Get your fix of mythology this festive season
Did you know that almost every state in India has about twenty to thirty grand festivals celebrated at different times of the year? And, festivals, as we all know, are synonymous with merrymaking. So, do you still believe that Disneyland is ‘the happiest place on Earth’?
Well, although we might not be celebrating each of these festivals as elaborately as we would during Holi, Diwali, Eid, Gurupurab or Christmas, we have more than enough reasons (read: excuses) to let the festivities rolling. The year-end especially is all about festivities, food, fun, and family. So, as this year draws to a close, don’t forget to squeeze in some me-time for yourself amidst the festivities and indulge in these enthralling reads on the fascinating and vibrant mythology of our rich country.
P.S. These picks also make for the perfect gifting option during the festivals. Let the good times begin…
How to Become Rich: 12 Lessons I Learnt from Vedic and Puranic Stories (by Devdutt Pattanaik): Lakshmi is worshipped as the goddess of wealth. Her arrival is considered auspicious, while her departure inauspicious. In temples, gods are bedecked with jewels; during festivals, our houses are decorated with flowers, lamps and Lakshmi’s footprints. Clearly, she is a much-desired goddess. Yet, some friends and relatives, even gurus, tell us not to be money-minded, or that it is wrong to equate Lakshmi with money because Lakshmi is spiritual and money is material. Why this mockery of money? Why are we driving Lakshmi out of India instead of inviting her lovingly into our lives? How to Become Rich is a simple retelling of the stories of Lakshmi found in the Vedas and Puranas. Devdutt Pattanaik deftly explains what Hinduism says about economics at a personal level as well as at the social level.
Ravanaleela (by Radha Viswanath): Ravana, perhaps the most popular Rakshasa in Indian mythology, is known as the villain in the Ramayana and the epic would not have been what it is without this great Rakshasa. Yet Ravana is much more than a mere abductor. Born out of the union of a Rishi and a Rakshasi, a devout Shiv-bhakt and a mighty king, Ravana is no ordinary Rakshasa.
This book attempts to bring out a comprehensive and well-rounded character of Ravana. The various little dots of information about the Rakshasa king as given in Valmiki Ramayana have been picked with care, collated and compared with presentations in several other versions of the Ramayana, and the long, hoary lineage of the demon king painstakingly put together to present this villain of villains as a legend worthy of greater attention.
Ganga: The Constant Goddess (by Anuja Chandramouli): Believed to be the liquid manifestation of Shakti and the nurturer of the three worlds with her life-sustaining waters, Goddess Ganga is the epitome of beauty and purity, of indomitable spirit and boundless charm.
The exquisite epic that is Ganga’s story, from her miraculous origins, her sojourn in the heavens, her poignant relationships with the divine trinity, the birth of her sons—Bhishma and Kartikeya, and her descent into a wicked world that is not worthy of her, is dazzlingly told by Anuja Chandramouli. Without this Goddess, life, as we know it will be over, for her righteous retribution, will be terrifying.
The Flaming Tresses of Draupadi (by M. Veerappa Moily): This epic poem traces the life and journey of Draupadi from her birth from the sacrificial fire—whereupon she was named Yagnaseni—to her marriage with the five Pandava brothers, to losing her fortune and honour to the Kauravas in a gamble, the deep friendship she forged with Lord Krishna and finally, the culmination of the great war of Kurukshetra.
In this poem of hatred, love, victory, and defeat, Draupadi emerges as a strong female character that ultimately brought to retribution all those who had done injustice to her.
Yug Purush (by Savita Singh): This is the story of the most enigmatic man of the era; the man who, despite being a mortal, was superhuman in every way. Krishna was a visionary who could see into the future and tried in his own way to make it better, accepting what he could not change. A brilliant strategist, he manipulated people to achieve the end goal—yet never for the wrong reasons. The powers he exhibited are in all of us; only we are not aware of them and have no idea how to harness them.
Happy festivities!