Questioning Ramayanas

Description

Although the story of Rama (Ramkatha) has inspired countless tellings, most people are familiar with only a few dominant versions, such as those by Valmiki and Tulsidas, or the popular television adaptation by Ramanand Sagar. This volume broadens our understanding of Ramkatha by focusing on alternative tellings?drawn from regional languages, dialects, and tribal traditions?that challenge and reinterpret aspects of these dominant narratives. The essays in this collection demonstrate how such questioning preserves and enriches the diversity of the Ramayana tradition. This unique study is indispensable for scholars and students in the fields of literature, religion, and folklore. Contributors to the volume include Bina Agarwal, Vidyut Aklujkar, Edward C. Dimock, Robert P. Goldman, Sally J. Sutherland Goldman, Linda Hess, John Kelly, Madhu Kishwar, Philip Lutgendorf, Vasudha Narayana, Usha Nilsson, Velcheru Narayana Rao, Paula Richman, David Shulman, Tony K. Stewart, and Romila Thapar.

About the Author

Paula Richman, the editor, is the William H. Danforth Professor of South Asian Religions at Oberlin College in Ohio, USA, and specializes in the history of Indian religions.