Sivakamiyin Sabadam - Sivakami's Vow

Author: Kalki
Translator(s)/ Editors(s): P S Sri
Publisher: Sahitya Akademi
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 853
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8126025808

Description

This work is a masterpiece that sweeps one away almost 1400 years back into the past when the Pallavas reigned supreme in South India. The story of the love that blooms between the beautiful dancer Sivakami and the brave Pallava Prince Mamallar is played out against the backdrop of the intriguing political chess game between the novel Pallava emperor Mahendra Varman and the evil Buddhist monk turned Chalukya spy, Naga Nandi.

Naga Nandi deals a death blow to his arch-rival, Mahendra, and spirits away Sivakami from Kanchi, the capital of the Pallava kingdom to distant Vathapi, the capital of the Chalukya kingdom in the north, and imprisons her there for nine long years.,

Overwhelmed by the savage spectacles of war and bloodshed, rape and pillage, which she beholds on her way to Vathapi, Sivakami makes a vow before Naga Nandi that she won't leave Vathapi till she sees the city burning and its streets running rivers of blood under the dreadful onslaught of a victorious Pallava army led by her beloved Mamallar.

As the story progresses we see before us a fascinating saga of love and hate, heroism and villainy that unfolds under the grim shadow of war between two mighty empires - The Pallavas and the Chalukyas..