Book: Folktales, Myths and Legends from the Deccan
Author: Nithin Kushalappa
Publisher: Rupa Publications
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you heard the folktales of the Deccan?
Across the rugged terrain of the vast Deccan, stories have endured for
centuries on the strength of a vibrant oral storytelling tradition. The
Deccan—that encompasses the sprawling plateau, fertile coastal plains,
undulating hills and dense forest belts—is where heroic ballads, sung epics,
possession rituals and other immersive traditions have flourished through the
generations. Nitin Kushalappa gathers ten powerful narratives and offers a rare
glimpse into a region that’s home to dozens of languages and dialects—as varied
as the stories born of them. Here, local heroes are worshipped as deities,
warriors are immortalized and goddesses walk the earth in human form. From the
dry plains of Bayaluseeme comes the tale of Junjappa, the herdsman-hero, who
rises from death and becomes a folk deity. In the mist-laden mountains of
Kodagu unfolds the legend of warrior-sorcerer Kalyat Ponnappa, who masters
magic to defend his people. Koti and Chennaya, the divine twins from the
coastal lands of Tulunād, reshape the destiny of their clan. From the forests
of Chhattisgarh comes the haunting ballad of Lorik and Chandaini—a tale of
forbidden love. The myth of twelve abandoned children explains the origins of
entire communities in ancient Kerala. Beyond these, Folktales, Myths and
Legends from the Deccan also offers other fictional retellings that move across
linguistic and cultural borders. The lone non-fiction ethnographic narrative in
the collection explores the ancient tradition of seven mother-goddesses, long
feared and revered by Deccan’s people. Meticulously researched and written with
deep sensitivity, Kushalappa transforms the region’s oral histories into
lyrical stories that reveal a landscape as brutal as it is magical.
Nithin’s book is a nice peek into the folktales of the area that is geographically quite vast, as well as it a melting pot of various cultures. The author has selected some interesting stories that span the region, and are wonderfully retold. The book opens with a detailed Author’s note which explains the region, various sub-regions that make up the Deccan and how each of them are connected. The author also wonderfully explains the difference between the terms-Folktales, Myths and Legends-to help the reader grasp the concept of the book. He also provides a short context of the stories in the author’s note. The 10 stories that Nithin has picked up for the book are quite interesting, and the storytelling done by Nithin is equally engaging. You are drawn into the story and the visual descriptions help you visualize the scenes as they happen. Each story is prefaced with a short summary of the local beliefs and what is to come into the book later, which helps set the tone perfectly.
While the book does keep you engaged, I did feel that the number of
stories and the length of the stories were a tad bit too less. Covering a vast
region, I think that all the sub-regions could have been better covered by
segmenting the book as per the sub-regions and adding a few more stories from
each region. I also did feel that a certain aspect of emotion was missing in
the storytelling and the book feels more like an academic treatise rather than
a retelling of regional folktales.
Overall, the book is a good collection that can be recommended to a
reader looking to explore the region. The book scores a 4.50/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.
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