Four children. An ordinary first term. A school above the Beas River. And secrets that have waited generations to be discovered.
A new middle-grade fantasy adventure is about to begin.
The First Naad, Book One of Raj Kanda’s planned ten-book series The Panchanad Chronicles, introduces readers aged 8–12 to an original fantasy world inspired by India’s cultural heritage, Hindu mythology and Vedic philosophy.
Set in contemporary Punjab, the story combines friendship, mystery and adventure with something less familiar in children’s fantasy: the idea that knowledge itself carries responsibility.
And it all begins at a school where things are not quite as ordinary as they first appear.
Welcome to Panchanad Veda Sthal High School
High above the Beas River stands Panchanad Veda Sthal High School.
From the outside, there is little reason to suspect what lies beneath it. There are red-brick buildings, a clock tower, classrooms, friendships, exams and cricket.
But the hill beneath the school is much older.
Hidden within it are three mandirs. There are towers with no visible doors or windows. Tunnels curl through the ridge like roots.
Strangest of all?
None of them appears on any plan of the school.
Into this world arrive four children expecting nothing more mysterious than their first term.
They are about to start asking questions that perhaps nobody was supposed to ask.
Meet Aarav, Veer, Kavya and Meera
At the heart of The First Naad are four very different young characters.
Aarav — The Thinker
Aarav needs to understand. Careful and methodical, he notices connections others miss and finds it almost impossible to leave an unanswered question alone.
Sometimes that curiosity is exactly what the group needs.
Sometimes it leads him towards things that might have been better left unopened.
Veer — The Protector
Where Aarav stops to think, Veer moves.
Instinctively protective of his friends, he would rather act quickly than realise too late that he could have helped. His courage can keep the group safe—but his impatience can just as easily lead them into trouble.
Kavya — The Listener
Kavya notices the things other people overlook.
A quiet friend. An animal at the edge of the courtyard. A change in someone’s voice.
Calm and compassionate, she is often what holds the four together, even when that means carrying burdens that were never hers.
Meera — The Finder
Meera sees what does not belong.
A seam in a stone. A door that should not exist. A detail everyone else has passed without noticing.
She may wait until she is certain before speaking—but when Meera finally says something, everyone has reason to listen.
Together, they form an unlikely but compelling team.
They don’t always agree. Aarav wants to understand. Veer wants to act. Meera wants certainty. Kavya wants to make sure nobody is left behind.
And that may be exactly why they need one another.
What Is “The First Naad”?
At the centre of the story is an intriguing idea: a way of listening that the world agreed, long ago, to forget.
Learning it changes what the children hear.
An ordinary corridor no longer feels quite so ordinary.
The space between two words can matter.
So can the silence after a bell.
But discovering forgotten knowledge raises a much bigger question:
Just because you have the power to use knowledge, does that mean you should?
That question sits at the heart of The First Naad.
Rather than making power itself the ultimate prize, the story explores curiosity, courage, friendship, restraint and the responsibility that comes with understanding something others do not.
An Indian-Inspired Fantasy World of Its Own
One of the most exciting elements of The Panchanad Chronicles is its setting.
Rather than retelling an existing myth, Raj Kanda has created an original fantasy story drawing inspiration from India’s cultural heritage, Hindu mythology and Vedic philosophy.
Readers will encounter a contemporary world layered with something much older.
Ancient architecture.
Hidden corridors.
Sacred symbols.
Vedic sound puzzles.
Old courtyards and mysterious towers.
The landscapes surrounding Punjab and the Beas River.
And philosophical ideas centred on knowledge, self-restraint and the courage to protect rather than destroy.
The result is a world where the ancient and contemporary don’t exist separately.
They occupy the same landscape—you simply have to know where to look.
The Vision Behind The Panchanad Chronicles
For author Raj Kanda, the ambition behind the series extends beyond creating an exciting fantasy adventure.
The Panchanad Chronicles grew from a desire to introduce young readers to an original fantasy world that reflects the richness of India’s cultural heritage while still delivering the mystery, friendship, discovery and adventure that make middle-grade fantasy so compelling.
Instead of simply retelling familiar mythology, the series draws upon its values, symbolism and philosophical traditions to build something new.
At its heart is the belief that stories can encourage children to remain curious, ask difficult questions, value friendship and understand that courage is not always about fighting.
Sometimes courage is knowing when not to use the power you possess.
This Is Only the Beginning
The First Naad is Book One of a planned ten-book journey.
For Aarav, Veer, Kavya and Meera, it begins with their arrival at a school above the Beas River.
For readers, it begins with a mystery.
What lies beneath the school?
Why was it forgotten?
What exactly is Naad?
And what happens when something that has remained silent for generations is finally heard again?
Those answers belong to the story.
For now, one thing is certain:
The first Naad is about to be heard.