Reiterating the Essence of Indian Ethos in Shashi Tharoor's The Great Indian Novel

Abstract

Shashi Tharoor’s The Great Indian Novel paints a vigorous expression of Indian ethos and values. The narrative is acclaimed for its universality and timelessness, wherein he weaves the story of the Mahabharata with the threads of creativity and modern historiography. The present research endeavour discusses how the ethos is depicted under the garb of unconventional story-telling technique applied by him. Moreover, it pinpoints the description pertaining to the episodes and frequent unpalatable comments made against the noble characters. I have referred the authoritative source of the Mahabharata and the Geeta as a primary reference to justify my arguments for imparting authenticity. Though the author reserves the right to freely express his opinion in this fictional iterating of the Indian saga, it is interesting to counter, criticise, and contend this concoctive rendering and re-assert the purest essence of its teachings resting in Indian psyche.