Reading Notes A: Ramayana
Several
different parts of the reading really caught my attention. I was fascinated especially
by the settings of each story, and how the tales explain the existence of various
bodies of water and parts of the kingdom. For example, when Bhagiratha’s
ancestors dug the giant holes to find the horse, they were cleansed by Ganga
and their giant holes turned into the oceans.
The
first setting that caught my imagination was the Ganges, which seemed a little
like a cemetery, haunted by many demons that aim to destroy people who perform sacrifices.
In my mind, it looked dark blue and foggy, a really gloomy place.
The
setting for the dramatic encounter between Rama and Thataka was another
favorite of mine. The author sets up this scary, desert otherworld with animal
bones everywhere, which makes you anxious to meet the demon even before she
appears. Thataka is described as not being a woman anymore, because she has
deviated so far from her original form. Now she has large fangs and breathes
fire into her surroundings. It was
interesting how the presence of the desert has been explained by her breathing
fire into the land. I especially liked this image I found of her in which she’s
wearing a necklace of animal skulls.
Thataka, Wikipedia
The
colorful city of Mithila was my favorite place to read about. What a heavenly
place it seems like: women singing on balconies, pools with colorful fish swimming
in them, and multicolored flags hanging on the buildings. The most unique thing
about the city is how random odds and ends of jewelry that people drop are
never picked up, adding a playful element to the city. It reminds me a little
of the town of Spectre from the movie Big
Fish. It has the same charming, fairy tale feel, plus its own quirk. In
Spectre there’s a string running across the main street holding everyone’s
shoes. So, everyone just walks around barefoot. This theme of the perfect city
seems to repeat in many films and stories.
Bibliography
Narayan's Ramayana, link to Reading Guide A
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