It is not without reason that Anurag Anand has earned accolades from the likes of Shashi Tharoor and William Dalrymple.

The 38-year-old novelist has built the theme of his two novels - The Legend of Amrapali and Birth of the Bastard Prince - around Amrapali, the legendary Nagarvadhu (courtesan) of the ancient republic of Vaishali.

Amrapali lived in ancient Vaishali, the world's first democracy, nearly 3,000 years ago. Vaishali was a confederacy of 7,707 khandas (small principalities), each ruled by a family belonging to one of the eight prominent Kshatriya clans of the region. The patriarchs of these families or the rajas comprised the Vajji assembly or the people's council of Vaishali, which had its session every year to elect its king through a democratic process.

The Legend of Amrapali delves deep on how Amrapali, who had her origins in a poor family, grew up to become a divine beauty and legendary courtesan and how her charisma, benevolence and generosity echoed far beyond Vaishali.

Anurag has blended historical facts and his rich imagination to narrate how Amrapali helped Vaishali get rid of Manudeva - the then king, mad for power who used his might to subjugate the Nagarvadhu (courtesan) and fulfil his lust. Despite being a courtesan, Amrapali garnered enough support among the nobles to turn the table against Manudeva.

Anurag has used modern tools of storytelling to tell an ancient story that stands buried in the labyrinth of fast-paced events. Amrapali is actually uniquitous when it comes to Bihar. There is a delicious variety of mango named after Amrapali. There are countless hotels and restaurants named after her. There is even a train called Amrapali Express. Since Amrapali came under the influence of Lord Gautam Buddha, her contemporary, and turned a Buddhist, she figures reverentially in Buddhist literature but there is hardly anything in present day literature to tell the tale of Amrapali in its totality.

Anurag has built her story from the scratch. As the story goes, a poor farmer, Somdutt, found an abandoned stillborn girl child in a mango orchard. Unable to find any claimant, Somdutt carried the baby to his wife, Saudamini. The childless couple began raising the baby, accepting it as a gift from God. Over the years, Amrapali grew into an exquisitely beautiful maiden who had no peer in the entire Aryavart (as India was called then). She also grew to be a fabulous dancer . There were few women in the whole of Aryavart who could match her charm and grace.

Amrapali developed love for Pushpakumara, son of another poor farmer.

Amrapali's struggle began with the gracious woman falling in love with a commoner (Pushpakumara).

Then King Manudeva's eyes fell on Amrapali. The king tried all his tricks to make Amrapali his queen. Though poor, Somdutta was aware of his daughter's love for Pushpakumara and rejected Manudeva's offer. But Manudeva then hatched a conspiracy and got Pushpkumara killed.

Amrapali was heartbroken but was not ready to give in to the king's wishes.

Eventually, the king thought that if Amrapali would not fall for him she would not be allowed become anybody else's wife either.

Using democracy as a tool, Manudeva got Amrapali elected as the Nagarvadhu, the first elected courtesan in the annals of history.

True to her position, Amrapali regaled citizens with her gracious dance moves and charm but never spared herself for a private company with Manudeva.

Manudeva virtually turned insane in his efforts to get Amrapali's personal attentions but Amrapali steadfastly refused.

Eventually, with her growing clout among the nobles and larger acceptance among the masses, Amrapali managed to organise a coup against Manudeva.

Anurag has described her saga of struggle to maintain her autonomy and uphold her rights as a woman in an enchanting fashion.

In fact, Amrapali that was buried in the sands of time has come alive in The Legend of Amrapali. The book is basically a treasure trove for the modern generation to know about the legendry courtesan.

" The Legend of Amrapali tells a riveting story...a compelling read," says Shashi Tharoor. William Dalrymple has said: "Amrapali is potentially a wonderful subject."

Anurag was born in a Patna hospital in 1978. But he grew in his ancestral village at Pokharpur in north Bihar's Saran district ahead of going to a Darjeeling-based boarding school. "Staying away from the comforts of home at a tender age was not easy and I would literally be counting days till the next vacation. This meant that when home, I would try and make the most of the little time I had at hand. I would goad my grandparents for stories, and in the absence of present-day electronic distractions, spent a significant bit of time in reliving these stories within my head," Anurag said, adding: "Since most of these stories found their roots in ancient history or mythology, it was only natural that I developed a keen interest in these subjects."

A corporate professional based at New Delhi, Anurag said: "Doing job is bread and butter for me but writing is my passion. The Birth of the Bastard Prince, published by Rupa Publications, is a sequel to The Legend of Amrapali in which Anurag has dealt the raging war between Magadha and Vaishali, Magadha emperor Bimbisar's love for Amrapali and birth of their son, Vimal Kondanna.