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Where do Aru and her mother live?
They live in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta, Georgia.
What is Boo’s job? What is a Pandava?
His job is to guide the Pandava brother who lit the Diya of Baratha. He then had to guide Aru since she lit the lamp. Aru and Mini are Pandavas. Pandavas are warriors that need less food and sleep than mortals. Boo knew Aru was one since she was able to light the lamp. Pandavas are part of Hindu mythology.
. Name two of the seven thrones in the Council. What did Hanuman say were other happenings after the diya was lit?
Urvashi (celestial dancer), Hanuman (monkey faced trickster), Uloopi and Surasa (the serpent queens), Jambavan (the bear king), Kubera (the Lord of Wealth), Subala (the pigeon – he had been banished). The vehicles of the gods and goddesses have gone missing. The special mounts of the deities used were missing - Ganesh (the elephant headed god of new beginnings rode a mouse), Lakshmi (the goddess of Luck rode an owl), and Indra (the king of gods rode a seven headed horse)
How do Aru and Mini find Valmiki? Why were Aru, Mini, and Boo requesting assistance from Valmiki? How do Aru and Mini get what they want from Valmiki? What happened when Aru touches the second key on the Mehndi Map?
The girls follow the ants to find Valmiki. They needed to acquire armor from the SEASONS to continue their quest. They had to speak in rhyme (like poetry). They promised him one day of their life for him to write their tale. He gave them a rhyme that would hide them both from sight. They were transported to outside of a Costco. They have only 6 days left. Inside will be the Night Bazaar. When they enter the Night Bazaar, they go to the frozen food aisle. Boo tells they to read the items in the cases.
What does Chitrigupta give the girls at the Halls of Death? What were the three hallways called and how did they figure out which to take? When Mini is being devoured by quicksand, what talks to her and how does she get out?
He gives them two tokens that are filled with good karma that the girls have done. He also gives them wisdom cookies that smell like old books and two thimblefuls of a bright orange liquid – soma – drink of the gods. To Dare, To Disturb, To Deign – They take TO DEIGN once Mini eats the cookie of knowledge. It reminded her of her favorite book: The Golden Compass. A shark talks to her – She gets out because Aru used the rope silk from the ground to pull Mini out.
What time was it when Aru and the three classmates entered the Hall of Gods?
It was 4:00 PM – the hour of day that is like a basement – almost, but not quiet.
Name 2 of the 4 divine astras. Name two of the five Pandava brothers.
Maces, Swords, Bows, and nerts woven from lightning. Yudhistira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva.
Who was Aru’s divine father and what did she receive from him? Who was Mini’s divine father and what did she receive from him?
Her soul father is Indra (King of the Heavens. She received a Golden Orb. Her father was Dharma Raja (Lord of Justice and Death). She received a small purple compact.
After waiting in line to enter the Night Bazaar, what did Aru and Mini need to do? In the Night Bazaar what were the three paths named. Which one did they go on? How did they get what they needed from the Seasons? What did they get?
They had to go through security before entering the Night Bazaar. They needed to remove anything enchanted and place it in a bin on their left. They also had Mini’s backpack searched and needed to remove Aru’s shoes. Things You Want, Things You Need (Went on this one), Things You Don’t Want to Need. Mini got a diamond bracelet that would freeze an enemy in his tracks and a headband that would make anyone wearing it forget something important. Aru got a necklace with a pendant. When thrown, it would hit any target. It did come with regret. They also got some cakes that make they feel not hungry and no more pain. Aru was able to get these things by saying that the Seasons’ things were not the best and probably would not even help them.
How did the girls enter the palace? Why was the Palace upset with the Pandavas? How do the girls prove themselves to the Palace? How does the Palace show it is happy again? What does it give the girls?
Aru walked into a hard waterfall. The waterfall was a secret door to the palace. Mini remembered how to open it from a story her mother had told her. The Palace was upset because it was left behind and forgotten. Aru had to use the bow and arrow to aim true. The fireflies that were swarming around began to light little fires in this illusion Aru is trying to get out of. She did not see a target and did not know what to aim at. She remembered that to aim true was to get out of her own mind. Mini proved she was a Pandava by out reasoning herself through wisdom. She said the fastest thing was a thought. cThe Palace shows it is happy by cleaning itself up after 300 years. It gives the girls ice cream to eat. When the girls leave it gives them a blue tile shaped like a five-point star for protection.
Why does Aru light the lamp?
Aru had lied about spending her time in France during spring break. She lights the lamp to show the three classmates that it is cursed like she said.
What would the Sleeper want from the Pandavas and why?
The Lord od Destruction would want their weapons. He is surrounded by a celestial sphere that can only be shattered by an immortal device like those weapons.
Describe the quest given to Aru and Mini by Urvashi at the CLAIMING. Name the three keys the girls need to acquire to enter the Kingdom of Death without dying and how would they find the keys.
The Sleeper needs the celestial weapons to free the Lord of Destruction. They had to awaken the weapons before the Sleeper did. They must go to the Kingdom of Death. Within the Kingdom lies the pool of the past – Look in the pool and find how to vanquish the Sleeper once and for all. They had to do all this before the new moon or everyone who had been frozen would die (9 days). Keys: A sprig of youth, Bite of adulthood, Sip of old age They were given the Mehndi Map. If they touched a key on the map, they would be transported to somewhere close to where the actual key is located.
When Aru and Mini were in the library, what did Aru notice about Boo’s shadow? Explain what happened. How did they find the second key – Bite of Adulthood? What did Aru find in the library when Mini left her?
The shadow was really the Sleeper. He appeared carrying a cage to capture BOO. The Sleeper explained that Aru’s mother put him into the lamp. The Sleeper demanded that they give him the Key they already found (Sprig of Youth). They threw the bookbag to distract him. Mini used her diamond bracelet to freeze him. Mini also threw the headband of forgetfulness at him. The Sleeper told them he wanted the keys brought to him and left with Boo in a cage. They looked in the A section for a book called “Adulthood”. They were able to retrieve the key by biting the book. When she spit it out into her hand the wad of paper became a silver coin. She found the birdcage that the Sleeper was carrying. It had small clay animals in it. She took out her Golden Orb for light and the animals began to grow. The Sleeper had forgotten them when the headband hit him. These were the vehicles of the gods. Aru had freed them.
What happens at the Bridge of Forgetting? After the Bridge of Forgetting, where do the girls enter? What do they notice about this place?
As the snow is falling on the girls, they lose a memory. The guardian of the Bridge, Shukra, surrounded himself with mirrors to keep all his memories. They needed to listen to his tale in order to pass. He was slowly stealing their memories to build the bridge for them to cross. Aru took the pendant from Monsoon and threw it at the center mirror on Shukra. The snow then stole all the memories of his wife to build the bridge for the girls to cross. Shukra cursed her so that she would forget when it mattered most. The girls enter The Chambers of Astras (weapon with supernatural abilities). They notice an awful smell. The stalactites were teeth. The girls realize they were inside an animal’s mouth – a whale.The girls enter The Chambers of Astras (weapon with supernatural abilities). They notice an awful smell. The stalactites were teeth. The girls realize they were inside an animal’s mouth – a whale.The girls enter The Chambers of Astras (weapon with supernatural abilities). They notice an awful smell. The stalactites were teeth. The girls realize they were inside an animal’s mouth – a whale.The girls enter The Chambers of Astras (weapon with supernatural abilities). They notice an awful smell. The stalactites were teeth. The girls realize they were inside an animal’s mouth – a whale.
Where would Aru and Mini go to receive details of the quest?
The Court of The Sky-The Council of Guardians.
What is the key to get to the other world? Who do Aru and Mini encounter on the way to the Court of the sky?
You need to reach – you must grab hold of something invisible. They encounter Makara – Guardian of the Thresholds. Makara suspected they were voles.
What was the power of the Golden Orb and the purple compact? What happened when Aru touches the first key?
The Golden Orb could be thrown anywhere, and it would be back in her hands in a blink. The purple compact could see through enchantments. They get transported to the parking lot of a strip mall. After looking around they saw a hair salon with a sign that said: Madame Bee Asura. (Asura is a demon.)
How did the girls get to the next area to find the third key – Sip of Old Age? How did Aru and Mini get the third key – Sip of Old Age?
Mini used the Mehndi Map and left Aru since she was mad at her for lighting the lamp and putting her family in jeopardy. Aru got there by getting a ride on the seven headed horse she freed from the Sleeper’s birdcage. They could not touch the cauldron that was filled with poison that the key was in because it would explode and kill everything. Mini threw a little pebble at the cauldron to get it to let off some vapors. They wanted the chandelier with fire to fall into the cauldron to vaporize the poison. They threw rocks at the chandelier to get the fire to fall. The cauldron exploded and the fire made all the poison vaporize leaving just a small cup filled with silver liquid. Aru took a small sip and spit out the key – a small white key made of bone.
Where is the only place they can learn how to defeat the Sleeper? What happened in the Pool of the Past? What had Aru never seen her mom do? What could NOT kill the Sleeper? What could kill the Sleeper?
The Pool of the Past in the Kingdom of Death is where they will learn to defeat the Sleeper. Aru slipped and almost fell into the water. She looked and saw her mother’s face. She discovered her mother, Dr. Krithika Shah had fallen in love with Suyodhana, the Sleeper, a long time ago. They had wanted to resist him becoming the Sleeper and be a normal family. Her mother put Suyodhana inside the lamp since she did not have the heart to destroy him like she was supposed to. She did it to protect Aru (their baby). Smile. Metal, wood, stone, or anything dry or wet. VAJRA (the lightning bolt) could kill the Sleeper.
Why was the elephant important in the Hall of Gods?
It was a portal (entrance to other world traveling – magical corridor) and Subala (his nickname given by Aru is Boo) (the pigeon) came out of it when the lamp was lit.
What did Mini say she feared when they entered the Court of the Sky? When did Boo say the Council meets?
Mini had acrophobia – a fear of heights. They gather on Tuesdays and Thursdays and during full moons and new moons. They also gather for the season premiere and finale of Game of Thrones.
What happened once they meet Madame Bee Asura?What is Brahmasura’s (Madame Bee) power? How do the girls defeat her?
Using the compact, they realized that Madame Bee was Bhasmasura and she really was a demon. Aru and Mini realize that the first key is hidden a top of the Asura’s head. Madame Bee wanted to eat them for their beauty. Aru had Madame look in the compact to see she wasn’t beautiful and then threw her ball and a glow of heavenly light blinded Madame Bee. Anyone who touches her turns to ash. They had the mirror make an illusion of the Sprig of Youth and they showed it to Madame Bee. Mini grabbed the blow dryer and hit the hand Madame Bee onto the top of her own head. That turned Madame Bee into ash. The Sprig of Youth had flew off her head before she became ashes.
What happened at the door to the Kingdom of Death? How do the girls get by EK and DO? What did the girls discover about the language the dead people were speaking in the Kingdom of Death?
The girls met EK and DO (guard dogs). They inform the girls they can only enter if they are dead. Aru gets the dogs to begin arguing with each other about who is going to do the killing first. She then uses Mini’s purple compact to form a shape that grew a head and a tail – a purple cat. Aru threw her golden orb, and the cat took off. Both the dogs chased the items. The girls were able to enter the Kingdom of Death without a problem. When Mini used her compact, she discovered that all the people were speaking backwards.
How did they defeat the Sleeper? Why was the Sleeper’s curse of frozen sleep NOT permanent? What happened to Aru and Mini at the end of the book?
They tricked the Sleeper into walking into a chalk circle in the center of a circle of every one of the celestial mounts (animals) with the illusion of Aru’s mother. Aru knocked out the Sleeper by throwing her Vajra lightning bolt at the chandelier and it crashed down on top of him. They were able to keep him busy and distract him so he was not able to get to the Kingdom of Death by the new moon.They began going to the Otherworld for training by the Council. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they had three hours of training – war strategy, dancing and etiquette and folklore.