These are the book reviews received so far.

1. Reviews for Harappa: The Lure of Soma
1. "I loved Shankar Kashyap's novel, Harappa: The Lure of Soma. An epic tale of
mystery, black magic, love, and adventure set in the most intriguing period of India's
ancient history, it wraps you up in the predicament of its central characters and stands
as a magnificent and compelling parable of the age-old battle of good against evil."
Graham Hancock, author of the international bestseller Fingerprints of the Gods
2. “Shankar N Kashyap has created a brilliant and fascinating story about one of the
most mysterious eras in human history, yet one that has implications for all humanity
even today. His narrative draws us back to the ancient era of India of the Sarasvati
River, long before most of what we call civilization, and sheds light upon the
profound culture that existed then and its relevance for the entire world.”
David Frawley
Director of American Institute of Vedic Studies (www.vedanet.com)
Author of Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda, and thirty other books
3. Harappa; The lure of Soma:
This is the first book of a series titled Harappa. It is based in 2500 BCE when the
Harappan civilisation was at its peak.
The whole of the country at that time – I have called
it Bramhavarta to stop confusion with implied Aryavarta and its connotations with Aryan
Invasion Theory which has now been discredited – was extremely prosperous and probably
the biggest empire in the world at the time. Neighbouring country of Ariana was struggling
with several large tectonic events causing massive earthquakes which in turn diverted some
of their major rivers around 2600 BCE. Desertification of several tracts of the land occurred
with some of the large lakes and rivers drying up altogether. The people of Ariana were the

2. Reviews for Harappa: The Lure of Soma
Avestans or ancestors of Avestans who later followed Zarathustra. The supply of Haoma
(Soma of Avestan people) had dried up due to the severe drought and it was necessary for
their Yasna – a ritual similar to Vedic Yajna, except it was water based. In the story, the
Avestans decide to obtain the coveted sacred plant Soma through sorcery at first and armed
conflict later. Our hero, Upaashantha is a Physician from Hariyupia (Harappa) is in the thick
of the action. He gets involved in the attempt by a rebel Magi from Ariana to steal the Soma
and helps foil his attempts. This is the story of his life and love which intermingles with
politics of the day and the final armed conflict between the Avestans and Harappans. It has
several characters from the Rigveda – including Shunahotra, Vishwamitra, Vasishta,
Grtsamada, Medathiti. There are short, but concise descriptions of the life styles, religion,
education and commerce of the time. The book aims to work as an introduction to Indian
Pre-history. King Sudas, Vasisihta, Vishwamitra and Elam are introduced as a preamble to
Book 2 and 3.
Niraj Mohanka
Author of “Royal Chronology of India”