Bibek Debroy

Day 2 of reading the Mahabharata at Hampi - experiencing the stories of Shakuntala and Dushyantha, Yayati and his sons, while a flute plays in the distance.

It is unbelievably calm atop a hill. I was right when I chose this spot to read the Mahabharata. Reading of Shakuntala and Dushyantha, I lost myself in her pain as he denied loving her. Reading about Yayati and how he beseeched his sons to share with him their youth, I could agree with him that one thousand years could never be enough time to enjoy the wonders of this world. ...

Starting my journey reading the Mahabharata by Bibek Debroy at Hampi, by the Tungabhadra river - encountering a stranger and sharing stories of this historic place.

Hampi. As a kid, I didn’t like going to Hampi. I had nothing to see there, it was full of tanks and wells. I didn’t care much for the heat either. Today, as I sat atop a small hill, reading the first volume of the Mahabharata, a stranger came up to me, to ask about the sights. He asked me why this place was famous, because all he saw were ruins. ...