BENGALURU : Bengaluru-based Rishi Shrivastava is an author and senior principal consultant at Oracle, who can often be found reading about mythology in his free time. It comes as no surprise then that his latest book, The Whispering Dwapara, also falls into the mythological category and is one of the few books in the mythological sci-fi genre in India.
Shrivastava got the idea for the book while reading Nasadiya Suktam of Rigveda, which, he says, translates to modern day ‘Big Bang Theory’. A simple Google search showed him many forums and online communities where people argue about the scientific validity of Vedas. “I also wanted to share my findings, not through blogs or discussions forums, but through an interesting story which can attract more people and make them curious about reading Vedas,” shares the 32-year-old.
Though writing a book is a tedious process, the author’s passion for writing translated into perseverance. He started writing the book in December 2017 and it took him a year to complete the first draft. “During this time, I had done intensive research on Vedic science, powers of mantras, and their effects of the human body and soul. I also studied some aspects of acoustics and Applied Physics, and have tried to establish the logical linkage between modern and Vedic sciences with a pinch of fiction added to it,” explains Shrivastava, adding that the book hit shelves in April this year.
While the book is aimed at showcasing ancient Indian wisdom to the world, Shrivastava is quick to point out that it is not a reference book for Hinduism or Vedic wisdom. “By adding some fiction to my analysis, I intend to increase readers’ inclination towards our ancient Vedic wisdom, irrespective of their age, demographies, and religion,” he says.
This is not Shrivastava’s first book and he has to his credit a technical book titled Oracle’s Siebel CRM 8.1, which was published in 2012. According to him, self-publishing has makes the entire journey of getting a book published entertaining for the author. “Writers enjoy more control over the content, designing, distribution, and marketing of the book. Being an MBA graduate, this entire process reminded me of my college days back at IIM Calcutta. As a bonus, go to market time of the book has been reduced drastically.” he says, adding that since he owns the IP rights of the book, he did not have to change any content to get the book published.
But writing is not the only important aspect for a book to be successful, points Shrivastava, throwing light on the role marketing plays as well. “In the times when hundreds of books hit Indian markets daily, marketing is extremely essential to reach out to potential readers. For me, efficient marketing is as essential as impressive writing style and a good storyline,” he says.