Vahana: Vehicles of the Gods | Stuti Gupta | Book Review

SUBJECT: 4.5/5

WRITING: 4.5/5

ILLUSTRATIONS: 5/5

OVERALL: 4.5/5

Theme: Hinduism, Dharma & Itihasa, Illustrated, Activity Oriented

I was feeling very bored so I took my mother’s phone for some time. I wanted to search for new books to read. When I was looking for books to buy on the Amazon app, I found Vahana by Stuti Gupta. 

I like books that talk about Gods and Goddesses, and I am always curious to know more about them. I like reading about their stories and adventures. I also like knowing about their powers.

I have previously read many books about Gods and Goddesses, but I’ve never read any book about their vahanas. The term Vahanas means vehicles of Gods and Goddesses. So, I felt really curious about this topic and wanted to learn more about these magnificent creatures.

I requested my mom to buy the book and started reading it as soon as it was delivered. 

After reading this book, I got to know new information that I did not know earlier. Such as Goddess Lakshmi’s mount is called Uluka, and it is an owl. I also read how Indra Dev (the King of Gods) got his beloved Vahana Airavat (the one with seven trunks and four tusks).

I also enjoyed the story of Ganesh Ji and how he tricked his brother Kartikeya and won the race.

The book features the Vahanas of many Gods and Goddesses such as Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Devi Durga, Devi Lakshmi, Maa Shashthi, Lord Indra, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Kartikeya. These are explained in good detail.

There are also short one-page chapters that tell us information about some other Gods and Goddesses and their mounts. These include Shitala Mata, Shani Dev, Yama Dev, Devi Ganga, and Goddess Yamuna. The information about them is short but interesting to read.

The book has many captivating stories that I really enjoyed and learned from. My favourite story is about Maa Shashthi – who stole the food. It was really interesting. I was curious to learn the mystery of who stole the food, and I hoped that Chhotu Bou learned her lesson in the story.

My favourite scene in the whole book is when Goddess Lakshmi finally finds her mount Uluka.

The book is special for me because it has illustrations that are colourful and captivating. 

There are also many activities in the book which I loved doing. There are colouring, joining the dots, fun facts, matching the columns, and word puzzles which other children will also enjoy doing.

The book has a word puzzle at the end, which I could not do at all without reading the whole book. But after finishing the book, I could do it easily as I learned many new things.

The language is very easy, and there were only a few words that I couldn’t understand. So, I had to search for their meanings in the dictionary.

I think Vahana is good for the age group of 8 to 13 years, and also for children who want to know about the mounts of Gods and Goddesses. It is a medium-length book and has a total of 104 pages. I finished reading the book in 2 hours.

Cannot wait to read it? Buy your copy of Vahana using the link below.