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Making myths

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

In FOCUS Hema Ramakrishnan

Hema Ramakrishnan is a Bangalorean, has studied in institutes spread across the globe, writes books based in Sri Lanka and presently hops between Colombo, Bangalore and US. She was in town for the launch of her books, “The Voyager” and &# 8220;Death and a Deity”, a collection of poems.

She says: “I have been fascinated by Sri Lanka and its culture to a great extent. Both the books have been inspired by a visit to the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka. It is quite literally the end of land as the ocean goes on till Antarctica.” ‘“The Voyager’ is the tale of a man who travels to earth on a spaceship. He lands on the southern tip of Lanka and finds himself a dwarf. He also witnesses a pagan ritual. It has strong resemblance with the mythical Vamana avatar of Vishnu. The poetry collection is dedicated to a Vishnu temple in Southern Lanka.” She adds, “My books are not based on singular events/myths. It draws inspiration from a number of myths.”

Speaking at the function, S. Shettar, a renowned historian said myths may not be completely true but help add more colour and flavour to historical accounts. He says: “Myths go a long way in promoting oral tradition. Though many stories associated with myths may not be true, they evince interest about the historical facts.”

Alexandar Cherian, the Head of Department of English at St. Joseph’s college praised the novel and talked about the correlation of myth with daily life. He said, “In some cases, myths help us look at the positive events in life.” The function concluded with the launch of the book by publisher Mr. Yappa.

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