Imagined geographies

Myths look at geography as a tapestry of stories, songs, legends and climactic events

It is impossible to wade into the raging debate over Ayodhya without being tagged with some derogatory label or the other. But if one does step away from the muck being flung around, what emerges is a fascinating display of how an imagined, mythical geography exerts such a strong pull over our communal identities.

Ayodhya is as much a location on the map as it is a part of the epic universe. And, as is usually the case with mythology, where geography is a function of the story being told, Ayodhya is more than a physical spot; it is made