The book is an invitation to scholars to rediscover the past glory of Chhattisgarh-a little known but fascinating part of Middle India. The purpose of this book is to present a new method to explore the 'hidden' meaning in the oral traditions of Chhattisgarh. The book then presents a semiotic approach to the oral history of Chhattisgarh. It is the history from the bottom which betrays the anguish of a community, and demands the shaping of a just and realistic future for the under-privileged and outcasts in Indian society.
It is the use of mythology to present history. A new history has been filtered from the mythical data of Chhattisgarh. Mythical thoughts of Guru Ghasidasa mediate the gaps between continuity and change, thereby authenticating the idea of 'total history' of Chhattisgarh.
The book expresses both the tradition and the actual. It is a combination of intra-cultural (Sastra and Loka) and intercultural relations; therefore intertextalism is connected not only with historic texts but also with folkgenre. It may thus give a broader dimension to the present-day realities and past happenings. It is hoped that the book will be a cause foe collective action. It is also hoped that freedom and human dignity will continue to be the central concern of all the works of history. |
