Ananta Press is proud to congratulate author Abhineet Garg on being selected as the official winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for his remarkable mythological fiction novel, Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela. This recognition celebrates a work that brings together faith, mystery, history, devotion, and suspense in a deeply Indian narrative.
Nidhivan is set around the sacred and mysterious grove of Vrindavan, a place associated with the belief that Radha and Krishna continue to perform the eternal Raas Leela after sunset. Instead of treating this belief as a simple legend, Abhineet Garg builds a layered story around the question of what happens when human curiosity enters a space that is considered divine, protected, and beyond ordinary explanation.
The novel unfolds across three timelines and follows three seekers. Anirudh Narayan, an NRI journalist in 1985, enters Nidhivan with confidence in logic and reason. He wishes to investigate its rituals, stories, locked spaces, untouched offerings, and unexplained signs. However, his search slowly changes from professional curiosity into a disturbing personal obsession.
Radha, a young student in 1988, approaches the mystery from an emotional and devotional point of view. Her journey explores longing, surrender, grief, faith, and the desire to witness what may only be meant to be believed. In 1990, Meera, a historian, studies Nidhivan through oral traditions, sacred geography, temple practices, historical records, and spiritual symbolism. Her balanced approach brings her close to the truth, but she also discovers that some truths cannot be fully recorded or possessed.
The present-day narrator connects these three journeys. As a five-year-old boy, he receives fragments of Meera’s experience. Forty years later, he attempts to bring together the documents, memories, testimonies, and unanswered questions left behind by all three seekers. This structure gives the novel emotional depth and turns it into an intergenerational search for meaning.
The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award honours books that show originality, literary value, cultural relevance, emotional impact, and a meaningful contribution to readers. A six-member reading and review committee evaluates the nominated work with attention to its concept, writing, message, reader engagement, and long-term value. Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela stood out because it does not use mythology only as a background. It presents mythology as a living spiritual memory that continues through rituals, places, silence, devotion, and belief.
The award committee especially appreciated the central conflict between faith and proof. The novel asks whether something becomes false simply because it cannot be explained, or whether the limits of explanation reveal the limits of the human mind. Through Anirudh, Radha, and Meera, the story presents three different approaches to the sacred: ego, devotion, and disciplined understanding. Their journeys gradually lead the reader from investigation to surrender and from certainty to humility.
Another major strength of the book is its atmosphere. The suspense does not depend on conventional horror, monsters, or sudden shocks. It grows through forbidden spaces, evening rituals, locked rooms, sacred offerings, temple traditions, whispers, and the possibility of an unseen divine presence. This gives the story a distinctive identity within mythological fiction and spiritual thrillers.
Abhineet Garg also deserves appreciation for presenting a culturally rooted setting in a cinematic and accessible form. The references to Rang Mahal, Lalita Kund, Gopeshwar Bhagwan, Swami Haridas, Radha temples, sacred Vrindavan traditions, and the Ashta Sakhi belief add richness to the narrative. At the same time, the mystery remains emotionally engaging for readers who may approach the book through faith, history, suspense, or curiosity.
The book’s message is clear and powerful: not every mystery exists to be defeated by human intelligence. Some mysteries exist to change the person who approaches them. By asking readers to respect the unknown rather than merely fear it, the novel offers both a thrilling reading experience and a thoughtful spiritual reflection.
Ananta Press warmly congratulates Abhineet Garg on this well-deserved recognition. Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela is a valuable contribution to contemporary Indian mythological fiction, and its unique blend of devotion, investigation, history, and mystery gives it lasting reader appeal. We wish the author continued success, wider readership, and many more meaningful literary achievements in the years ahead.
Feedback from the Six-Member Award Committee
Glenville Ashby
Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela impressed me because it approaches a sacred mystery with seriousness and imagination. The three timelines give the story a strong structure, while the different personalities of Anirudh, Radha, and Meera allow the reader to examine the same question from several directions. I particularly appreciated the way the novel presents rational thought, devotion, and historical research without making any one approach appear completely useless. Each seeker learns that Nidhivan cannot be understood through confidence alone. The atmosphere is created through silence, ritual, locked spaces, offerings, and the fear of crossing a spiritual boundary. This makes the suspense feel natural rather than forced. The book also carries an important message about humility. It suggests that knowledge has value, but it must be accompanied by respect. Abhineet Garg has created a thoughtful mythological thriller that can engage readers who enjoy mystery while also encouraging them to reflect on faith and the limits of human understanding.
Roxana Jaffer
What stayed with me after reading Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela was its emotional and spiritual depth. The novel is not only about discovering what happens inside a forbidden forest after sunset. It is also about discovering what each person carries within. Radha’s journey was especially meaningful because her search is connected with longing, grief, devotion, and surrender. Her part of the story shows that faith is not always simple or peaceful. It can also be intense, demanding, and deeply personal. I liked how the book avoids ordinary horror methods and creates fear through sacred silence, unanswered signs, and the possibility that the divine may truly be present. The three timelines remain connected through a larger mystery, and the final narrator gives the story an emotional sense of inheritance. Abhineet Garg has written a book that respects Indian spiritual traditions while presenting them through an engaging modern narrative. It is original, moving, and capable of leaving readers with questions long after they finish reading.
Apeksha Gupta
Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela is a well-conceived work of mythological fiction because its mystery grows from a living cultural belief. The setting of Vrindavan is not used only for visual beauty. Its temples, sacred locations, rituals, oral traditions, and devotional history become active parts of the plot. I found Meera’s role particularly effective. As a historian, she creates a bridge between evidence and faith, allowing the novel to explore how history is recorded and how spiritual memory survives outside formal documents. The references to Rang Mahal, Lalita Kund, Gopeshwar Bhagwan, Swami Haridas, Radha temples, and the Ashta Sakhi tradition add richness and authenticity to the narrative. At the same time, the writing remains accessible and suspenseful. The book asks readers to examine whether every truth must be proven before it can be respected. Abhineet Garg handles this question with maturity. The result is a culturally rooted, intelligent, and atmospheric story with strong literary and cinematic potential.
Asha Seth
I appreciated Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela for the way it combines suspense with a gentle but powerful spiritual message. The story never treats faith as decoration. Faith shapes the choices, fears, and transformations of every major character. Anirudh begins with the belief that reason can explain everything, but his investigation slowly reveals the danger of approaching a sacred place with pride. Radha enters with devotion, yet her journey shows that even sincere longing can become dangerous when it seeks possession of the divine. Meera comes closest to balance because she combines study with humility. These three journeys make the novel meaningful beyond its mystery. The reader is invited to consider intention, ego, surrender, and respect. I also liked the intergenerational frame involving the young boy who later becomes the narrator. It gives the story emotional continuity and shows how unanswered experiences can shape an entire life. This is a thoughtful and memorable book that offers both entertainment and reflection.
Neel Preet
The strongest quality of Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela is its unusual treatment of fear. The book does not depend on ghosts, violence, or repeated shocks. Its tension comes from the possibility that the sacred stories may be true and that a human being may not be prepared to witness them. This idea gives the novel a distinct place within mythological fiction. The seven locks, evening restrictions, untouched offerings, whispered accounts, and rituals of Rang Mahal create a steady feeling of unease. I also found the three-timeline structure effective because each section adds a new layer rather than repeating the same investigation. Anirudh represents confidence in proof, Radha represents emotional faith, and Meera represents careful understanding. Their incomplete journeys are brought together by the later narrator, which gives the book a satisfying larger design. Abhineet Garg has shown originality in turning a familiar legend into a serious spiritual mystery. The novel is engaging, visual, and thought-provoking, with a message that remains clear without becoming preachy.
Deepak Seth
Nidhivan: The Forest of Eternal Raas Leela deserves recognition for its strong concept, disciplined structure, and meaningful conclusion. The novel begins as an investigation into a mysterious place, but gradually becomes a meditation on truth, belief, and human limitation. I enjoyed the contrast between the three central seekers. Their different methods make the reader question which approach is more reliable, yet the book wisely avoids giving an easy answer. The present-day narrator also adds depth because he is not an outside observer. He has carried the mystery since childhood and is personally connected with the unfinished accounts of the past. This makes the final search feel necessary and emotional. The book’s greatest message is that some mysteries should not be approached with the desire to control or expose them. They should be approached with humility. Abhineet Garg has combined cultural tradition, suspense, philosophy, and devotion in a readable form. The story has the power to attract both general readers and those interested in Indian mythology, sacred places, and spiritual questions
