For week 5, we are reading the Indian Epic, Narayan's Mahabharata. I am liking this epic so far, a lot of the elements remind me of the Ramayana. People being exiled, love, rakshasa, gods, and goddesses. I am actually liking the plot a lot and I am already thinking about stories I could write from this. I like the concept of a friendship turning into hatred. Not in real life obviously but at least in a good story. I also like the jealousy between the cousins. That is most definitely a relevant topic, being jealous of family. It might be my ignorance but is this the Hindu version of a Bible? Is the origins of Hinduism? I believe I have asked that before.
Arjuna statue in Bali
I added this picture for a few reasons, okay one. It is awesome! I love that it isn't some weird painting with 10 heads. It is a super beautiful statue! I have been to many places in Europe and have seen a lot of statues but this one is awesome.
Hi Ollie, I happened to notice your post and wanted to answer your question: the Mahabharata is a little bit like the Bible (the Bhagavad-Gita is an especially sacred part; you will get to that later), but it is also kind of like the Iliad and Shakespeare, a great work of literature and storytelling. And I love that statue too! It is in INDONESIA, which is also really fascinating: the Mahabharata is famous not just in India, but also in other south Asian countries like Indonesia. :-)
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