Making and Breaking of Mythos in Kanthapura by Raja Rao

Raj Rao is one of the best Indian writer in English. He is one of the foremost writer whose works is placed in Indo-English literature. Kanthapura earned him international acclaim. The novel portrays the period of the India during 19919 to 19913. Kanthapura and its action represent whole India during that era. The novel is perfect combination of myth, legends and folk tales. This paper attempts to show different myths prevailing in our society and how Raja Rao accepted some myth but on the same time how Raj Rao was standing against some myths of society

draw inspiration and identify themselves with these myths. People are using these myths either consciously or unconsciously. In the same way, myths have always been an integral element of literature. One reason why poets and writers have been drawn towards myth is because they are timelessness. They have fundamental significance. Many few morden writers have made use myth in their works like T.S Eliot in Wasteland. In Wasteland Eliot use myth as an objective correlative which serves as a mirror reflecting his emotions and ideas. Raja Rao employs myth to extend our understanding of a particular situation or give symbolic meaning to the theme undertaken by him. As a great artist, he often assimilates the myth into the narrative. The myths drawn from cultural tradition are interwoven in the texture of his novels. They meander through the plot of the novel in such a manner that they become a medium through which certain situations and characters can be explained and Indian readers especially find it easy to understand the story line. The perfect example of usage of myth is in Raja Rao first novel Kanthapura. Raja Rao employs three types of myth in the novel Puranic myth, Localised myth and Rites, and Rituals. Puranic myth pertains to the binary opposing of the good and evil symbolized through the character of Ram and Ravana.
The Ram and Ravan myth appears to be center of the Kanthapura. The novel is frictional rending of localised myth such as of Kenchamma. And in order to create the mythic atmosphere in the novel, Raja Rao has resorted to the mythic atmosphere in the novel, Raj Rao has restored to the depiction of rites and rituals of ploughing worship and sacrifice. But not every myth in the society is glorified by the author some myths in the novel are also broken.

Caste Differentiation biggest myth in our society
Originally the division of caste was to sustain the "social structure" of the society.
People were divided on the bases of their work which helped in the smooth functioning of the has said that if this pariah business is not stopped immediately the village will be excommunicated. This idea of caste is engraved in peoples mind and thus this idea has become a myth which cannot be broken easily. This myth has coiled our society in such a way that who so ever tries to break it the whole society stands against him. This problem is raised by many authors in their work. Gandhi tried to remove this myth from its roots. He called the people of lower caste "Harijan" or "Disciple of god" and gave them equal respect, honour and power. But from centuries, there are many myths developed around each caste of. Kanthapura are after money Bhatta became richer and richer. He could lend out more money.
He was a land owner he was living a pious life as stated in our videos rather he ais after money and feasts.
The myth of caste differentiation is broken by Morthy in the novel. Moorthy visits the quarters of untouchables and mingle with them. But in the starting, we see that myth is so strong that he hesitated to mingle with them But Rachanna's wife quickly sweeps a corner and spreads for him a wattle mat, but Moorthy, confused, blurts out, 'No, no, no, no'. . . he smelthe ls the stench of hiding and the stench of pickled pigs, and the roof seems to shake, and all the gods and all the manes of heaven seem to cry out against him, and his hands steal mechanically to the holy thread, the holding it, he feels he would like to say, 'Hari-Om, Hari-Om'. This shows the concept of caste is so rooted in the psyche of people that even if they  Goddess of the hill, and raises it to the level of a myth. Goddess Kenchamma slays the demon who comes to ask for the young men of the village as food and the young women as wives.
Her name is repeated throughout the novel. At all times of trouble, the village turn to Kenchamma to come to their rescue, as she once did in the remote past. But in their house, the same people never respect their women and if a woman tries to go against the boundaries set by the society they do not tolerate it. For instance, when young Ratna a young widow oppose to remain isolated from society like other women she is looked down upon by the members of the community. In the same way Moorthy mother is threatened by the society that her son will be thrown out of society because he is mingle with people of lower caste.
Being an illiterate woman, she gets a big shock because for her all the unwritten laws of the society are the ultimate truth and, in the end, we see that she dies because of this pressure.
This myth of women being the suppressed class gets broken towards the end of the novel.
The women of Kanthapura play a dynamic role in the national freedom. They were no longer passive followers of men. They fought against Britisher's shoulder to shoulder with men. wickedness of foreign rule. The myth that women should be passive and should follow their husband whether it is in politics, home or market is broken in the end.
A great leap for shattering this myth is achieved by the author is by selecting narrator of the novel as an old female. This is one of the rare novels where history is looked from the perspective of women. Brahmin widow, Achakkashe narrates the story of Kanthapura.
History  Ravan. Gandhi's idea of Swaraj has been compared to the three eyes of shiva: Selfpurification, Hindu-Muslim unity, khaddar.
The birth of Gandhi is described as mythical by Jayaramchara. Who singes praise of God and narrates the legend of related to God called the Harikatha. He narrates the story that sage Valmiki approaches Lord Bramha and tells that the beautiful land of India is enslaved by foreigners, people are dying of the atrocities. He requests Lord Bramha to take some action and Bramha blesses him saying that Siva himself will take birth in a Gujarati family and so is Gandhi born. Jayaramchar says while reciting Harikatha 'Legend of God', "And lo! When the sage was still partaking of the pleasures Brahma offered him in hospitality, there was born in a family in Gujarat a son such as a world has never be held. As soon as he came forth, the four wide walls began to shine like the kingdom of the sun and hardly was he in the cradle then he began to lisp the language of wisdom". Therefore the people of Kanthapura take Gandhi as a reincarnation of Shiv and they started worshiping him like a god and followed his ideologies as a religious text. This strategy is used by the author to make innocent people understand the idea and importance of freedom. He finished his vow, the gods will come down and dissolve his vow, the Britishers will leave India, and we shall be free, and we shall pay less tax, and there will be no policemen". This vow is the vow taken by Gandhi to make India a free nation during Dandhi march. People of Kanthapura compare it to Krishna's victory over the serpent Kaliya.
In the novel, we see how Gandhi as a person of flesh and blood is not present throughout the novel like "Godot" in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. The mythical design makes his novel more effective and impactful to the readers.

Sthala-Purana 'Localised Myth' as a Religious Myth
There is no village in India, however mean, that has not a rich sthala-Purana, or legendary history, of its own. Some god or godlike hero has passed by the village-Rama might have rested under this pipal-tree, Sita might have dried her clothes, after her bath, on this yellow stone, or the Mahatma himself, on one of his many pilgrimages through the country, might have slept in this hut, the low one, by the village gate.
These lines explain the idea of Sathala Purana that is a "localised myth". Sathala

Goddess benign and Bounteous
People in the village believe that Kenchamma that she will never disappoint them and is always there with them to save them from demos. The myth of Kenchamma as told is, "Kenchamma came from the Heavens-it was the sage Tripura who had made penances to bring her down and she waged such a battle and she fought so many a night that the blood soaked and soaked into the earth, . . .Kenchamma hill is all red" This is the Sathal-Purana of Kanthapura. The temple of Kenchamma is a significant place in the novel. It is here that the activities of freedom movement, the celebration of festivals take place. Since Gandhi is described as a god, so everything related to him takes place in and around the temple. The temple is the symbolic representation of present also. It provides the venue for Harikatha "mythological legend" and political activities also take place here. There is an intermingling of religious and political myth. In the course of the novel, we see that people get the strength to fight against the Britishers from this temple only.
Another localized myth is of the river Himavathy The river is considered to be the daughter of Kenchemma. Himavathy is to Kanthapurians what Ganga is to all Indians. A holy dip in the river purges them of all evils. Moorthy is asked to take bath in the river to get purified again as he had visited Pariah quarters. Mukherjee says: "As soon as the local legend has been narrated and established, its function becomes the same as that of a more well- www.ijellh.com 171 known myth" As Mukherjee rightly points out the myth of goddess Kenchamma and river Himvathy are the reality of the villagers. For them, it is not a story that will never lose its essence after some time. They have a firm belief in these myths Rajo Rao has depicted the religious mindset of the people and thus he has mythologized the reality. The reality of the freedom struggle is also influenced by the mythical thinking of the people. The idea of the reality of Kanthapurians is influenced by myth.

Conclusion
Myths and symbols occur in the novel as a creative mode of conveying "a meaningful world-view of human reality in terms of shared experience. Thus, there is a perceptible mythical pattern in Kanthapura. The author employs myth to extend understanding of situation or give symbolic meaning to the text. As a great artist, he often assimilates the myth into the narration. In the novel author has not only created some myth rather some myths are also broken in the course of novel. Myths that are dehumanizing human. Separating one human from other and leading our society towards dark side. But in the novel author has taken a middle position neither he is criticising myths completely neither he is favouring them. Through this is myths only author is able to make people understand the dangeroure India was facing dangerous of. Kanthapura no doubt, is significantly presenting the collision of two rival forces as is formed in myth.