We all worship Gods we don't understand, says mythological author Devdutt Pattanaik. He spoke to Aastha Atray Banan about secrets of Hindu calendar art and why he thinks he was destined to be the storyteller of deities
We all worship Gods we don't understand, says mythological author Devdutt Pattanaik. He spoke to Aastha Atray Banan about secrets of Hindu calendar art and why he thinks he was destined to be the storyteller of deities
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A calendar image of Goddess Bahuchara. Hijras who seek gender fulfillment come to her |
"I think I was born to write about mythology and the Gods. I regard it my duty to clear misconceptions about what the Gods really stand for. It's a tedious job, but someone has to do it," says author Devdutt Pattanaik, leaning back in a chair at his Future Group office, where he works as Chief Belief Officer. His designation suits his unruffled disposition, as he oscillates effortlessly between shotting off important mails and chatting about 7 Secrets From Hindu Calendar Art, his latest book.
"In earlier times, women used to draw figures of Gods on their homes, for protection. Later, those figures were printed on paper," he says. The book explores legends, tales and symbolism associated with calendar art.
Why not in colour?Why use black and white renditions of the art that would come alive in glossy colour? Devdutt laughs, "Because that would make sure no one would read my text. They'd flip through it like it was a comic book." The mythologist by passion, who has written the Book of Ram and the Pregnant King, feels India's youth need to understand mythology wisely or it could have a negative impact on the world we live in. "Most mythology is based on the battle between good and evil. But who is the villain? Whether it's Amar Chitra Katha or religious TV shows, the villain is always portrayed as a tall, dark man with a handlebar moustache. But the Gods are always beautiful. Parents pass on these prejudices to kids, and that's dangerous. We need to scratch the surface."
Packed with anecdotesPattanaik's books use simple language, passing on information in a witty manner using anecdotes.u00a0 Here's one: Narad came to Shiva to ask him to choose the better son between Ganesha and Kartikeya. Shiva set up a test whoever would go around the world thrice would win. Kartikeye mounted his peacock and rose to the sky, Ganesha sat still. As Kartikeye was about to complete his final round, Ganesha got up and ran around his parents thrice and declared, "I won!" Kartikeye said, "How? It was I who went around the world thrice."
Ganesha said, "That's not true. You went around the world, I went around mine. Tell me, which world matters more?"
Gods loved and lusted tooPattanaik's success could also lie in that he gets the reader to realise even Gods had lives they loved, hated, fought, lusted and were normal people in search of happiness. "Yes, I think people relate to my books because through them, they connect with the Gods. This book holds relevance today.u00a0 It's a chance to see what has always been told. This is our cultural inheritance, a language of our forefathers. We owe to ourselves and to our children to see how they saw the world."
