'We Don't Want To Teach About Our Own Culture'

'We will teach Shakespeare and Pythagoras but we won't teach Kalidas, Thiruvallur or Bodhayana.'

Text: Divya Nair/Rediff.com
Videos: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com

In the era of free downloads and rampant piracy, to be India's bestselling author is no mean feat.

Born into a middle class Shaivite family, Amish Tripathi -- who has a deep-rooted love for history and mythology -- grew up reading about stories of gods and goddesses and their sacred philosophies.

His child-like inquisitiveness and mildly rebellious nature prompted him to ask questions that were not always easy to answer.

"When I was in Class 2, the teacher taught us four seasons -- summer, autumn, winter and spring. I raised my hand and asked 'Ma'am, monsoon kahan gaya? (What about monsoon?)"

Amish's quest for knowledge and love for philosophy, he says, took him on a path of self-discovery.

As he grew up, the exploration of 'what is evil' led him closer to the Destroyer of Evil, Lord Shiva.

Here, Amish talks about his fascination for the 'Dude of Gods' and why he owes his career to Mahakaal, the Conqueror of Time and Death.

A few weeks ago, Amish found himself in the middle of a controversy due to his personal views about the practice of Sati and the caste system in India.

Defending his stance on the X row, he says, "India has a rich tradition of debate. There is nothing wrong in a debate. But we must follow our Indian tradition.

"In Natya Shastra (the Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts), there is a saying: Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat. Na bruyat satyam apriyam. It means 'Speak the truth, speak it with love. If you cannot speak your truth with love, then stay silent.' Debate, but with manners... with politeness.

"I am a very proud Indian but I also speak of things where our culture made mistakes, like our caste system. I have opposed it and written about it openly. I feel our ancestors have been unfairly targeted by colonial propogandists. If you read our olden scriptures, some of the evidence doesn't back up."

Amish also underlined the ignorance about India's rich culture and emphasised why it is important to revamp the education system.

"Our entire education system is almost like pada-likhake bacche to angrez bana do, bas (teach the child to be Anglicised). Don't teach him anything about our own culture. It is almost like we are embarrassed about teaching anything about our own culture. We will teach literature, Shakespeare and Pythagoras in schools but we won't teach Kalidas, Thiruvallur or Bodhayana," he says.

Why are Indians embarrassed to teach their own culture in schools? Do listen to Amish's views:

The success of Amish's Shiva trilogy is proof that his storytelling resonates with Indian audiences, young and old alike.

What does Lord Shiva -- the Creator, Protector and Destroyer -- teach us about the meaning of life? Amish explains in the video below:

You can watch the complete Amish Tripathi interview with Rediff.com here.