Jeyamohan's Kumarithuraivi

In 1311, when Sultans were harassing Hindu gods, the rulers of Madurai decided to secretly move Meenakshi to Aaralvaimozhi in Venaadu. Almost 60 years later, after the threat of Sultans has faded away, the Nayakkars want their Devi back. But the king of Venaadu is so attached to Meenakshi that it breaks his heart. One senior priest suggests that giving away your goddess, which seems like a bad omen, can be transformed in an auspicious event if you assume the role of the father of Meenakshi, and marry her away. 

Jeyamohan once quoted Balzac when asked about how he was able to pull off Venmurasu: "Great works are like a river. Once you jump into it, they'll take you where you need to go." Kumarithuraivi is the story of a marriage so grand and epic, that it consumes the people who're involved in it. This is not an event for mortal party planners. One does not simply create a checklist for a wedding of the gods. Shenbagaraman, the chief executor to the king, when tasked with making arrangements for this wedding, gets into a trance-like state as he's pushed, swayed and flows through all the formalities.

This is my first Jeyamohan novel. There isn't much to the plot, the characters are two dimensional and everything is neatly tied together at the end. There were a few times when this novel gave me Hum Aaapke Hain Koun vibes: all good people, happily coming together for an wonderful ceremony, interspersed with a few hiccups here and there. But that's where the similarities end, thankfully. The writing here is simple & brilliant. As the story slowly and beautifully moved forward, with all its முற்றிலும் மங்கலம் மட்டுமே credo, I sincerely appreciated the cozy space this book created for me, almost like a fairy tale for grownups.