B. Jeyamohan (also credited as Jayamohan) is one of the most influential contemporary, Tamil and Malayalam writer and literary critic from Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
He entered the world of Tamil literature in the 1990s, Jeyamohan has had impacted the Tamil literary landscape as it emerged from the post-modern phase. His best-known and critically acclaimed work is Vishnupuram, a deeply layered fantasy set as a quest through various schools of Indian philosophy and mythology. His other well-known novels include Rubber, Pin Thodarum Nizhalin Kural, Kanyakumari, Kaadu, Pani Manithan, Eazhaam Ulagam, and Kotravai. His writing is heavily influenced by the works of humanitarian thinkers Leo Tolstoy and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Drawing on the strength of his life experiences and extensive travel around India, Jeyamohan is able to re-examine and interpret the essence of India's rich literary and classical traditions. --- 喈む喁嵿喁� 喈瘑喈喁� 喈庎喁�.喈喈曕瘉喈侧瘒喈喁� 喈喈赤瘝喈赤瘓. 喈む喈む瘝喈む 喈瘑喈喁� 喈掂喈曕瘝喈曕喁€喈熰瘝喈熰瘉 喈氞畽喁嵿畷喈班喁嵿喈苦喁嵿喁�. 喈瘋喈班瘝喈掂瘈喈� 喈娻喁� 喈曕瘉喈喈苦喈距喈熰瘝喈熰喁� 喈掂喈赤喈權瘝喈曕瘚喈熰瘉 喈掂疅喁嵿疅喈瘝, 喈む喈班瘉喈掂喈瘝喈瘉. 喈む喈む瘝喈む 喈呧疅喈苦喁佮喁� 喈嗋畾喈距喁�. 喈嗋畷喈掂瘒 喈氞畽喁嵿畷喁� 喈嗋畾喈距喁� 喈庎 喈呧喁堗畷喁嵿畷喈瘝喈疅喁嵿疅喈苦喁佮畷喁嵿畷喈苦喈距喁�. 喈呧喁嵿喈距喈苦喁� 喈呧喁嵿喈� 喈瘑喈喁� 喈侧疅喁嵿畾喁佮喈苦畷喁嵿畷喁佮疅喁嵿疅喈� 喈呧喁嵿喈�. 喈呧喈班喁� 喈氞瘖喈ㄠ瘝喈� 喈娻喁� 喈曕瘉喈喈苦喈距喈熰瘝喈熰喁� 喈掂喈赤喈權瘝喈曕瘚喈熰瘉 喈掂疅喁嵿疅喈瘝, 喈む喈班瘉喈掂疅喁嵿疅喈距喁�. 喈呧喁嵿喈距喁佮疅喈┼瘝 喈喈编喁嵿喈掂喁嵿畷喈赤瘝 喈囙喁佮喈班瘝. 喈む喁嵿喈� 喈庎喁�.喈氞瘉喈む喁嵿畾喈┼喁� 喈ㄠ喈喁� 喈む喈苦喈� 喈呧喈氞瘉喈む瘝喈む瘉喈编瘓喈喈侧瘝 喈掂疅喁嵿疅喈距 喈掂喈班瘝喈氞瘝喈氞 喈呧喁佮喈侧喈距畷 喈囙喁佮喁嵿喁� 喈撪喁嵿喁佮喁嗋喁嵿喁� 喈囙喁嵿喁嬥喁� 喈喁嵿喈ㄠ喈喁佮喈む瘝喈む喈侧瘝 喈掂畾喈苦畷喁嵿畷喈苦喈距喁�. 喈呧喁嵿喈距喈苦喁� 喈む畽喁嵿畷喁� 喈氞喁嬥疁喈苦喈� 喈呧喁嵿喈� 喈む喈班瘉喈掂疅喁嵿疅喈距喈苦喁� 喈嗋喈苦畷喁囙畾喈� 喈瘑喈班瘉喈喈赤瘝 喈嗋喈� 喈瘉喈曕喁嵿喈苦喁� 喈夃喁嵿 喈喈熰瘝喈熰喈喈┼瘝 喈瘋喈班瘝喈掂瘈喈曕喁€喈熰瘝喈熰喈侧瘒喈瘒 喈掂喈脆瘝喈曕喈编喈班瘝.
An epic triumph that shows epics need not only be read but can still be written.
Vishnupuram is an epic, that presents a slice of life, in this vibrant ancient culture, at any point in time. It's not a book one just reads, but a magnificent vision - Dharisanam, to use the author's lingo - of a long lost glorious past and a not-so-different present, and even future, all rolled into one. It'll most certainly show a mirror to the reader at some random page, which will shake the being so hard that one has to remind oneself that it's an imaginary tale in a book. Or is it a tale within a tale, which is a million tales mixed in the blender of history, resulting in a delightful yet perplexing epic tale, that makes one wonder if it's possible to roam around the ruins of Vishnupuram... and discover oneself, as a replica of a being that lived along the shores hit by reddish waves of sona and longed to know something, that we're still trying to know. It's a leap of faith that questions all kinds of faiths. It's an exploration that digs up amazing aspects of this once-great nation from the ruins of a magnificent mythical city, which may very well be relevant for a current national mission such as SkillIndia. It's a rueful reflection of why we are what we are and why we may never be what we aspire to be. It's a potent reminder of the possibility of Pralaya (ultimate natural destruction of everything in existence) that humans will unleash upon themselves, if we repeatedly use history (and pre-history) as a mere reference to a laundry list of events on a linear time line and fail to learn the life lesson 'what goes around, comes around' in the Kala Chakra (wheel of time). It's a rude awakening for the seekers of Truth (of the spiritual kind) that all the scriptures that are supposed to guide one along the path to realisation are quite possibly some other human being's subjective interpretation of something s/he may've simply heard / learned from some other human being. It's an assurance to aspiring authors (yours truly included) that one can dare to explore unchartered terrains in the vast literary space, without being worried about who will like or dislike the outcome, which could turn out to be a genre by itself. If all the aforesaid are a bit overwhelming, simply go ahead and read Vishnupuram, keeping aside all your preconceived notions about anything. You'll be a different person (if and) when you complete it. It's that good. Pranam to Jeyamohan.
There was a lot of talk about this book, especially in the literary circles. While the writing style is good, the plot is not always engaging. The book is split into 3 parts. The second part is the densest of all. The language is a mixture of tamil and tamilized sanskrit. I couldn't shake the feeling that the predominant intention of the author was to exhibit all the knowledge he had gathered on different branches of Hindu (and Buddhist) philosophy. By the time I got through the initial chapters of the second part, finishing the book felt more like a chore than anything else. I am definitely not the target audience for this book.
First of all, one should have a lot of patience to complete reading this title. It may feel tiresome for almost everyone before finishing the first part 'Sri Paadham' (Vishnu's Feet) - the part where the magnificent 41 day festival 'Sri Paadha Thiruvizha' in Vishnupuram is extensively described. Coz, I felt that there is no connection between the chapters or characters or incidents most of the time.
The second part 'Koushthubam' (A Gem worn by Vishnu on his Chest) talks about how the Buddhist monk Ajithan took over Vishnupuram from Vaishnavas by winning a wisdom debate (Gnana tharukkam). Here hell lot of different perspectives are discussed and debated over.
The third part 'Manimudi' (Vishnu's Crown) is where I could get a clear and connected picture on what I've read in the first part.
On the whole, this talks about a grand city beyond imagination (Vishnupuram), how it was in its prime and how it waned out and finally vanished. AND came back to life again. Of course don't think about timelines. This is a PURE FICTION giving an understanding on how might have the concept of religion/God has born.
There are so many 18+ incidents all over, I mean trying to understand religion/God itself is an interest of 18+ :p
It鈥檚 an attempt to discuss about the philosophical implications that goes around the novel. The author has boiled himself through the words in every chapter.He is everything and he is kind of nothing. Enjoyed reading a one which induces your mind to know 鈥渨hat , why and how 鈥� of the life . Great Job - Vishnupuram
It have not read such a grand and complicated novel before. But needs dedication and patience to understand the grandeur of this epic. May require several revisions to understand all the views of the author. 馃憣馃憣馃檹