Krishna Deva Raya - King of Kings
by Roopa Pai and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
Krishna Deva Raya - King of Kingsā by Roopa Pai and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan. Published by Good Earth. A beautiful story introducing Krishna Deva Raya, one of the greatest kings of the glorious Vijayanagara kingdom.
The story starts off with an eight year old girl and her grandmother getting ready to witness a marvellous sunrise from atop Anjanadri Hill. The hill is on the opposite bank of the Tungabhadra river across Hampi. The girl is visiting this region for the first time while it is a trip filled with nostalgia for her Amma which is what she calls her grandmother. Her mother had died soon after her birth and her grandmother was the one raising her. They lived in Srirangapattana and it had taken them four days to get there. It was the first day of Dasara.
The little girl prays to Goddess Pampe to take away the well of sadness in her Amma which just doesnāt seem to go away. She tries to make Amma talk about this region where Amma grew up. Amma slowly opens up and reveals that she is a princess. She is the daughter of Krishna Deva Raya who was the greatest King ever to rule Vijayanagara. The girl is astonished to say the least. She had no inkling that her most ordinary Amma was a real princess no less! She can no longer control her curiosity and the innumerable questions that are forming in her mind.
The little girl prods her Amma and gets her to share details about her father and her growing up years in the glorious times of Vijayanagara. Amma starts narrating the story. And we have the great King Krishna Deva Raya appearing after every chapter to talk about himself and his kingdom to the reader. Through his witty conversation, one gets an idea of how the Vijayanagara kingdom must have been. Sadly the city has been destroyed in the battle of Talikota and it has been five years now. Amma has no idea what remains of the grand city of her childhood. She shudders to even venture in that direction. Read the heartwarming story of how the girl makes Amma go back to the old city once again and what she finds there.
My 8.5 year old and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. We took the book along with us on a recent trip to Hampi and he could relate well to what was being told in the story. Through the story being narrated by both Amma as well as the great Krishna Deva Raya, we get to view the grandeur and might of the empire. When we were at the Mahanavami Dibba in Hampi, we could picture how Dasara was celebrated with pomp and glory during the times of Krishna Deva Raya as shown in the book. And what better day to post this than the day of Vijayadashami! The illustrations are just fabulous and showcase the setting so well.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 8/9 and above.
Reasons to Read
The book is a good means to introduce children to the golden age of the Vijayanagara kingdom through the story of Krishna Deva Raya.
Where to buy from?
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
The publishers Good Earth here.