The vibrancy of Indian culture is often showcased across media, from Hollywood and Bollywood films to serious documentaries. The festival of colours is almost always part of that montage. It appears as spontaneous joy. A riot of abandon. I am speaking, of course, about Holi. In films it looks random. Filmed whenever the cinematic flow … Continue reading Holi: A Geological Record of The Indian Heart
An apology, several digressions, and a proposal for Mythoscopy Let me start with an apology. This one is mine. For being long-winded.For sometimes being opaque when clarity was within reach.For circling ideas instead of charging straight at them. But I have learnt, slowly, that some ideas don’t survive being charged at. They need to be … Continue reading From Facts to Myths
The human brain has one thing in abundance that brains of most other species do not have at all. That is the power to dream! And one of the most fantastical things we dream of is that given enough data and enough amount of thinking and more than enough amount of jargon we can solve … Continue reading The Fantastical Human Brain
The post explores the concept of "mythoscopy," which examines how traditional stories evolve over time, using the tales of Rāma and Krishna as focal points. It highlights Shabari's story within the Rāmāyana, showcasing its transformation from simple devotion to a powerful symbol of equality. This adaptability is crucial for enduring narratives.
The village clearing buzzed with murmurs as Bhaskar, the farmer, arrived, hefting his worn hoe over his shoulder. Thick-set and sun-darkened, he looked every bit the weathered laborer, whose strength and weariness were born of the soil. He was already tired of what he expected tonight—a ritual of tales and chants too fantastic for his … Continue reading Of Desire and the Ordinary: Tale of Vena and Prithu
Beneath the vast canopy of the banyan tree, Ratnakar stood with a grin, his friends crowding around him. They had watched him recast history as he saw fit, now catching a glimpse of the grandiose story he envisioned. “So, let me get this right,” said Arjun, chuckling. “Rama’s campaign across the Dakshina Desha will be … Continue reading The Making of a Legend
In the bustling courtyard of the Vishwanath Temple in Kashi, pilgrims and scholars gathered, their voices mixing in a vibrant cacophony. Aniruddha, a young monk in ochre robes, stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with conviction. “Shankaracharya teaches us that the world is an illusion!” he proclaimed. “Our true nature is one with Brahman!” Vidyadhar, a … Continue reading The Discourse at Kashi: Heretic or Saint
In the dimly lit scriptorium, a hush fell over a group of scribes gathered around palm leaves and pots of ink. The head scribe, Kumaraswami, held up his quill, his gaze drifting thoughtfully as he prepared to lead the transcription of Valmiki’s Ramayana. Yet tonight’s work held an unusual burden: recent orders from the court … Continue reading This May Not Be True
In the sixth of the UGLIE series, we throw caution to air and go further on the story of the third brother, of the Two Brothers who were the "fathers" of the Warring Cousins of the M-Story. | Do read, comment and discuss. Share but beware! | Word Count: 1592 | Flesch Kincaid Grade Level: 5.7 |
Shooting the air with a few friends, erstwhile batchmates, and then-still colleagues found uncanny parallels between geo-political, corporate and historical power shenanigans. Mythoscopy being my eternal hang-up, found the best fit as the Vikram-Betaal framing; i.e an overarching story, with one character narrating a story, with a query at the end, with the narrated story, and query, having a connection with the overarching story as well as having two-level moral learning for the final listener, i.e. us (go read the original.. it is awesome). This one has three confusing (confused) layers; (i) Superficial Corporate layer, of a pre-final VC round of a wannabe-unicorn startup, (ii) Parallel Geo-Political layer, of a dictator trying to get the sheen of being democratically elected/re-elected, and (iii) Reference Historical layer of the pre-, during-, and immediately-post-Emergency rule of Indira G. This is collaboration with @Curiouser&Curiouser | Do read, comment and discuss. Share but beware! | Word Count: 2596
Random Mythoscopy 