So young Chintamani Gupta goes out on a class trip to someplace and dips in the Sat Tal lake and goes into another world - the world of Ghatotkacha and his mother Hidimbi. Chintu Pintu gets a close look at the gentle giant, the son of Bhima and the one who tipped the scales in favour of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata by making Karna use up his Shakti which he reserved for Arjuna. Chintu meets the Pandavas as a bonus, has a good time with his new friend Ghatotkacha, makes some connections between time and space and has a good time overall.
All good things have to end so he is returned to his home, where his father and mother who seemed to have some marital issues, are happy to see him. Then comes his cousin Karuna who is coming out of a bad experience where she lost her parents, is involved in an accident etc and recovers with Chintu for company. Ghatotkacha makes a brief appearance at the end.
Interesting how Namita Gokhale juxtaposes the two worlds of the Mahabharata and the present, explains maya, rakshashas, gives Ghatotkacha and his mother more prominence than they are given in the Mahabharata. She wrote a children's version of the Mahabharata as well so she knows the epic. Chintu Pintu is a fine character and the story is a thoroughly enjoyable one. And Namita is a fine writer and I enjoyed reading her book. I'd like to read 'Paro' next.
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