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Legendary courtesan Amrapali's life story is as enigmatic and extraordinary as her beauty and grace. Found abandoned under a mango tree as an infant, the twists and turns of fate led her to become the Nagarvadhu, the most sought-after yet morally reviled courtesan of the kingdom of Vaishali. In Birth of the Bastard Prince, the sequel to the riveting The Legend of Amrapali, Anurag Anand explores Amrapali's eventful life as the Nagarvadhu. He describes in thrilling detail the war between Vaishali and Magadha, in which Amrapali played a crucial role; traces her love affair with Bimbisara, the emperor of Magadha, and the birth of their son Vimala Kondanna; reveals the palace intrigues and conspiracies that led to Amrapali's tribulations; and finally explains how Amrapali found the solace and happiness she so desired. Weaving together facts with fiction, written with a contemporary flavour, Birth of the Bastard Prince is an enchanting exploration of Amrapali's life as a courtesan and a mother, and her spiritual awakening in the Buddhist order.