When Lakshma undergoes a fire ordeal: The Aesthetic world of Gond Ramayani

Speaker: Dr. Molly Kaushal, Professor of Performance Studies and Head, JanapadaSampada Division, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

 Chairperson: Prof Aditya Malik, Vice Chancellor, K.R.  Mangalam University

 The Gond Ramayani begins where the plot of the canonical text ends. It is composed of seven tales with Lakshman as its hero. However, the present talk rather than locating the Gond Ramayani within the larger Ramayana traditions, explores its origins and semantics within the narrative repertoire of the Gonds and in the background of their socio-cultural practices, religious pantheon, metaphysics and rituals of death.