Echos from Every Corner: Exploring the Kaleidoscope of Indian Literatures

Abstract

The paper tries to explore questions such as the reasons why the categorization of Indian literatures are needed to be discussed, and how the categorization of Indian literatures such as, Indian Literature, Indian English Literature undermines many literatures produced in India. How does the Western influence help or hinder the journey of recognition and misrecognition of many Indian Literatures? The paper plunged into the richly diverse and multi-layered world of Indian literatures, reflecting its vast cultural, linguistic, and social landscapes. Indian literatures, spread over centuries and regions, depict a highly vibrant tapestry of narratives that mirror the complexities of Indian society. This paper explores how literature foregrounds the cultural identities of present-day India. The process will naturally underscore this multilingual nature of Indian literatures as regional languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and other languages provide unique narration styles and cultural content. Situated at the core of Indian literature is a vortex between tradition and modernity, in which oral traditions, folklore, and classical poetry blend together with experimental fictions, Dalit literature, and postcolonial narratives. Forms and voices are so interwoven here that the literature is kaleidoscopic and echoes the nation's pluralism. The paper also addresses how a country stands by itself with its distinctive identity. Is it a collective consciousness shared by the citizens of a landscape, a common language, a common culture, a common religious practice, a common administrative body, or a common sense of being and belongingness from a common root that helps it gain a unique identity? Do we agree to all the questions asked above? How does the idea of nationalism and nation formation take place? Is it just the idea of a common shared language, culture, ethnicity, and a shared territory of a geographical location that decides one’s national identity? If yes, then what about countries like Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Finland, India, Ireland, South Africa, and Switzerland, where there is no single language, no single culture followed, or no single religion?