Khandava Dahan: the Burning of the Khandava Forest

An incident from the Mahabharata

It was a scorching hot summer afternoon. The tar on the roads had melted, and no one, not even the stray dogs foraging in the city’s rubbish dumps, could be seen. A burning wind blew dust through the empty streets. In the distance, the Yamuna, flowing sluggishly through the city, glittered in the fierce sun.  

A tribe of thirsty sparrows were looking des…