A Hoysala Adventure (Girls of India series) | Historical Fiction about the 12th Century Hoysala Kingdom | by Nitin Kushalappa MP (Author), Priyanka Tampi (Illustrator)
y take on the book:
It was 1185 CE; Pemma Virappa who was once the mandaleshwara(lord) of Kodagu was now living simple life like a farmer, after being defeated by the Emperor. Virappa also struggled with health issues as he had a cancerous tumor on his back and his daughter Devaki took care of him, helped her mother in all household chores while studying.
When pilgrims passing through Virappa’s village visited him, Devaki and her younger brother Bopa express interest in visiting Shravanabelagola along with those pilgrims. Devaki’s mother Uma also agrees to send them so that they can be away from their father’s health woes for few days. As Devaki and Bopa visit temples beyond their original destination, they hear rumors in the capital city that their father is being branded a traitor.
When they visit the King’s palace to clear their father’s name, they learn about kidnap of a royal resident and a rebellion brewing in the kingdom. What will Devaki and Bopa do in the middle of this chaos forms the rest of the story.
The author effortlessly describes life in Karnataka and other southern parts of India many centuries ago. The Kingdoms, the kings, their wars, culture, lifestyle, dressing style, eating habits — the author weaves all these details into the story. The geography of the states and provinces in those times, the architecture of temples, and the sculptures engraved on them are very interesting to read about. The marketplaces in the story also depict the diverse and far-away countries from where merchants used to come to sell their wares.
The story revolves around a twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother, and their journey across towns, villages and temples, along with their adventures — facing bandits, rebel soldiers; all of these make for a thrilling reading experience for young kids.
The author balances well the thrills with history, weaving a perfectly balanced story. The illustrations are beautiful and perfectly capture the mood of the story.
The author also narrates the background of the Hoysalas, the Changalvas and the Kongalvas, especially a detailed history of the Hoysalas. The story also touches on the emergence of Jainism in southern India which thrived along with Hinduism, as members of the same family embraced both the religions.
Pick this one to introduce to your young kids the history and culture of Southern India, especially of the Hoysala Kings.
My rating:
4/5.