Mythological Characters in Amish Tripathi's Ram Chandra Series

Abstract

Every great civilization has its own treasure of mythology.  Egypt, Rome, Greece, India, China and other cultures are the classic examples. Each of them, during the course of history, created folklore, community rituals and social beliefs which led to the creation of vast bodies of mythology. India has probably the richest store house of mythology and legends in the world. It is fed from countless sources and preserved in the four Vedas, the Upanishads, the two epics, the eighteen main Purans and many chants, plays, poetry, sculptures, dance, music and folklore. The roots of India’s legendary past go before the Aryans to the Dravidians and even the Pre-Dravidian tribals. Therefore its values, its social and legal systems and its aesthetic awareness, have survived intact and remained relevant to all Indians.  Human actions to became the subjects of myths, which to some extent, related to historical events, the best examples are the Ramayana and Mahabharta. These sagas beautifully describe the interactions of human characters and personalities.  In thislineage, the new Indian writers, like Amish Tripathi, Ashok Banker and Ashwin Sanghi have started a new tradition by blending the mythology of the past with present reality. By doing so these writers are modernizing the Indian myth. Amish Tripathi relied on the stories and fables that he heard from his family. He noted that Hindu Gods were probably not mythical beings or a figment of a rich imagination but rather they were once human beings like the rest. Amish have touched every character and place in the series with a humanistic approach. The present paper throws light on the mythological characters of Ram Chandra Series.