Embedded in the culture of the land
Reviewed by Nirbhai Singh


Folktales From 
the Land of the Mahabharata 
by Jai Narain Kayshik
Shipra. Pages; viii+176. Rs 300

The book in hand is interesting because of its rural cultural import garnered from the folk oral literature of the land of the Mahabharata that is spread over mainly the Northern part of India — Kurukshetra (Haryana), Indraprastha (Delhi, Hastinapur (Meerut) and a part of Mathura. The main language of this region is Western Hindi (khari boli) which includes dialects like Haryanvi, Kaurvi, and Brij. These dialects are spoken by the respective folks. The folk stories they narrate are embedded in the culture of the land. These shed light on the past and bridge the past and the present.

Folktales are the forerunners of written literature, especially fiction and legends all over the world, as the Introduction says. The folktales of the book are not derived from the Mahabharata but based on the rural culture of the land and oral traditions of villages of the region. The 61 stories included in the volume are treasure-troves of the past culture and covey a moral message to the readers. Social and cultural values are being eclipsed, that is why it is necessary to preserve them. Since scientific outlook was not developed in the past, the themes of the stories are mythological, cultural beliefs, fairytales, humorous and satirical dialogues, political and festival narrations, etc. Some of the folktales are political satires on our democratic institutions. Due to the impact of Western culture and modernisation of education, the indigenous culture is disappearing. The significance of this book lies in the fact it encapsulates these stories through literature and other modern techniques. These tales will serve as reference books for having in-depth holistic perspective of India's cultural history. Also these stories serve as a perennial source for creative writers.

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