Book Review | Keepers of the Kalachakra

Book: Keepers of the Kalachakra
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Publisher: Westland
Pages: 406
Price: 249 

If you've read Ashwin Sanghi, then you are well aware that his books weave science, mythology and religion intricately. In typical fashion, this book too has multiple stories running parallelly, panning out across the globe — India, Russia, Syria, Turkey, China, Tibet, Australia, America, among others. However, after several chapters, this wide web of stories becomes a sluggish affair.

Vijay Sundaram, a straightforward scientist reluctantly takes up a job with Milesian Labs, only to find himself getting sucked into a mess that he can't comprehend. His stint at the lab situated in a secret location in Uttarakhand's forests, sets him on a trail that unravels ineffable secrets, and with it jeopardises his life. He's perpetually watching his back while on his research in quantum physics and conducts secret meetings with his Russian colleague Mikhailov, whose revelations about science and life leave Vijay dumbfounded, so much so that he starts to question the fellow's sanity.       

The plot digs into vexed issues of the clash between several faiths, radicalisation, terrorism and polarisation. The views of the main characters around Islam, Islamophobia and world politics are intriguing. While it's justifiable for a writer to be descriptive, the detailed accounts of scientific and mythical phenomena are boring. The story trails back to the time of the Ramayana, when Buddhism was established as a religion and when Nalanda was raided. It plays around the remnants of the Buddhist tantric practices today and a few who don't want these practices don't fall in the wrong hands. While the parallel stories progress at a slow pace, the end is hurried and the climax, leaves you baffled.

Sujatha, who plays Vijay's love interest, lacks depth; the nuances of her character are left unexplored though she's vital to the climax. The treats for readers are theories and concepts of life, quantum science and time, detailed by Sanghi – they reflect the depth of his research – and the most captivating parts have a mystical sage Brahmananda engaging in boisterous conversations with men of science and reason.