Is Indian Mythology Real? The History vs Myth Debate
“Is the Ramayana real?” “Did the Mahabharata actually happen?” “Are Hindu gods historical figures or fictional characters?” These are among the most searched questions about Indian sacred narratives. And they’re also the wrong questions or at least, questions that reveal how deeply colonial frameworks still shape how we think. Because the question “is it real?” […]
Indian Mythology: Stories, Books, and Gods Explained
“Can you recommend a good book on Indian mythology?” I get this question constantly. And I always pause before answering. Because the question itself reveals a misunderstanding. There’s no single “book on Indian mythology” the way there’s a definitive text for Greek mythology. There’s no Indian equivalent of Bulfinch’s Mythology or Edith Hamilton’s compendium. Why? […]
Mythology vs Religion: Understanding the Difference
“I love Greek mythology!” This is what people often say when I tell them I study sacred narratives. And I appreciate the enthusiasm. But there’s a problem with the statement one that reveals a common confusion about what mythology actually is and how it relates to religion. Because Greek mythology wasn’t “mythology” to the ancient […]
The Function of Mythology in Modern Life: Why Ancient Stories Still Matter
It is a reasonable question to ask. We have mapped the human genome. We have sent probes beyond our solar system. We carry more information in our pockets than any library held a century ago. And yet people still read the Ramayana. Still perform the Mahabharata. Still light a lamp before Devi every morning. Still […]
Why Hindu Mythology Is a Colonial Term (And What We Should Say Instead)
If you have ever typed “what is Indian mythology called” into a search engine, you probably got a quick answer: Hindu mythology. Two words, sitting together as if they have always belonged there. As if someone chose them carefully. As if they mean exactly what they appear to mean. They do not. The phrase “Hindu […]
What Is Mythology? A Non-Western Perspective
Most people who type “what is mythology” into a search engine are looking for a definition they can quote. Something clean and simple. A sentence or two that settles the question. And they will find plenty of those. Dictionaries will tell them that mythology is a body of traditional narratives, or the study of myths, […]
The Role of a Mythology Writer in Preserving Ancient Indian Wisdom
When Words Distort Inheritance Few terms are as misunderstood in the Indian knowledge landscape as the word mythology. In common speech, “myth” is often used to mean something imaginary or false. Myth refers to symbolic narratives that encode truth, psychological, cosmological, ethical, and metaphysical. Ancient Indian narratives were vessels of layered knowledge transmitted across generations […]
Mythology vs Myth: Why Words Matter in Preserving Cultural Truth
There is a moment in almost every conversation I have had about Indian stories and texts where someone uses the word “myth” and I find myself pausing. Not because the word is always wrong. But because it is rarely as neutral as the person using it believes it to be. The difference between myth and […]
Mythology in the Age of AI: What Happens When Machines Retell Stories
When we use the word “mythology,” it is often because there is no better term in English. But in the Indian context, texts such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are not “myths” in the sense of invented tales. They are Itihasa-a word that means “thus it happened.” If not recorded history in the modern sense, they […]
Mythic Mythology vs. Itihasa: Why Stories Change When We Stop Questioning Them
When we hear the word “myth,” it often carries the meaning “fiction” or “fable.” Something imagined. A tale with little claim to truth. Mythology, in turn, is treated as a collection of such myths, neatly categorized as cultural stories but never quite given the weight of history. But in India, this way of framing doesn’t sit well. […]