Different Version of mythological stories confuse GenNext
Our national anthem beautifully depicts the religious existence of our country ‘Bharat Bhagaya Vidhata’ as it is believed that the Indian map is defined by the river course of sacred rivers in India. Some school also believe that Indian map is the result of the #pilgrims that have travelled to various religious places to worship their deities. However, India is a land known for its cultural diversity where secularism is a key feature for its existence. Religion to India is like inhaling oxygen for a common man as we draw our living standards and styles from our Vedic scriptures and mythologies.
In relic times, these mythological stories were told by the Rishi munis to their devotees for teaching them the art of living and essence of our Vedic traditions but nowadays, interpersonal communication has been replaced by mass communication and these mythological stories are sold like hotcakes and even religion is being commercialised.
Shekhar Kapur titled Amish ‘India’s first literary popstar’ due to his back to back novel like Shiv Trilogy, Sita, Son of Ikshavaku, etc. sold like hot cakes in the India market. Personifying Indian mythological characters has been his speciality where he fiddles with characters that are defined as gods in Hindu scriptures and mythological stories. The journey started with ‘Ramayana’ by Ramanand Sagar that gave visuals and effects to the greatest epic ‘Ramayana’. From there on, these stories have been narrated and shown in numerous formats and styles that with every growing generation, the story changes. Undoubtedly, media is one of the strongest platforms to reach out to its masses and that to do that our mythological stories and our deities have been personified in various forms in novels, documentaries, movies, serials, a stage play that we have gone far from reality. As we have come a long way from Doordarshan to Video streaming platforms, similarly we have been uprooted from the original Upanishads, Vedas, Puranas to these exaggerated mythological visual depictions.
If, I start counting there are so many channels that are banking on the emotional quotient of the Indian audiences by broadcasting serials on deities that we worship like Durga soon to be broadcasted on Colors, , Radha Krishna on Star Bharat, Namah on Star Plus, Shiva on Star Bharat, Lord Ganesha on Sony, etc. so on and so forth but each with its own truth and different story. Is it right to forget the foundation and build a building that is destroying the roots? No wonder the production houses have their explanation in the form of the research team, creative aspect and TRPs but why the religious stories.
Is it right to fiddle with the images of deities on the name of creativity and selling it to the millennial that might form the base for their knowledge amount Hindu religion? It is a real cause of concern that the India that we are proud of its culture and traditions would soon lose its foundation due to the generation that knows nothing about its roots. That don’t the stories behind our existence, neither they know the reasons behind our traditions and mythological deities that are worshipped in every home.
Therefore, it becomes our moral and ethical duty to provide substantial reason and research to our current generations so that they can know the essence of being an Indian. Why Lord Krishna is known as the greatest philosopher, Narad Muni being the first journalist, plastic surgery being invented in India, aero science, being developed in India. If we will be able to provide our Millenials with such information, no wonder we will be upbringing generation that is proud of being Indian.
