• ISBN13: 9780199496150
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: English Literature
• Publisher: Oxford UP
• Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP
• Publication Date: May 13, 2019
• Pages: 90
• Original Price: INR 350.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 110 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): Drama

The year is 1565. Devastation reigns over the once-renowned Vijayanagara empire. Its powerful Army has buckled under the assault of four minor sultanates. Within a few hours of the battle of talikota, the political contours of southern India have been radically altered, the rich and prosperous capital city, Vijayanagara, plundered, decimated and abandoned. It would lie uninhabited for centuries, known thereafter only as ‘the ruins of hampi’. behind this cataclysm swirls a saga of ruthless ambition, caste and religious conflict, family intrigue and betrayal, driven by the power hungry ‘Aliya’ ramaraya, son-in-law of the emperor Krishna Deva Raya. A brilliant strategist and diplomat, he ruled the empire with an iron hand but was unacceptable to his own people as the legitimate heir because he lacked royal blood. In crossing to talikota, Girish Karnad focuses on the interplay of characters who have been ignored by history even though they played integral roles in shaping one of its darkest chapters.

Girish Karnad, Well-known actor, film director, and Kannada author, NA

Girish Karnad, a playwright, film-maker, and actor, writes in Kannada and has translated his plays into English. The International Theatre Centre of UNESCO, Paris, has declared him the World Theatre Ambassador of the International Theater Institute, Paris. He has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan and was also conferred the prestigious Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi awards. He provided the voice of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, in the audiobook of Kalam's autobiography by Charkha Audiobooks Wings of Fire.