Deluge (Agasthya Secrets) – Ramesh Babu

Deluge (Agasthya Secrets)
–Ramesh Babu
Leadstart Publications

History and mythology have always been interesting. There exist a thin line between history and those which eventually turn into mythology. And this thin line between the fact and imagination kindles the interest of the people. Deluge has perfectly walked through this. Further, Deluge has discussed the secrets of the famous Tamil sage Agasthya. Being about the Tamil, its Sangam Era secrets, long lost Kumarikkandam and other interesting facts kindled my eagerness towards Deluge. And definitely, Deluge did not disappoint me. A letter of appreciation from the famous Iravatham Mahadevan (2 October 1930 – 26 November 2018) – an Indian epigraphist and IAS, known for his successful decipherment of Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and for his expertise on the epigraphy of the Indus Valley Civilisation – to the author Dr Ramesh Babu add credit to Deluge. The author has done a quality research on the subject and have crafted a beautiful thriller out of history.

Deluge travels in two planes. One in the current period. Other in the earlier world, Netherland. In the current period, an artefact is found. Both the historians and the underworld tries to get their hands on the artefact, of course for their own interests. Meanwhile, intelligence agencies too gear up to track these transactions in a bid to avoid any activity that would kill people. The plot moves across the world involving global terrorists and eventually global security agencies. However, the central plot roams around the artefact and the sage Agasthya who is expected to have created it. While the current plot is running quite fast, a parallel story of Sangam Era involving Asuras and Devas also unfold in Netherworld, covering Atala and Patala. Sage Agasthya and the artefact are the single pivot for these two parallel worlds, needless to say Shiva and Tamil being the centre of all. The story keeps us glued with our hearts thumping to know the end of the artefact, the terrorist activity, Sage Agasthya and how the life continues. A few open ended incidences add excitement to the story and keep us longing for more, probably a sequel.

I had started to read the book with lot of interest as the topic was of my interest and a credit note by Shri Iravatham Mahadevan was certainly encouraging. From the beginning, with a death and following pursuit, the story took of at a great pace. The inbetween Maya Asura story was definitely adding spice to the current story. To be honest, I enjoyed the Maya Asura story closer to my heart than the current story. The two stories were perfect blend. Also, there are few open ended questions in the story that keep our interest alive even after we finish the book. Is Sage Agasthya still alive? Did Ashwin and Swathi really meet him? If we pursue, could we too really meet Sage Agasthya? This would be too much to imagine, but the thought is just exciting. Is it really possible to review our prestigious Kumarikkandam and Sangam Era back again? I always believe that a good book should not finish a story but kindle more and more thoughts. Deluge has been great in this aspect. However, I have one compliant. As the book nears end, too many historical references and proofs pour in. This is a little too much for a reader to handle. This should have been spread a little more and the book could have been a little more longer to accommodate these information. Nonetheless, an excellent read.

My Verdict: One time read