Guruji's Ashram by Sunil Sinha : A Review

BOOK TITLE: Guruji's Ashram

AUTHOR: Sunil Sinha

ISBN/ASIN: 978-9352013142

GENRE: Fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 302 pages

FORMAT: Paperback

SERIES / STANDALONE:Standalone

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank the author for this signed Paperback. Special thanks for his patience and courtesy.

SUMMARY:

Three people died simultaneously in different parts of India, seemingly unrelated but as the investigation progressed the investigators started finding evidences which ultimately not only related these incidents but opened doors to an investigation which was a much larger conspiracy, beyond anyone’s imagination.

Tapas had a good job, a bright future and was about to marry the girl he loved but fate suddenly turned against him. That’s when he met a spiritual Guru who taught him Pranayama, meditation, and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Soon, he started taking classes of Pranayama, meditation and started giving Gita pravachan for a small fee. With this modest beginning, he went on to having the largest ashram in India at Puri, Odisha and many ashrams in various countries around the world.

An MLA, an American and an Ayurvedic doctor, were instrumental in his rise.

Everything was going well for everyone until there was a murder in the ashram.

What was really going on?

Was the ashram really, what it was supposed to be?

FIRST IMPRESSION:

Guruji's Ashram is one of the most simple yet diverse titles. The summary gave me enough reasons to pick this book up and when it was offered as a review copy, I took it up. The cover is simple - way too simple to tell you anything about the story. It was a deceptive illusion to veer the readers away from realising the story was anything but. The font and print were clear and easy on the eye and that is a rarity nowadays.

REVIEW:

Ashrams are usually defined and assumed to be places of religion and sprituality, calming environments that people go to when they want peace of mind. Ashrams are also the places where man connects with God, or at least that is how they should be. But of late, the reality is shockingly different and no matter how benevolent the Gurujis seem to be, or no matter how pure the ashram looks, due to a few unsavoury activities involving a few fake religious leaders, the ashram life is looked at with a bit of scorn by a large part of the society. But even amidst this skepticism, a large number of people still believe in Gurujis. Such wide disparity has led to unscrupulous people taking advantage of the name and fame of some real leaders and use the huge following to their benefit, monetary and otherwise.

So it was not much of a surprise when Guruji's Ashram - a seemingly innocent title had a far deeper meaning. Tapas is leading a normal life. An enviably normal life. He is about to marry the love of his life. But fate has other plans for him. His life falls apart and like most people, he is attracted towards the spiritual guidance. Pranayama and meditation give him peace of mind and Bhagavat Gita puts his life in perspective. Soon, the pupil becomes the teacher and Tapas starts preaching what he learnt to others. His rise is meteoric and he becomes the guruji of one of the most popular chain of ashrams. How was this rise possible? Who was behind this success? And how could the murder of three 'unrelated' people make sense and have a common threads. What if suicides were strategically planned murders?

As it is, the book has enough content to keep the reader's interest alive. The shenanigans of few 'respected' people are distasteful and sometimes horrific. The story moves at a steady pace that maintains the suspense. It does not drag even when certain philosophical content is thrown in. The narrative seems well researched and various topics are discussed at length. But the trouble with writing detailed procedures in a book is that real readers have more options and chances to find plotholes. Experts in their own fields would find and point out certain vague inconsistencies in the narrative (not mentioning them because they might spoil the story). But these are not factors that would deter an average reader who likes a good book that moves at a steady pace and keeps the interest going.

While the book is not entirely 'un-put-down-able', it can be read at a go without feeling the strain. What this book needs to obtain that elusive status is tighter editing. A few glaring typos and sentence construction errors ruin the pace. Explicit detailing in certain lovemaking scenes leave the reader cringing and wondering whether the details were necessary for the flow of the story. The adverse effect is what it gets - it greatly reduces the adrenaline rush of reading a thriller. Certain scenes do not fit in the thriller genre, at least not to the extent where they seem like additions the story could do without.

Overall, a satisfying book, though cliched at some places, it gives you your time's worth. 

WHAT I LIKED:

• The summary and the plot
• The narrative that manages to hold the readers's interest despite the distractions
• The extra information given and the research that has obviously been done to make this book more believable.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• Explicit detailing in certain scenes that bordered on eroticism - they did not give any credible value to the story
• The sense of foreboding given by the abovementioned scenes - a sense of disaster waiting to happen.
• The cover is way too simple and might deter a few prospective readers who would hesitate to read the back cover.

VERDICT:

A book that will surely hold your interest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sunil Sinha was born in Jamshedpur and brought up in Rourkela, a steel township in Odisha. After completing his MA and LLB from Sambalpur University, Odisha, he worked with different private companies for a few years before starting his own business. Sunil has extensive experience in domestic and international trade. He has done business with buyers from many countries. He has also launched several new products and has experience in product development right from inception to sales.

Sunil enjoys reading, travelling and adventure sports. Currently, he lives in Bangalore with his wife and children.

Guruji's Ashram is his first novel. His second novel "I am not a Terrorist" was published in November 2015.

RATING: 3.5/5

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback

PRICE Rs. 237 for Paperback

BOOK LINKS: Amazon