“Influence of the Natural Sacred Elements o...

“Influence of the Natural Sacred Elements of Hinduism in the Works of K. Madavane and Ananda Devi of the Francophone Literature”

Author Name : Trishna Das

ABSTRACT

The article tries to elaborate the influence of natural elements like water and fire which are symbolised as most of the sacred elements in the Hindu religion or Hinduism. As we see these images in the phenomena of the texts in Francophone literature such as: Mourir à Bénarès(to Die in Benares) written by Indian author Kichennasamy Madavane in 2010 and Le Voile de Draupadi(The Veil of Draupadi) written by Indo-Mauritian writer Ananda Devi in 1993. Francophone literature is literature written in the French language. The existence of a plurality of literatures in the French language has been recognised, although the autonomy of these literatures is less defined than the plurality of literatures written in the English language.Here all the protagonists of these stories are involved with Hindu rituals and their regular activities around these sacred elements.The five elements recognised by Hindu doctrine are: Akasha or ether; Vayu or air; Tejas or fire; Ap or water; Prithvi or earth. This order is that of their development or differentiation, starting from the ether which is the primordial element; it is always in this order that they are enumerated in all the texts of the Veda where they are mentioned, notably in the passages of the Chhandogya-Upanishad and the Taittiriyaka-Upanishad where their genesis is described.

Keywords: symbolism of Ganges water, ritual of fire walking, Hindu myths, reinterpretation of Ramayana and Mahabharata,religious practices in North and South India.