New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) Touted to be a "unique retelling", a new book titled "Siddhartha: The Boy Who Became the Buddha", takes the reader on a spiritual journey exploring the complex and often tumultuous early life of Siddhartha.

The novel, written by actor-author Advait Kottary, emphasises the role played by Buddha's family in his path to enlightenment. It is published by Hachette India.

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"It was a life-changing journey for me as an author to study, over three years of writing and reworking, the fascinating stories of those closest to Siddhartha. They had such a crucial role to play in shaping his life, upbringing, and eventually his legacy.

"I think the last words of the Buddha before his passing, 'Aapo Deepo Bhava' (be your own light) are more relevant to us today than ever before, and I hope that the seekers amongst us enjoy reading about this journey as much as I did while writing it," said the London-based author in a statement.

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Long before Siddhartha became the enlightened leader (Buddha), he was a boy oblivious of the world. As the young prince navigates politics and relationships, he slowly begins to question his oppressively perfect life, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, his family struggles to maintain their deception in the hope that they can mould him into a dutiful king -- from banishing the old and sick to hiding their own advancing age, it added.

"In Kottary's intricately woven narrative, raw human emotion and conflict is tempered with the boundless compassion of the Buddha. Exciting and insightful in equal measure, Siddhartha is at once a riveting story and a profound meditation on our shared quest for truth," read the description of the book.

The book's foreword is written by noted singer Rekha Bhardwaj.

"Reading Advait's take on the Buddha took me through a whole range of emotions and insights. I particularly enjoyed the form he uses, starting with the enlightenment and his attempt at understanding the process that transformed Prince Siddhartha to the Buddha... This is the perfect gateway for an introduction to this extraordinary life," she wrote.

Besides playing a lead in the Bollywood musical "Jaan-E-Jigar" and acting in international productions such as "Beecham House", Kottary has also co-conceptualised the award-winning television show "Molkki" and narrated several audiobooks.

"Siddhartha: The Boy Who Became the Buddha" is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)