The Tantric Curse

Title: The Tantric Curse The Tantric Curse
Author: Anupama Garg
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 978-81-291-3752-4
Number of Pages: 271
Price [INR] : 295
Genre: Fiction 

Tantra is a field which is surrounded by intrigue and mysticism. Tantric rituals and practices are riddled with a lot of myths and pre-conceived notions. When I came across The Tantric Curse which is written by Anupama Garg who has been trained by Baba Batuk Nath, a renowned Tantric, I knew that I had to read this book. And that was because, I believed that a book written by a practicing Tantric will shed light on this ancient science of Tantra.

The Tantric Curse is a love story with the backdrop of Tantra and Tantrics.

An eight year old Rhea mysteriously reaches Shaktidham, a Tantric house of worship. She has an unusual power to foresee the future. The Guru of this sadhanasthal, Satya recognizes her special abilities and raises her as her own daughter along with his son Krishnam. Satya trains her in the field of Tantra, to carry on his lineage, a privilege previously bestowed only to males.

But the lineage has been cursed for generations, and it is up to Rhea to either break the curse or perish in the attempt. Will she succeed in her endeavour? Will her love for Krishnam become an obstacle in her path? Well, you need to read the book to find that.

The Tantric Curse brings to light that Tantrics are regular people who lead normal lives like all of us. They study in regular schools and colleges , have regular jobs and regular friends with whom they party, have affairs or one night stands or wear fashionable clothes and enjoy their drinks too. The only difference is that they have attained enlightenment and liberation through sadhana  or dedication to the Goddess.

The Tantric Curse, also dispels some myths about the Tantric practice. Just like in the field of medicine there are qualified doctors and quacks, similarly Tantra has been exploited and misrepresented by many too.

Other insightful aspects shared in the book are about the significance of Amavasya or the night of new moon and that Om is the complete mantra. It was interesting to read about the practice of touching someone’s feet. Touching an elder’s feet is not only a sign of reverence and respect but also receiving a fraction of his energy as a blessing. The book also shares information on the various chakras of our body and that in Tantra, how the power is used is very crucial. Several conversations in the book make you reflect and ponder on various aspects of life and its circumstances.

While, all this information is interesting and insightful, I found the progression of the story a bit patchy at times. There were a lot of unexplained or vague or trivial scenes in the story. Dr Vishnukant’s  part seemed liked a forced entry and why Rhea continued to live with him despite she not wanting to be a part of his advances was something I could not comprehend. Also, the real aspect of Tantra, how it is practiced and how one attains these mystical powers is not touched upon. Since the author is a practicing Tantric, so guess that raised the expectations. The story is not about the Tantric curse either, because the curse part comes up only towards the very end. So, though the book kept me engaged all throughout, but a feeling of dissatisfaction crept in as I finished reading the last page. I know, it could be just me.

The language is simple and lucid and reads well.

If you are looking to read a love story based on an unconventional theme and gain some insights about Tantra, then you must go for The Tantric Curse.