The main purpose of writing this book was to expose the myths and legends prevalent in the society related to Mahabharata. Secondly, it also became necessary to write this book so that the society gets to know the true facts about the history of the lunar dynasty. There are many questions mark on Mahabharata due to misconceptions and legends prevalent in the society. For example, (1) Was Asvatthama mortal or immortal? (2) Was Krishna god or super human being? (3) Was there a caste system or varna system in the society of that time? (4) Did Karna belong to a lower caste? (5) Did Krishna show his powers in lengthening Droupadi's saree during the dyuta-sabha? (6) Did Droupadi really say that the son of a blind man is blind? Was Droupadi the reason for the war? (7) Did Droupadi refuse to marry Karna in the Swayamvar, calling him a suta-putra? (8) Was Hanuman really sit on Arjun's chariot during the war? (9) Did Krishna really cover the sun during the war? (10) How will Kalyuga end? (11) How was Yudhishthira punished for his half lie? (12) Was the war of Mahabharata a battle for power or really a dharam-yudha? (13) Did guru Drona ask for Eklavya's thumb? If yes, was it because of Arjuna or anything else? (14) Who was superior, Arjuna or Karna? There are many more such questions of which answers are given incident-wise in this book that is written in a very simple English to make it easily read and understood by everyone.

Twenty-three delightful real life stories and fifteen heart touching poems describe in graphic details the economic and sexual exploitation of poor tribal people of Kalahandi by scheming moneylenders, businessmen, local contractors, politicians and indifferent bureaucrats. The stories have been originally written in English, while the poems have been translated from the original Odia. For his poem collection on Kalahandi the author had won Sahitya Akademi's Golden Jubilee prize for poetry in 2007. Once known as the “rice bowl” of Odisha, Kalahandi became infamous for large scale starvation deaths in the 1980s. The agrarian economy of Kalahandi was devastated following a 20 year long famine starting in 1965. Poor people in interior pockets died in hordes although Kalahandi district as a whole remained rice surplus even during the famine decades. Therefore the author contends that, although the famine was a natural calamity, the starvation deaths were an avoidable man made disaster. The stories and poems included in this book are written in a very simple language, in the form of funny real life anecdotes. But underneath their humorous exterior, these highly symbolic stories offer in-depth diagnosis as well as practical solutions to various grassroots level socio-economic problems in a penetrating manner.

On the socio-economic conditions of Jammu and Kashmir as a result of political turmoil.

The women in India's great epics compare favourably with the men Draupadi, the princess with five husbands and a fiery temperament; Uloopi, who abducted the mighty warrior Arjuna; Satyabhama, who fought alongside Krishna to kill the demon Narakasura; Sita, who dramatically descended into the bowels of the Earth rather than return to her suspicious husband; Satyavati, whose greed set the stage for the Kurukshetra War; or Savitri, who achieved the impossible without picking up a weapon. Pushpa Kurup brings their stories and many others in this brilliant compilation of the powerful and intriguing women of our mythology. What enriches this volume further is the inclusion of a few lesser-known but equally significant women, such as Unniyarcha, the heroine of the vadakkanpaatu of Malabar; Kannagi, whose fury destroyed the prosperous Pandya kingdom of Madurai; or Sati Devi and Amba, who immolated themselves in their bid to achieve their mission. From bhikkunis and sanyasinis to wild and wayward women, from daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers to queens, warriors and scholars, the stories of these splendid women throw up many surprises and make for a fascinating read.

Seventy-two stunning findings about Alexander the Great and the assassin of Alexander the Great is finally identified. Who killed Alexander the Great? After over two thousand years of speculation, the assassin of Alexander is finally identified. To verify the truth, this historical narrative searches through a mass of conflicting records, including Indian and Greek classical texts. By assimilating new information from multiple sources, Ajith Kumar stitches together this scattered history with 72 pieces of fresh evidence to solve the perplexing murder mystery. Alexander’s destiny, it seems, was determined the moment he stepped into Taxila in India in 326 BC, as he was helplessly trapped in a different world, where an invisible enemy was leading a secret war against him. The Arthasastra of Chanakya, an epic treatise on statecraft and warfare, presents the multiple strategies of the 'secret war' which diverted and decimated the Greek army, and killed its supreme commander. In The Murder of Alexander the Great, Book 2: The Secret war, Ajith Kumar presents a new version of ancient history that still remains hidden in ancient Indian texts. The puzzling mystery behind Alexander's premature death is documented in Chanakya's 'Arthasastra,' a military manual of ancient India, which reveals devastating effects of the Secret War strategy employed by the Indians during the Greek invasion in 326 BC. The exotic weapon that killed Alexander is named as the 'Destroyer of time' in the Arthashastra, a military manual, and the Sanskrit Puranas. The Puranas also hold untold chapters of hidden history, which reveal how the Indians decisively destroyed the worldwide empire of Alexander the Great and changed the world for ever. The two-millennium-old murder mystery takes us back in time to the farthest corners of the primitive world, only to end in a stunning climax that lays bare the elusive assassin of Alexander.

Vivid Portrait Of An Animal That Has Captured The Imagination Of Humans For Millennia Elephas Maximus, The Majestic Asian Elephant, Is Still Revered In Indian Religion And Culture. Yet, Unabated Ivory Poaching Conjures Up Fears Of A Future When Tuskless Males May Be All That Survive And Conservationists Are Fighting To Preserve Its Endangered Habitat As Settlements Expand. Fascinated By This Regal Animal And Its Unique Relationship With Humankind, Stephen Alter Travelled Extensively Across India To Explore Its Natural Home, And Its Place In History And Myth. Alter'S Search Takes Him From National Parks Where He Observes Elephants In The Wild To The Annual Sonepur Mela Where They Are Bought And Sold, To Kota Where They Once Played A Unique Role In Royal Festivals. He Charts The Elephant In Art, Religion, Folklore And The Everyday World Of India, Bringing To Life The Complex Past And Troubled Present Of This Majestic Creature While Offering Hope For Its Future.

Delve into the rich tapestry of India's history with The Untold Secret of Ancient India. This captivating book uncovers the mysteries and hidden knowledge from a civilization that has fascinated scholars and enthusiasts alike for centuries.

Ecodisaster Imaginaries in India: Essays in Critical Perspectives is a volume of critical essays that discuss and debate the literary and cultural representations of ecological/environmental disaster in India from the perspectives that are integral to postcolonial disaster studies and the environmental humanities. The essays offer theoretically informed readings of environmental fiction, nonfiction, and poetry among other contemporary literary genres that open our eyes to today’s burning issues of global warming, climate change, pollution of air and water bodies, deforestation, and species extinction. The volume addresses the staunch ecological consciousness reflected in Rabindranath Tagore’s writings from the early twentieth century, indigenous responses to ecodisaster, and the portrayal of ecodisaster in selected Indian movies which raise questions of human rights violations in the face of manmade disaster and environmental crisis.

2024-25 SSC General Studies Chapter-wise, Topic and Subject-wise Solved Papers 1104 1595 E. This book contains 957 set papers with detail analytical explanation and based on revised answer key.