This Presentationis a part of semester presentation.

2. From Kurukshetra to
Contemporary India: An
Analysis of ‘Mythical
Elements’ in Tharoor's
‘The Great Indian Novel’

3. Table of contents
01 Introduction 02 Literature Review
03
Character Portrayal:
Significance and Symbolism
in 'The Great Indian Novel'
04
Narratives of Nationhood:
Historical and Political
Events in 'The Great Indian
Novel'
05 Conclusion

4. Introduction
● About The Writer
An author, politician, and former international civil servant,
Shashi Tharoor straddles several worlds of experience. Currently,
a third-term Lok Sabha MP representing the Thiruvananthapuram
constituency and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Information Technology, he has previously served
as Minister of State for Human Resource Development and
Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government of India.
During his nearly three-decade-long career at the United Nations,
he served as a peacekeeper, refugee worker, and administrator at
the highest levels, serving as Under-Secretary General during Kofi
Annan's leadership of the organization. Dr. Tharoor is also an
award-winning author of works of both fiction as well as non-
fiction, with his sixteenth book due for release in November 2016.
● About The Novel
“The Great Indian Novel” not only allegorises the modern
political history of India but also the ancient past of the country.
Tharoor’s portrayal of modern political history in this allegorical
work of fiction is an emphatic and vivid exemplification of the
political exigencies prevalent during the era of British
imperialism in the country; It is ruthless partition just before its
liberation, followed by a description of the circumstances
encumbering its polity after the end of the colonial period. The
author purports to paint these sequences of the recent political
history of India through the kaleidoscopic view of The
Mahabharata, whose characters allegorize the ones from Indian
history. Through this allegorical amalgamation of ancient and
modern times, he highlights that the essential nature of man
perpetually remains the same, and history repeats itself.

5. ● What is the comparative study? :
Comparative Study analyses and compares two or more objects or ideas. Comparative studies are studies to demonstrate the
ability to examine, compare, and contrast subjects or ideas.
Comparative study shows how two subjects are similar or how two subjects are different. When the practice of comparative
study began is a matter of debate.
A comparative study is a kind of method that analyses phenomena and then puts them together to find the points of
differentiation and similarity.
A comparative perspective exposes weaknesses in research design and helps a researcher improve the quality of research.
The focus of comparative research is on similarities and differences between units. (Miri)

6. Literature Review
Research Questions
● How does Tharoor's portrayal of Indira Gandhi as Priya Duryodhani compared to historical accounts of her as a political leader? What insights
does this characterization provide?
● In what ways does the novel's depiction of Gandhi align with or diverge from his real-life persona and leadership?
● What parallels can be drawn between the novel's characters like Draupadi, Karna, and Arjuna and the historical figures they represent?
● How Tharoor's reinterpretations of female characters like Draupadi subvert traditional gender roles and hierarchies present in the original
Mahabharata narratives.
● How does the novel depict the clash between Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai? Does this fictionalized account illuminate real political tensions?
● What perspective does the book offer on the factors behind the Bangladesh liberation war? How does this compare to scholarly analysis?
● How does “The Great Indian Novel” fictionalise the Emergency compared to academic histories? What does this reveal about authoritarianism
and democracy?
● How does the novel characterize the Indian freedom movement? Does it provide new insight into the real struggles for independence?
● What political issues and themes from 20th-century India does the book cover allegorically through its Mahabharata lens?

7. Character Portrayal: Significance and Symbolism in 'The Great Indian Novel'

8. Narratives of Nationhood: Historical and Political Events in 'The Great Indian Novel'
1. Historical Events :
● India’s pre-independence and post-independence history.
● The entire freedom movement and Gandhi's attitude towards Satyagraha, his views on truth and non-
violence, his views on khadi, and the weaving of the Chakras are dealt with ironically by Tharoor and he
seems to suggest that the milestones like the Chauri Chaura incident, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the
Dandi March which finally led to the freedom of India were all failures and finally the attainment of
freedom itself was a failure as the events that took place after the freedom-the war with Pakistan and the
partition of the country itself showed.
● “The Great Indian Novel” mythologizes the annexation of Jammu and Kashmir in a very picturesque
way. Jammu and Kashmir is described as Manimir in the novel

9. 2. Political Events :
● The novel covers nearly 75 years, encompassing major political events in pre- and post-independence India.
● The elections as “the great Indian tamasha”
● All five Pandavas are also devoted to their common wife, Draupadi, who represents the “body politic”, or Indian
democracy and wilts visibly with the imposition of Duryodhani’s “siege”
● Draupadi Mokrasi (a personification of India).
● Indira Gandhi's political career in his novel "The Great Indian Novel." Tharoor presents Indira Gandhi, referred to
as "Priya Duryodhani," in an unfavourable light, drawing parallels between her character and the arrogance and
power-hungry nature of Duryodhana from the Mahabharata epic.

10. Conclusion :
Through this multifaceted exploration of myth, history, and socio-political critique, "The
Great Indian Novel" emerges as a poignant reflection on the enduring quest for meaning,
justice, and national identity in a rapidly changing world.
Tharoor's masterful synthesis of past and present, ancient wisdom and contemporary
struggles, invites readers to ponder the cyclical nature of existence and the persisting
tensions between tradition and modernity that have shaped India's collective
consciousness.

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19. Thanks!