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_askthebookbug 's review for:
Mandu: The romance of Roopmati and Baz Bahadur
by Malathi Ramachandran
• r e v i e w •
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Mandu happened to be one of those books that took me by surprise. Malathi Ramachandran, a name that I hadn't heard of before has quite easily mesmerized the readers by her ability to weave such an intricate story that only a handful of people knew about. Set in the 16th century, Mandu is a beautiful tale of love and loss about Miyan Bayezid Baz Bahadur Khan, the last Sultan of Malwa Sultanate and the lovely commoner Roopmati. Their love was intense as the scorching sun yet gentle like the summer breeze. At a time when Kings had harems brimming with exotic women, Baz found himself losing interest in the worldly pleasures after meeting Roopmati. Her music was what kept him grounded while his poems gave her wings.
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When Baz was out on a hunting expedition, the voice of a maiden catches his attention. Almost instantly he too begins singing with the young woman who appears to be immersed in the song, her eyes tightly shut. It is only after the song ends that she realises his presence and invites him home for a cup of tea. Baz, who first noticed her voice is taken aback by the beauty that she possesses and concludes how she couldn't have had a better name. Roopmati. He is immediately filled with the desire to take her to the palace where she would be his muse, fellow artist to whom he can read poems to and sing songs with. Roopmati, who shares a particularly close bond with the river Narmada, agrees to accompany him on the condition that she has to be able to see the river from the palace. And so, the relationship between Baz and Roopmati unfurls like a blooming flower.
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Not everyone is happy about Baz's fascination with Roopmati and one of them turns out to be his wife, Hiba. While Hiba and her mother plot to send Roopmati away, Malathi goes to show how love has the ability to build but also destroy even kingdoms. While Baz and Roopmati bask in their newfound love, little did they notice the arrival of doom. Their love was as glorious as Mandu and as Malathi describes the beauty of the captial of Malwa, one can't help but visualise the river flowing gently, the magnificent sunsets and the melodious voice of Roopmati. Written using simple yet effective vocabulary, Mandu was a real treat to read. I don't recall the last time I had the chance to read historical fiction that carried romance as subtle and wonderful as this. For readers like me, who knew next to nothing about Baz, this was a very informative read. I only wished that there was more of Mandu's history included in the book. Not only was the story interesting but it was also fast-paced, making me devour it in just two days. I definitely recommend this to those who seek pleasure out of books that reek rich descriptions of places.
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Rating : 4.4/5.
.
Mandu happened to be one of those books that took me by surprise. Malathi Ramachandran, a name that I hadn't heard of before has quite easily mesmerized the readers by her ability to weave such an intricate story that only a handful of people knew about. Set in the 16th century, Mandu is a beautiful tale of love and loss about Miyan Bayezid Baz Bahadur Khan, the last Sultan of Malwa Sultanate and the lovely commoner Roopmati. Their love was intense as the scorching sun yet gentle like the summer breeze. At a time when Kings had harems brimming with exotic women, Baz found himself losing interest in the worldly pleasures after meeting Roopmati. Her music was what kept him grounded while his poems gave her wings.
.
When Baz was out on a hunting expedition, the voice of a maiden catches his attention. Almost instantly he too begins singing with the young woman who appears to be immersed in the song, her eyes tightly shut. It is only after the song ends that she realises his presence and invites him home for a cup of tea. Baz, who first noticed her voice is taken aback by the beauty that she possesses and concludes how she couldn't have had a better name. Roopmati. He is immediately filled with the desire to take her to the palace where she would be his muse, fellow artist to whom he can read poems to and sing songs with. Roopmati, who shares a particularly close bond with the river Narmada, agrees to accompany him on the condition that she has to be able to see the river from the palace. And so, the relationship between Baz and Roopmati unfurls like a blooming flower.
.
Not everyone is happy about Baz's fascination with Roopmati and one of them turns out to be his wife, Hiba. While Hiba and her mother plot to send Roopmati away, Malathi goes to show how love has the ability to build but also destroy even kingdoms. While Baz and Roopmati bask in their newfound love, little did they notice the arrival of doom. Their love was as glorious as Mandu and as Malathi describes the beauty of the captial of Malwa, one can't help but visualise the river flowing gently, the magnificent sunsets and the melodious voice of Roopmati. Written using simple yet effective vocabulary, Mandu was a real treat to read. I don't recall the last time I had the chance to read historical fiction that carried romance as subtle and wonderful as this. For readers like me, who knew next to nothing about Baz, this was a very informative read. I only wished that there was more of Mandu's history included in the book. Not only was the story interesting but it was also fast-paced, making me devour it in just two days. I definitely recommend this to those who seek pleasure out of books that reek rich descriptions of places.
.
Rating : 4.4/5.