Who’s Amish?

Amish, by day.

By day, Amish Tripathi is a finance professional. After office hours, however, he is Amish the author. It may sound easier than Clark Kent turning into Superman but Amish has taken on quite a task for himself with the Shiva Trilogy, which blends history, mythology and pulp fiction.

Prior to The Immortals of Meluha, the first book of the Shiva Trilogy, currently number one on the Crossword best-seller list, Amish’s writing credits amounted to an article for his school magazine and poetry written for his wife. Fortunately, Amish doesn’t aim for literary flourish and keeps his writing simple. The world in The Immortals of Meluha is not always historically or mythologically accurate but it is fun, engaging and an easy read. Purists may not be thrilled but then, the sublime dancer and divine pothead were never the purists’ favourite.

You set up a theory that Vishnu and Shiva are titles earned by mortals. Could you explain this?
The idea is born from my belief that our gods were humans who achieved godhood due to their karma. I found the best resolution [of Hindu ideas of the avatar and my belief in karma] in the Tibetan Buddhists’ approach to their sage leaders. There are men who are recognised as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. The thought occurred to me, what if Vishnu and Mahadev were titles for the greatest of leaders, just like Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama?

Would you say your Tibetan Shiva is different from the usual depiction of Shiva?
Lord Shiva’s abode is Mount Kailash, which does make him Tibetan. This also fit into my book’s theory that the Mahadev had to be an outsider to be able to do his task well. An insider is always corrupted by one or the other side. Also, I believe that Tibet is one of the heavens on earth. I like to think of heaven as a place that gives sustenance to life. The greatest cultures of the ancient, and modern, world, like China and India, have all been sustained due to Tibet. The great rivers that flow out of Tibet have been the basis of civilisations in North India, China and South East Asia for the past 10,000 years. These rivers—Indus, Saraswati, Ganga,  Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Yangtze—are the bedrock of the culture, life and history of over 2 billion people. And they all come from Tibet.

What was the most difficult part of writing The Immortals of Meluha?
I think the most difficult part was the way the characters seem to have a life of their own. I am a corporate guy and like to be in control of what I am doing. But with the book, I would try to make some story changes but somehow, it wouldn’t work. Then I learned to just surrender to the flow.

Why did you pick this particular time period?
I’ve always loved the Indus Valley civilisation. It is one of the most mysterious and interesting ancient cultures. Its script has not been deciphered. Its ruins give the impression that this was a society obsessed with equality, which matches the perception we would have of “Ram Rajya.” It faced some severe tests in nineteenth century BC as its main river started drying up. So I thought it fit in well with the story. Also, I love the name Meluha. The name has a ring to it! Many historians now believe that the locals used to call the Indus Valley civilisation, Meluha.

Why did you write as Amish, instead of Amish Tripathi?
My book is also about the purity of karma, that all of us should be judged only by our karma, our actions. I thought that since my book is about this, I should try to be true to it on its cover. Therefore, I dropped my caste surname from the cover of the book.

The Immortals of Meluha by Amish, Tara Press, Rs295.