The Himalayan Revelation

Prologue

New Delhi, Present Times

Somewhere on the outskirts of the city, in a dimly lit room, sat a person. He was of medium build but had a muscular physique. He was wearing a black tight fitting leather jacket over blue jeans. His hair was clipped short. In essence, his present appearance was a total antithesis to the one he kept twelve hours ago.

From the open window, he could see the smog infected twilight over the horizon. The New Delhi smog was much debated and was strong, he had to admit, but not really comparable to the place where he came from.

Frustration went with his job. But it rarely manifested in his mannerisms. In his field of work, it paid to wear a permanent poker face irrespective of the situation. But today was an exception. But then, the circumstances were also exceptional. He was extremely fidgety.

It had to come by now, he kept on muttering to himself.

Then it happened. A signal was bouncing off multiple low earth orbiting satellites, hundreds of kilometers above the Earth’s surface. It was creating a complex trail that would be difficult for any intelligence agency to unravel. Knifing through the sky, this signal travelling thousands of kilometers reached his satellite phone in few seconds and it emitted a short, single beep.

He pressed the view button. The phone prompted for a passcode; he entered it promptly. Even though he had done this hundreds of times, his heart skipped a beat for the fraction of second that passed by before the phone accepted the passcode. Before he left for the present assignment he was briefed about the confidentiality and security mechanisms in his satellite phone. He was told that if he entered the six character passcode wrong even once, the device would instruct the battery to pass a charge to the small but powerful explosive inside it, which will release enough energy to kill every living being in a ten meter radius of the phone. He used to silently curse the unknown person responsible for making this stupid rule and he also cursed the person who designed such small keys in the phone. So, when the message successful appeared on the screen, he felt a sense of relief.

The message was a twelve-digit number. He knew that this message would only appear for ten seconds in which he had to memorize the number. In the next thirty seconds, he would have to rearrange the digits using his secret identity code to get a new twelve-digit number. Before the end of sixty seconds of receiving the message, he was required to make the call on the new number.

The phone would then emit a signal which would bounce through a complex maze of satellites and land in a call center where a small software program would detect the signal signature, establish a secure channel and then redirect the call to the sender of the original message. If the program detected any tampering in the signature, it would send an instruction back to the satellite phone to trigger the embedded explosive.

The call that he made, successfully cleared all the security checks and reached the office where a highly decorated General received it, Have you got it?

Not yet, I am looking for it, he answered meekly.

The General was furious; his face turned red with rage but he quickly controlled himself. This was a rare occasion – two people who prided on self-control were losing it.

His voice turned icy cold, Do you remember the task for which you were sent?

Yes Sir, absolutely, I am trying but….

The General cut him off and continued; he spoke softly but icily, You cannot get the better of a monk and two kids? Don’t shame the Motherland. You have forty-eight hours …

And, he disconnected the call.

The Lieutenant Colonel wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

Chapter 1

Leh, Ladakh: Present times

A strong gust of wind forced open the window panes of the hotel room. Though he was wrapped under a thick quilt, the ice-cooled wind chilled Gaurav to the bone. The hot water bottles, which he had stocked inside his quilt when he slid inside his bed at midnight, had long given up their efforts to provide him any warmth. But he liked it. The gas heater which the hotel staff had provided him was making the atmosphere in his room suffocating. When he went to bed, it was too cold, minus nineteen degrees outside and his freezing fingers had twisted the knob to the maximum. The gas heater had quaffed the oxygen in his room. The rushing wind chilled him but also filled the room with fresh air. He looked at the digital clock by his bedside. Spreading an eerie glow, the green LEDs were flashing 6:40. Lazily, he reached out to the intercom and dialed for room service.

After many rings, a voice with a sweet lisp answered, "Joolay! This is Dorjay, how can I help you, Shir? Joolay, please send a pot of hot ginger tea," said Gaurav.

While waiting for the tea to arrive, he started thinking about his trip. He was in between jobs and intended to make the best use of it. He had got an offer from another company, a start-up with a niche proposition, which attracted him to resign from his present job at the multinational software company. He had gotten bored of just maintaining applications for the US and European clients; his creative instincts were feeling stifled. Though called such, it really wasn’t software development, it was just a menial work outsourced in the garb of it.

He had an exploratory and creative streak inside him, probably inherited from his father. He had always wanted to try out something new, something which ignited his desire to explore and create. When he got an offer from Gensis3D, he jumped at it.

The Bangalore based start-up was going to make an innovative use of three dimensional augmented reality technologies for societal applications and was looking for bright young minds. In the interview discussion, he had impressed the panel with his knowledge on the technical aspects of the subject. The offer was decent, coming along with some lucrative stock options. But, it was the work which excited him more.

He resigned from his present company but before joining the new company, he intended to make a trip to Leh. He had been planning for this trip for quite some time, but something or the other always kept on cropping in his project at the last minute, forcing him to postpone the trip. But now he intended to make the best use of this opportunity and make this journey. He had hurriedly booked his trip online, parting with quite a sum from his measly savings due to high cost of the last minute airline tickets. He silently cursed the forces of economy, which always seemed to have a downward pressure on his bank balance.

Only yesterday, he had landed at Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport in Leh, 10,682 ft. above mean sea level as the on-board map on the plane informed him. He still could not forget the magnificent views.

After taking off from Delhi, in only forty-five minutes, he was soaring over the snow-capped Himalayas; they were peeking through the wisps of cloud and seemed to beckon him from below. These formidable mountains had enraptured and enticed thousands for many generations. The religious scriptures called them abode of Gods. Some people went looking for them, some for spiritual peace, and some for unadulterated adventure. Himalayas always managed to offer something new to each one who went there.

The vista changed almost dramatically when the plane took a massive downward swoop towards the right and flew between two huge peaks. The snowfields of Karakoram Range gave way to muddy grey as plane approached the runway. There were no aerobridges at the small airport. When he came out of the plane, a gust of cool air welcomed him and blew his Rebook cap away uncovering his curly mop. The beautiful airhostess caught it for him and handed it back to him with a warm smile. She gave him an appreciative rundown, probably more to do with his handsomeness than the perfunctory airline politeness. He politely thanked her and started walking towards the terminal building.

He marveled at what he saw.

Amidst the towering snow-capped peaks of desert Himalayas which seemed to be tugging at the helms of the clear blue sky, was cradled a beautiful wooden building in traditional architecture resplendent with Ladakhi motifs and colors. Numerous brightly colored prayer flags were performing a ballet in the bright sunlight as frigid wind blew across. He took out his Canon EOS5D to snap some pictures but was immediately prevented by the security personnel who were dotting the airport. Leh being a strategic army base had security restrictions.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he dragged himself out of the bed. He first closed the window shutters and opened the door. Dorjay himself was at the door, armed with his bright smile, holding a tray of biscuits and steaming tea.

"How was the night, Shir? Hope you had a comfortable sleep," lilted Dorjay in his sweet Ladakhi accent. Gaurav had instantly liked Dorjay when he first met him at airport. He was welcomed with a lilting joolay, the all-encompassing Ladakhi word for Hello to Goodbye to Thank-you. He had booked his stay online, at Darcha Hotel and Dorjay had come to receive him. Dorjay had an affable air to him and he was going to be his guide for next five days. Returning the smile, Gaurav let him inside. Dorjay gently kept the tray on the table and handed him the cup. The steam laced with ginger aroma invigorated Gaurav.

So what is the plan for today, Dorjay? asked Gaurav taking a sip of the hot tea.

Dorjay had told him the previous day, that it would be better to not take a long journey to higher altitudes on the first day as the body would need time to acclimatize itself to the lower oxygen levels of Ladakh region. So, he had roamed around the cobbled streets of Tibetan market enjoying the sights of big walnuts and juicy berries being sold on the pavement, small shops selling Tibetan curios and bright colored cloth artifacts locally called thangka. There were cute little Ladakhi kids with their flawless pink cheeks and shop owners with graceful wrinkles and warm smile who greeted him as he passed by. He had made a mental note to buy something before he flew back. For the first day he just focused on window-shopping and a visit to the Kargil war museum.

"I have arranged a jeep for you and we will shtart our journey to Uleytokpo and then shtay overnight at a camp. We can shtart as shoon as you are ready. Please remember to wear layered clothing as it is going to be bery cold," said Dorjay. Gaurav merely nodded; he was prepared for this.

I will come down in thirty minutes, said Gaurav.

And, I will go and get your breakfast made, from the fresh vegetables grown in our garden, spoke Dorjay with a smile, gently collecting the cup from him.

The tea had already made him active and the hot shower that followed after that pumped him up with excitement of starting the trip to ancient monasteries, something which he had been planning for quite some time.

Armed with his backpack, camera, binoculars and his Samsung Tab, he took steps instead of the lift to the restaurant downstairs. The hotel restaurant - Norbulinga was decorated in warm rich hues and Buddhist motifs. As soon as he slid into his seat, a waiter attired in Ladakhi dress materialized with a steaming breakfast of hash brown, tomatoes and paranthas with his favorite ginger tea as the accompaniment. He could see Dorjay chatting with a tourist in the lobby. While munching on the breakfast, he quickly checked his mail and news on the Tab. Nothing exciting; some politician again charged with a scam, stock market down hundred points on some negative cues from Dow Jones, his previous company being badgered by analysts on poor annual results. Sighing, he closed it and then attacked the breakfast with full force.

After finishing his breakfast, he walked over to Dorjay who was engaged in animated discussions with a tourist of oriental origins. He liked Dorjay’s voice; laced with sweetness of Ladakhi accent and polite manners, it had its own appeal.

"Hello Gaurav Shir, this is Shunyuan. He is from China. Like you, he is alsho exploring Ladakh," lilted Dorjay.

Shunyuan was a well-built man of around 35 years with a pleasing personality.

Smilingly, he offered his hand to Shunyuan. "Hi, I am Gaurav and Shir is not my surname, welcome to India!" Amused at him being addressed as Sir, and also the Sir being pronounced as Shir, in mock anger he told Dorjay, I am quite younger to you. Please reserve your Sir for somebody else.

Shunyuan burst in laughter while Dorjay smiled and bobbed his head vigorously.

You should have welcomed me three weeks back, smiled Shunyuan. I have been touring around Leh for quite some time.

Dorjay excused himself to get the jeep.

So, what brings you to Leh?

Well, I was in military and now taking a travel break. The yuans that I have saved had to be put to some use. I have been always enamored by Leh stories that my friends used to tell me and also what I have read in books. So, as soon as I got a chance, I came here. I have rented an Enfield cruiser and am searching for Buddha, spoke Shunyuan, winking at him.

Smiling, he said, And, I am a software engineer by profession, travelling, reading and music are my passion.

Like you, I have also been planning a Leh trip though not for the same reason. I just wanted to explore the Leh-Ladakh region and ancient monasteries. There is something very ethereal, mystical and mysterious about Leh, said Gaurav looking at the towering peaks, as they walked towards the parking lot of the hotel.

He could see Dorjay backing up a green colored SUV.

By now they had reached the jeep. In the parking lot Gaurav could also see a macho silver and red Enfield cruiser gleaming in the bright sun.

That must be your ride! he said pointing to the bike.

Shunyuan looked at it proudly, Yup! That’s my baby, my ride for next six weeks. I am also staying at this hotel. Let’s catch up again, he said walking towards it.

Well, Dorjay is taking me to Uleytokpo today for an overnight camping. We will surely meet again friend, he said as he climbed into the SUV.

As Dorjay pressed the accelerator, jeep lurched forward raising a cloud of dust, Gaurav leaned and shouted, All the best, Shunyuan for your quest. Shunyuan waved back and gave thumbs up sign as he mounted his bike.

Gaurav looked around and liked the ‘jeep’. It was actually a Gypsy, a four wheel drive SUV manufactured by Maruti Suzuki in India; a very popular vehicle with Indian military and formed a large part of their vehicle inventory. This one was a hardtop, four-wheel drive model, well suited for the rough terrain. Dorjay looked at him and understood what he was thinking, he affectionately patted the dashboard and said, "Very trushted and reliable jeep for the kind of terrain that we will go through".

Gaurav smiled and put on his sun glasses. Even at 8AM, the sun was shining very bright. He had come prepared for this. Leh is that kind of a place where one can get sunburn and frostbite at the same time. The ultraviolet radiations are quite high and temperatures very low.

Dorjay veered the Gypsy on to the cobbled narrow road which would take them towards the highway to Uleytokpo. The narrow road was lined with stones and poplar trees which were without any leaf cover at this time of the year.

Soon they reached the highway and Dorjay pressed the accelerator. Gaurav soaked in the sights of mighty desert Himalayas; they were rocky and generously endowed with snow-capped peaks. The snow caps were reflecting sun rays and high peaks were casting a shadow. This game of sun and shade went on for many kilometers while the mighty Indus River kept them company, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right but always making sure that the roar of its water was heard as it continued its centuries old efforts of creating gorges and rapids.

About an hour after they started, they rolled into the tiny village of Nimmo. All of a sudden, the desert turned into a green oasis. Indus, which was at least 1000 ft. below road level a few kilometers back, was now fully at level with road and its waters were responsible for making the hamlet green. Rows and rows of beautiful flowers, various vegetables and millet plants were swaying gently with the wind. Dorjay parked his jeep near a small charming thatched roof restaurant set under a willow tree. Stretching himself Gaurav got out of the SUV. It was a mesmerizing view; snow-capped mountains with desert hues contrasted sharply with the Prussian blue sky above and the lush green fields of the village.

Dorjay was talking to one of the boys in Ladakhi and smilingly looked at Gaurav.

Arching his eyebrows, Gaurav looked at him questioningly.

"Ordering ginger tea for you Shir, he responded, immediately realizing that he again addressed him as sir and came running to him saying, sorry, sorry, Shir." Admiring his innocent ways Gaurav burst into laughter. Though he was fifty years old, Dorjay was very respectful towards him. Gaurav also noticed that almost all Ladakhis were very humble, modest and respectful towards the tourists.

How far is Uleytokpo from here? he asked Dorjay.

"Forty kilometers more, on the way we will shtop at Alchi monashtery."

Ok, then I will drive till Alchi, said Gaurav while he paid the bill for their snacks.

Dorjay offered him the key and they again started. Gaurav plugged his iPhone in the Gypsy stereo. Melodic strains from his collections filled the air and he saw Dorjay was also enjoying himself.

He loved the whole atmosphere. The serenity of it; far from the maddening crowd, so peaceful! There was a steep gradient ahead and it looked like they were bound for the snow caps themselves. There was not much traffic on the road, occasional military vehicles and some tourist laden Toyota Innovas sped past. He floored the accelerator and Gypsy sprung forward. Its wheels were crunching the gravel beneath and eating miles as they spun towards their destination. They passed by a BRO road sign, strategically placed but kinky in nature – "Darling I like you but not so fast.’ His phone rang, flashing a number which he did not recognize. He unplugged it with one hand and swiped his thumb across the screen to answer.

Hello, this is Gaurav.

Hi Gaurav, this is Neha from Genesis3D. Our Director, Mr. Chacko would like to speak to you for a minute. I am putting him on.

Wondering what could be the matter that his new company’s boss would be calling him for, he muttered, sure.

Hello Gaurav. How are you? Good news, we have won a good project. It is for building something very futuristic; something which has not been tried before. And, I think you are well qualified to lead this project, Mr. Chacko spoke in a single breath.

Gaurav’s mind was racing fast. He was excited that his new company was considering him to lead an important project.

A white Toyota Innova overtook their Gypsy.

Thanks, Mr. Chacko for this wonderful news, he spoke excitedly.

Gaurav, will you be able to join us a little earlier than originally planned?

The narrow road took a sharp curve. Before he could respond to Mr. Chacko, he saw that the white Innova had stopped and there were boulders strewn on the road. His foot moved from the accelerator to the brakes. The speeding Gypsy was only ten feet away from the Innova.

Hello Gaurav, hello, can you hear me?

Gaurav dropped the phone as panic spread over him. He braked hard but the gravel beneath could only offer feeble friction. Dorjay let out a shriek.

Gaurav, what’s happening, are you O.K? exclaimed Chacko.

Gaurav frantically spun the steering wheel to regain control and steer away from the Innova ahead.

The wheels locked and desperately tried to gain any grip on the road but the gravels offered little. The SUV skid on the gravel and went tangentially raising a cloud of dust.

And then, Gypsy careened, jumped the narrow road and hurtled towards the roaring Indus, 500 feet below.

The Vijayanagar Empire

Chapter 2

Hampi, Vijayanagar, September, 1564

The greatest Hindu kingdom that India has ever seen – the Vijayanagar Empire, of which Hampi was the capital, was basking in the rich glory of 229 years of its existence.

Everything about the empire had grand proportions. The kings of Sangama, Saluva and Tuluva dynasties had managed to create and nourish a rich and affluent socio-economic order to the south of Krishna River. However, the empire had also seen its share of trouble from some inept kings, ministers and the human vagaries of greed of power and wealth.

The Empire of Vijayanagar encouraged active trade and commerce and was one of the important reasons that contributed to its fabled prosperity and glory. Traders and travellers from faraway lands of Portugal, China, Africa, Persia and Sumatra frequented Vijayanagar and some had acquired residential status also. As people would read the diaries and accounts of many such travellers centuries later, they would only awe and wonder.

The bazaars of Hampi overflowed with gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds, sapphires, carnelian, silk, spice, paper, ivory and roses. Ships from almost all the countries of six continents docked at Goa. The well designed and ably patrolled land routes ensured safe and fast connectivity to Hampi. The government treasury overflowed with collections from land revenue, customs duties and trade taxes.

The people of Vijayanagar were blessed by nature with mines which had abundant gold and big size diamonds and rubies. The diaries of various foreign travellers speak of diamonds of the size of hen’s eggs. Many of these mines still exist and are a source of wealth for the government of India and some of its corrupt politicians who mine them illegally for their private benefits.

But, the mineral wealth alone cannot make a civilization flourish though its availability does provide the necessary motivation to the suitably inclined.

The people of Vijayanagar had intellect, vision and determination. They protected their city with seven rings of fortified stone walls. A huge dam was constructed across the Tungabhadra to ensure water for irrigation. A twenty kilometer long aqueduct was cut out of solid rock to bring water to the city for irrigation and other needs of its citizens.

Overflowing treasury chests and satiated stomachs fuelled the art and architectural pursuits. Hampi’s temples and palaces radiated florid magnificence. Poetry and music strains hung mellifluously in the air. While this was the daily affair for the people of Hampi, the foreign visitors could only admire; some with awe and many with envy.

The stories about effulgent magnificence of the Empire had spread far and wide. It not only attracted the traders but also the attention of plunderers from North India. The people of Hampi carried on with their lives ably, but some of their rulers – kings, ministers and their kin could not maintain the high ideals of propriety and prudence. They discounted meritocracy for nepotism, grew haughty and over confident.

Sadashiv was the king in name only but the actual power was in the hands of his commander, Rama Raya and his brothers Tirumala and Venkatdri. Centuries later the historians of the world would hold Rama Raya accountable for giving prudence a leave of absence when he started inducting defectors from the neighboring Adil Shah’s kingdom as army commanders without proper checks of their background and true allegiances. The secrets of internal affairs were no longer secret.

In his over confidence, he also started interfering in the political affairs of neighboring Deccan sultanates as a strategy to put them against each other. He felt it was in the interest of security of his own Empire. Some would say that he actually did a right thing as the Sultanates were trying to gain control over the rich trade but had been defeated by Vijayanagar armies whenever they attempted. Whatever be the case, this miffed the five Muslim states of Deccan India and stung by past defeats, this time they formed an alliance to wage a holy war.

The Vijayanagar Empire celebrated the nine day Mahanavmi festival with great grandeur and pomp. On this day, all the generals and chieftains used to visit the capital Hampi where the festival was celebrated with unparalleled singing, dancing and feasting. While the population was immersed in Mahanavmi celebrations in the September of 1564, Rama Raya to his credit, suspected that something fishy was going on around him, called a meeting of his generals. He alerted them and asked them to be prepared and have their troops ready for the war which could happen anytime.

This happened sooner than later.

The Muslim alliance armies reached the fortified town of Talikota on the northern bank of river Krishna on 26 December 1564.

Rama Raya dispatched his brothers Tirumala and Venkatdri with huge armies to protect the southern bank and prevent the enemy from crossing Krishna. In spite of his advanced age, he himself commandeered a large army to form another ring of defense at the center-rear of the other two armies.

The small fort of Talikota and river Krishna shuddered as 80,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry forces of Muslim Sultanates and 140,000 foot soldiers, 10,000 on horseback and 1000 elephant contingents of Vijayanagar faced each other.

The skies above Talikota reverberated with the murderous war cries and sounds of Muslim artillery.

However, for people of Hampi, this was just like any other day of sculpting, selling, farming, singing and feasting. Some of them were busy in sculpting a huge idol of Narasimha, the lion avatar of Vishnu from a single rock. Some of them were busy loading their bullock carts with wares destined for ports of Goa. They were aware of what was happening in Talikota but they discounted it as yet another attempt by the Sultanates that would go in vain. They had confidence in their army commanders to inflict another crushing defeat on them.

They had no fear or any sense of the lurking danger.

The Vijayanagar armies, led by Tirumala from left, Venkatdri from right and Rama Raya himself in the center charged towards the Sultanate alliance. The ninety six year old Rama Raya was not mounted on a horse or elephant but was supervising the operations from a litter and also carried precious stones and jewels with him to distribute rewards on his soldiers.

In the first clashes, the Vijayanagar armies inflicted heavy losses on the Sultanate alliance and they had to retreat. The daily messengers rode their horses and communicated the good news to people in Hampi.

The Sultans were extremely concerned and had a secret meeting. They decided that only troops and artillery would not be able to win them the war. Subterfuge was necessary. They crafted an elaborate stratagem. Secret messengers were sent to the two Muslim commanders, the Gilani brothers in the Vijayanagar army to appeal to them for supporting the forces of jihad, which was their religious duty.

Adil Shah of Bijapur Sultanate sent another secret message to Rama Raya that he wished to remain neutral in the war of Vijayanagar vs. the Sultanate alliance. Rama Raya’s arrogance failed to see his chicanery. Emboldened by the retreat of Sultanates in first clashes and Adil Shah’s proposition of neutrality, he instructed his army to prepare for the final assault.

26 January 1565 was slated to be the blackest day in the history of Vijayanagar Empire.

The armies clashed again. Guns, canons, arrows, spear and shrill war cries pervaded the skies. Rama Raya supremely overconfident got down from the litter and seated himself on a grand throne with a huge canopy. The golden throne was decorated with pearls, rubies and diamonds. Piles of jewels were placed around him so that he can encourage his men with rewards.

At a very crucial juncture, when Vijayanagar armies had advanced sufficiently inside the Sultanate alliance formation and the victory was looking imminent, the Sultans sent the prearranged signal to Gilani brothers. The defectors betrayed their current masters and launched an attack from inside the Vijayanagar army.

The initial reaction of surprise almost immediately turned into total panic and chaos in the Vijayanagar army. What was appearing to be victory only minutes ago now were now the jaws of sure death and defeat.

Rama Raya got up from his throne and scrambled to mount a horse; Nizam Shah’s armies swooped upon him and took him prisoner. The speed of the events didn’t allow the ageing king to reflect upon his long life during his final moments. One of the overzealous members of the marauding party decapitated Rama Raya in one flashy stroke with his curvy sword. The severed head was put on an eleven feet long spear and waved before the Vijayanagar army.

Seeing that their commander had fallen, the Vijayanagar formation broke and troops tried to flee in all directions. The Sultanates armies pounced upon them with spears and swords. River Krishna turned red with blood.

Tirumala tried to regain control but the armies of Adil Shah, who had professed neutrality turned upon him and he had to flee. It was a total rout. The Sultanate armies looted the jewels that Rama Raya had brought to field. The victorious army started celebrating.

Meanwhile, Tirumala reached the city of Hampi with his dejected soldiers. News of the defeat spread; panic and chaos ruled over the city.

Ominous thoughts swelled up in Tirumala’s mind.

‘They will waste no time now. I need to act fast’, he thought. He quickly outlined his planned to his trusted lieutenants.

To fight another day, one has to live today.

It was decided to regroup at another location far away from Hampi and then come back later to reclaim their beloved land. The royal palace and its treasuries were abundant with gold, silver, diamonds, rubies and other precious jewels. There were many thrones, divans, seats, canopies, boxes and jeweled gold idols weighing thousands of tolas. He ordered that part of the treasures, particularly the big and heavy ones, be ensconced in the crypts which the master builders of Hampi had built over the years and the remaining be loaded onto elephants and moved to a safe and friendly location south of Hampi. As soon as the decision was made, two teams were formed to carry out the concealing and loading activities. Tirumala himself was supervising the entire operation.

In the dark hours of the moonless night, five hundred and fifty elephants laden with