ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

MahabharataSubscribe to Mahabharata

Television’s New Lease of Life amidst COVID-19

The nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has given way to an unprecedented situation that every single individual is grappling with. In such uncertain times, television’s role has become significant in keeping the population indoors. This article examines how the re-broadcast of several old television programmes from the 1980s and 1990s has given a second life to the otherwise redundant television set. This article explores the significance of the re-telecast of TV programmes like Ramayan, Mahabharata and others, beyond the political lens and demonstrates how they have challenged digital entertainment and brought back the traditional TV viewing habits. The article also goes on to suggest the way forward for both the public broadcaster Doordarshan and private broadcasters post the current crisis.

Situating Women in Tamil Mahabharatas

Epics and oral narratives have long been a part of the cultural ethos of the Indian subcontinent. Given the long years of their existence and expression in oral, performance and written traditions, several characters which might be part of one narrative may not be part of another. A critical examination of Tamil Mahabharatas reveals the existence of several women characters, whose stories can be read simultaneously as resisting as well as conforming to the dominant patriarchal order. This reveals the ambiguous attitudes towards non-conforming women, and how even the dissemination of their narratives are seen as a threat to the dominant patriarchal social order.

 

Karna, the Dark-fated One

Following anthropologist Iravati Karve’s grounding of the Mahabharata in realism, the author proposes a new origin myth for Karna, brother to the Pandavas.

Being and Belongingness

Participatory theatre in the form of ritual performances, validated by myth and tradition, celebrates collective identity--whether in Tamil Nadu, Varanasi or Bavaria.

Heroines of Little Kingdoms

Draupadi among Rajputs, Muslims and Dalits: Rethinking India’s Oral and Classical Epics by Alf Hiltebeitel; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2001; pp xiv + 560, Rs 693.

Back to Top