If you’re looking to understand stories trapped inside ancient caves in and around Mumbai, you’re in luck. The Katha Project is organising a talk by Dr Prachi Moghe on May 22, about the iconography of Hindu mythology reflected in art from Elephanta and Kanheri caves, myths and stories from the puranas with reference to Bramha, Vishnu, Mahesh and goddesses like Durga, Saraswati and Parvati. The discussion will also include elements of Buddhist mythology with localised content.
“I will recall stories from our childhoods; the ones straight out of the ancient stories” says Prachi. “How these stories came about, how they changed and are directly related to the Hindu myths tells us how connected we are to our history without realising it,” she adds.
Prachi insists on believing the stories, but not as tales of gods and goddesses. Explaining herself, she says, “The puranas are a documentation of our history. They’re encyclopaedias. People must realise the relevance of our mythology in the present. The time bound factors can be ignored, but the facts that are eternal must be understood.” As an example, she uses the tale of Ardhanarishvara, the half-male half-female form, split right down the middle. It shows that male and female powers are within each and they are inseparable. “This is very fitting in today’s times of gender inequality and related issues,” she states, adding, “It is imperative to understand ancient scriptures in the context of time.”
Prachi is a strong proponent of preserving mythological stories and the art surrounding India’s ancient culture. “Even if you don’t believe in the stories from mythological books, you must help in enhancing and preserving them as part of our culture,” she says.
