The Importance of myth in Kanthapura

                  The Importance of myth in Kanthapura

Name : Radha B. Ghevariya 

Std. : M.A. SEM- 1

Sub : 

Indian Writing In English 

Roll no : 22 

Topic :  The Importance of myth in Kanthapura

Submitted to : Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English 

 Introduction

           Raja Rao was born on November 8,1908 in Hassan in the state of  Mysore in South India, Raja Rao was a well-know Brahmin family. His native language was kanarese, but his post-graduate education was in France , and if all this publications in book from in English.

             Raja Rao was concerned with the colonial language . in the foreword to ‘Kanthapura’ (19380)  published in London, if then he admitted the difficulties are

“ A language that is not one’s  Own the spirit that is one’s own”

And conveying,the various shades and omissions of Certain thought movement that looks Maltreated in an alien language”

                RajaRao the novel  Kanthapura (1938) was an the impact of Gandhi’s teaching  on non-violent resistance against the British  and then Raja Rao borrows the style and structure from Indian  vernacular tales and folk epic.

                  The novel Kanthapura in the character of the young man Moorthy who comes back from the city Kanthapura , then Rao   portrays an idealist and supporter of ahinsa and satayagraha , if also create  to cross the traditional barriers of caste , as then the old women calls the ‘ university Graduate’ , and has given up his,

“Boots and hat and  suit and had taken

To dhoti and khadi , and it was said he

Had even given up his city habit of smoking”

             Raja Rao died of heart failure on  July 8,2006 . at his home in Austin , Texas .His famous work

       

# Kanthapura (1938)

#  Changing India(1939)

#  Whither India ( 1948)

#  The serpent and the rope ( 1960)

#  Summary

     Raja Rao’s Kanthapura is one of the finest novels to come out of mid twentieth century India. Raja Rao’s first  novel Kanthapura in 1938. It is the story of a village in south India named Kanthapura and also it is the story of how Gandhi’s struggle for independence from the British came to a typical village Kanthapura the novel is narrated in the form of a ‘sthalapurana’ by an old women of the village Achkka. Kanthapura is a traditional caste ridden Indian village, which is away from all modern ways of living if their the village Kanthapura then dominant castes like Brahmins are privileged to get the best region of the village like sudras, pariahs are marginalized.

           The novel Kanthapura in the main character of the novel Moorthy is a Brahmin who, discovered a half baried linga from the village and installed it. And also then the a temple is built there , which later became the centre point of the village life.  The village Kanthapura then all ceremonies and festivals are celebrated warren the temple.

           The character of Jayaramchar as a harikathamen . harikathas  is a traditional form of storytelling was practiced in village . Jayaramchar narrated a harikathas based on Gandhi and his ideas. The novel Kanthapura its  begins its course of action when Moorthy leaves for the city and he got familiar with the Gandhian philosophy  through pamphlets and other literature.  Moorthy is a discarded foreign untouchability .  and then the village and all cast man against the foreign  government and Moorthy was excommunicated and then the other character like bade khan was a police officer a non Hindu of Kanthapura . bade khan is an enemy  of the  people who refuses  to provide shelter to him. Moorthy continued his fight against injustice and social inequality way of Gandhi after that at last Moorthy release and arrest of the satayagraha  and atrocities against women added miseries of the people . then in the last part of the novel it is mentioned that  people of the village were settled in kashipura and Kanthapura was occupied by people of Bombay.

# Myth

            Myth is a imagination not a reality . myth is always comes from  past . it Raja Rao also used the myth in framework . myth always related with ideal truth and real world . the use of mythical technique means that the past is juxtaposed with the present in this way the past may serve us criticism of the present or it may be used to heighten and glorify the preset . according to Meenakshi Mukhrjee,

“ Kanthapura is again another and a

Larger attempt at creating a sthala

Purana , that is a legendary tale of

A  specific locality”

   

                       Myth always tells individual story , early  history of people, social background supernatural beings of events.

#  Importance of myth  Kanthapura

          Myth is one type of particular device that introduce cultural background and historical movement Kanthapura novel written by raja Rao . Raja Rao is using the myth in Kanthapura. The importance of myth in Kanthapura is a microcosm of the Indian society with division of people into castes, untouchability, poverty  exploitation and  foreign ruler and ruthless tyranny at their hands and then the division of the village into the Brahmin quarters the potter quarters  and so on speak of the age long caste system  and untouchability.

  Raja Rao write,    

                                      

“ There is no village in India says Raja Rao , however mean that has not a rich sthala Purana or legendry history of its own some God or god like hero has passed by the village Rama might have rested under the papal  tree…..”

             The using  central myth of Kanthapura is of ram-sita-ravana, which  is the used to illustrate the fight between Mahatma Gandhi and the British and another use of myth Siva is the three eyed god so is swaraj and parvati wooed   and won Siva through penances , so does gandhi , Endeavour,  attain independence through penances so does Gandhi Endeavour to attain independence through ordeals the myth of Kanthapura is connected with the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The independence is like sita sullied at the hands of ravana and Gandhi like rama  strives to regain her .  Gandhi’s visit to England for the round table  conference is like the  visit of ram to lanka after  Ravana’s defeat if their Gandhi is rama and  Jawaharlal Nehru is bharta. 

             In this novel Kanthapura it is a small and beautiful village of people  but who still belongs to the old world of superstition . Raja Rao use Indian myth sensibility and tradition myth in the novel. Kanthapura shares certain narrative technique with Purana. The story by a village grandmother  and the style reflect oral heritage also  represent the harikathas. In the village we see the one temple and  this temple is most important for villagers. In this temple Jayaramchar narrate ‘ Harikathas’ and many katha  related on Gandhian ideas. Raja Rao use  Indian sensibility, tradition myth mysticism , religion , techniques in the novel. Raja Rao tells us that as soon as Gandhi was born “ the four wide walls began to shine like the kingdom of the sun, and hardly was he in the cradle than the began to lisp the language of wisdom” the harikathas man Jayaramchar raises Gandhi to the level of god by his activities with one particular feat of Krishna.

“ you remember how Krishna when he was But a babe of four, had began to fight against Demons and had killed the serpent kali,so Too our Mohandas began to fight, against The enemies of the country”

Conclusion

       Raja Rao has also  used the  myth and reality in the novel ‘Kanthapura’ through their  customs, attitudes , ritual and also through their  belief about the religiosity.