Ponniyin Selvan  (Tamil, Paperback, GIRI)

A novel of epic proportions, Ponniyin Selvan (Set Of 5 Volumes) (Tamil) tells the story of the ascension of the great Chola ruler Rajaraja.

Summary Of The Book

This massive work in five volumes is one of the highlights of Tamil literature. It is set in 10th century South India and follows the many wiles of the Chola dynasty. It begins with the foundation of the mighty dynasty and goes on through a series of successions and counter-successions, until the reader meets the main characters of the novel.

The story revolves around its two main protagonists, Vandiyathevan and Prince Arulmozhivarman. This complex story weaves its narrative around these two characters’ travels in the Chola empire and Sri Lanka. Vandiyathevan is the lens through which the reader comes in contact with many important characters. The scope of the novel is massive, as it is populated by a large number of characters ranging from kings and generals in royal palaces in India and Sri Lanka, to Buddhist monks and travellers of all sorts. It has for its backdrop the rise of Raja Raja, one of the greatest rulers in South Indian history and the intricate web of politics and social intrigue which invariably follows the rise of such men. In many ways, the novel is a revisiting of one of the most glorious eras in Tamil history, an age when art, literature, architecture and science of all sorts flourished under some of the mightiest rulers.

Ponniyin Selvan (Set Of 5 Volumes) (Tamil) was first serialized in the magazine Kalki over a three and a half year period, during which it gained a steady and unwavering readership. Thanks to its scope and the intricacy of its style and content, it is widely considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest novel in Tamil literature.

About Kalki

Kalki was a Tamil writer critic, journalist, and activist who is widely considered to be one of the greatest writers in Tamil Literature.

He was a prolific writer and penned some of the most famous novels in Tamil, including Mohini Theevu, Parthiban Kanavu, Sivagamiyin Sapatham, Solaimalai Ilavarasi, Punnaivanathu Puli, Amara Thara, and Poiman Karadu.

Born in the village of Tanjore under the name R. Krishnamurthy, he completed his early education at his local village school and later moved to National High School in Trichinopoly. He soon dropped out of school and joined the Indian National Congress and became an ardent activist and freedom fighter. Krishnamurthy is best known by his pen name ‘Kalki’.