Kaal, the lord of darkness, has done what no enemy could do before him: he has imprisoned Aryamani, the warrior Queen of Jarota, and stolen the Swarnshakti — the golden sceptre that holds her power. The world is falling into shadow. Most have already been consumed by it.
Potla, a yogic student from a gurukul, is among the few still free. Fleeing to the human world, he stumbles into Riaan — twelve years old, spoilt, and entirely unprepared for what is about to happen to him. Together, they enter a world where tusked lions prowl, trees speak, and a two-headed bird serves as guide or omen. The land of the Manugans offers wonders in the same breath as monsters, and Kaal's shadow stretches into every corner of it.
Kakoli Singha's Jarota blends Indian mythological imagination with the classic quest structure, giving young readers a fantasy world rooted in familiar cultural terrain without sacrificing any of the pace or danger that makes a quest worth following.
Kaal, the evil lord, and Saaya, his black shadow, are out to control the world. They have also imprisoned Aryamani, the warrior Queen of Jarota and stolen Swarnshakti, her powerful scepter. As the world stands doomed not many have escaped the darkness. Potla, a yogic student in the gurukul, is one of the few free from its hold. He flees to the human world and accidentally encounters Riaan, a spoilt child of twelve at a railway station. Riaan and Potla embark on an exciting journey to free the Queen and bring back her scepter - and adventure that leads them through the incredible world with tusked lions, talking trees and a two-headed bird. Together, they travel through the enchanting land of the Manugans where majestic beasts and deadly monsters dwell every corner. Can they dispel the darkness of Kaal and free the Kingdoms? Or will the shadows engulf them before they succeed?