Prem Purana packs a wealth of unknown stories into the three principal narratives – Ganesha’s Brides, Mandodari and Nala Damayanti.

This complex tapestry of inter-related tales is written in contemporary style to engage the 21st century young reader. Therefore a Ganesha may stomp his foot in annoyance or a Siddhi may arch her eyebrow enquiringly.

Narayanan has presented the emotions of people in love that shows that little changes over time or across the three realms of heaven, earth and the netherworld.She has brought down Gods and goddesses from their hallowed pedestal and humanised their thoughts, words and actions.

In a sly dig at our blind faith in Ganesha, she refers to the milk drinking episode of a few years ago when devotees all over the country had claimed that Ganesha idols were ingesting milk through their trunks.

The novel differentiates itself from other works in the genre with some epic descriptions, for instance, the ‘sorcerous shaft of arrows’ in the battle between Siddhi and Kamasura or the description of the ‘countless Ganeshas astride his many vahanas’.

Many a tender moment are gently expressed in delicate prose. The author has taken especial care to preserve the ethereal beauty of the courtship scenes.