Poorva : Magic Miracles and the Mystical Twelve

Contents: 1. Poorva. 2. An era begins. 3. Roots in the air and shoots in the soil. 4. The light beckons. 5. The royal devotee. 6. Roles reversed. 7. The divine bride. 8. An ordeal with a purpose. 9. For whom the temple doors opened. 10. Word of honour. 11. Treasure retrieved. 12. The mystery continues. Glossary.

Years, Wrapped up roll themselves out as eleven-year-old Poorva whisks through centuries to enter the bygone era of twelve Vishnu saint composers of South India, collectively described as the Azhvars. The miracles that she witnesses in their lives leave her speechless while her own journey has her uncover an era she didn’t even know existed. She finds herself walking through solid walls and riding fluffy clouds. Animals and birds offer her company. A Wishing Food Tree thrills her with its sumptuous fare of delectable dishes as does a worm-bird by its generous offering of a beak-ful of worms (though she politely refuses the latter).  Cruising through these adventures Poorva gets to experience events of different hues from the lives of the Azhvars. She is mesmerized by the marriage of Andal with Lord Ranganatha and shaken by the sight of a bankrupt king turning to robbery before his final transformation into an Azhvar.