Folklore, Tradition, and Woman's Virtue in Girish Karnad's Naga Mandala

Abstract

Girish Karnad is a front-rank dramatist in Indian English literature. Literature is a picture of society drawn on a large canvas by persons of higher sensibilities to show people their feelings and foibles and inspire them to take remedial steps. He has written several plays dealing with contemporary Indian society and culture. He has extensively used material from Indian mythology folklore and ancient Indian theatrical examples. In the play, the playwright raises a question on the concept of chastity and tradition, which is such a value invented by patriarchal culture and accepted by women. It is one of the most powerful cultures that have enslaved women for ages since the dawn of patriarchy, the Ramayana in which Sita undergoes the fire to prove her chastity to Rama Every mother along with the father enslaves her daughter to patriarchy by teaching them verbally and non-verbally which brings an unbearable social stigma. Naga Mandala uses Tradition and folktale to reveal the complexity of human relationships. It portrays the intimacy between a man and a woman and the social norms prevailing in Indian – society. This paper is an endeavour to explore the Tradition and Folklore and woman's chastity in the play and analyse the character of Rani, a typical Indian woman.