Our Own Lost World

====================================================================

About 3 years ago, I posted the following piece, which somehow got deleted. Kedar went very nostalgic about his 'Lost World' of the Maharashtrian Story-Teller.

I am re-posting it today since I am going to tell some cock & bull Mahabharat stories in my next piece, as asked by Don Quixotejee: *****************************************************************************************************
"When R. K. Narayan was a budding young Indian author in English, he visited his uncle on his death bed. The old man advised RKN to read ‘Ramayan’ composed by the Tamil savant Kamban. He promised ‘I will’, just to please a dying uncle. RKN writes that he was laughing inwardly at his own ‘promise’, wondering if a modern secular English author like him, with an eye on his foreign readers, would ever have the time and inclination to read such ‘old-wives tales’.

Half a century later, RKN was drawn to Ramayan. And, he couldn’t resist telling that great story, retold hundreds of times in many languages, in his own fluent English prose. Reason: He considered it to be one of the best ‘stories’ ever written.

A common part and parcel of Hinduism, as it is practiced in South India, is not a 'sermonizer' but a 'Story-Teller'. These are a profession unto themselves. After every special ritual in a temple (there are many throughout the year), there comes the Story-Teller, bare-bodied, with a garland on his neck, flowers in his hair, and cymbals in his hands. He comes with his accompanists (stand-ins, when the master takes a break to rest his throat), and musicians, who are waiting to step into the revelry whenever he breaks into song (which is often).

There are any number of stories in our mythology. Indeed, since Hinduism is a ‘non-prophet’ thing, it is all 'stories', with ‘free-for-all’ improvisations down the line. Most folks skip the ritual and come in for the stories.

Make no mistake, there are as many light moments to entertain and evoke laughter as moments when hard-boiled businessmen 'cry', and fork out their ill-begotten monies.

Read RKN’s beautiful piece: “A Story-Teller’s World”.

The Holy Bible is replete with charming stories. Of all the modern ‘Christian’ fictional stories I read, the Don Camillo series is the best; in particular, 'The Little World of Don Camillo'. It has 21 beautifully written Chapters of post-war turmoil in the Po Valley of Italy, with amusing but moving battles between the Communist Mayor Peppone and the local Priest Don Camillo.

Here is the link: http://www.meaning-of-life.info/DonCamillo.html

My own 'homage' to my Ph.D. Guide, SDM, addressed to the younger generation, has this disclaimer:

Please don’t expect these files to contain any profound physics. There is none; no equations, no figures, and no references. These are merely stories.

The students seemed to have been touched by these stories. Apparently they brought to life glimpses of not only a dead man but also a lost world, with a value system so lovely that the youngsters were charmed and longed for it wistfully.

A ponderous essay on SDM would have received a cold and laconic reception.

Here is what Varun N Achar & Wrick Sengupta wrote 3 years ago:

"Whenever we hear of 'old times' from our parents, teachers and other elders, we cannot help but wish we were born in those times. Your article has once again stirred up that wishful pseudo-nostalgia in us!"

**************************************************************************************************

P S: Doctorates in 'Literature Appreciation' are hereby conferred on these two Physicists, though a bit belatedly ========================================================================