Hindu nationalisms: Revisiting mythology in Indian fiction and art

This dissertation addresses the construction of Indian nationalism that is revealed in fiction and art written and executed in the decade prior to the fiftieth anniversary of Independence. Hindu mythology is salient as the selected writers and artists address nationalist issues, creating links between history and mythology that validates Indian selfhood. The selected writers and artists are all of Hindu backgrounds, yet they consciously reread Hindu myths to speak for the values of a diverse culture.; The three writers and three artists are grouped in pairs. Gita Mehta in her novel A River Sutra (1993), and Madhvi Parekh in selected paintings, express a nostalgic longing for the mythical past. Neither directly addresses political issues, and their avoidance of them reveals the motive to construct Indian identity based upon an idea of a mythical dream-past. Mehta looks into myths of the Narmada River, now assailed by the large dam project, but she is disinterested in movements to save the river. Parekh builds her contemporary paintings with references to tribal art styles, iconography, and myths.; Vikram Chandra in his Red Earth and Pouring Rain (1995), and Chittrovanu Mazumdar in selected paintings of the goddess Kali, take advantage of the resonance of Hindu mythology to address critical commentary toward present-day India. Chandra feels that that India's ancient history, which he romanticizes, has been intercepted by the period of the British Raj, and that, even though India has achieved independence, it is assailed by reprehensible social neglect and disaffection. Mazumdar uses images of Kali, attired and positioned as a destitute woman, to speak for India's need to address its neglected human rights issues.; Shashi Thaoror's The Great Indian Novel (1990) and Vinod Dave's paintings rewrite Hindu mythology to support Indian pluralism. Both are inspired by myths from The Mahabharata epic. Tharoor uses the great Hindu myth as a prototype story, but expands its relevancy to include non-Hindu groups. As a U.N. Diplomat, Tharoor's interest in imagining cooperative pluralism is of special interest. Dave sets up Hindu gods as the blissful, but endangered, targets of random acts of violence that threaten world stability.