Indian Epics

 For my storybook, I will probably use the stories I researched in my storybook plan. I decided to add a Shiva focus to my storybook as Dr. Gibbs brought to my attention how all of the characters in the story were related to Shiva in some way. I might include an introduction that writes from Shiva's perspective for all three stories, or perhaps I will do all three stories stand alone but acknowledge their connection with Shiva. I will decide on that when it is time for my first story. My main goal really is to showcase some interesting stories about animals in Indian epics as there are so many creatures and animals.  Story 1: Narasimha defeats Hiraṇyakaśipu Sources:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharabha Thanks to Dr. Gibbs I found out that Shiva actually had to subdue Narasimha after it defeated Hiraṇyakaśipu. This could be an interesting way to bring Shiva's connection, and I see this as one that would be great for a story from first person perspective. Ultimately, my...

After spending more time researching animals in Hindu mythology and Indian epics, I found myself amazed by the variety of animals and creatures. While I knew prominent animal characters such as Ganesha and Hanuman, I discovered many more such as Nandi, Shiva's bull and Narsimha, the lion and man combination.   Story 1: Narsimha When I first came across Narasimha, I was fascinated by his appearance and his origin story as well. For this character, I would focus on the Prahlada legend. This story follows the evil Hiraṇyakaśipu is unable to be killed by a human or animal. Narasimha is able to overcome this by being a combination of both. The ending for the legend suggests Narasimha becomes violent and begins to threaten the world. I feel that I could write this story from a first person perspective of Narasimha as well as include a new ending. Source: Narsimha  Story 2: Ganesha origin As I a kid, I really enjoyed reading Ganesha stories, and as I did research I was fas...

 Topic 1: Indian take on Percy Jackson For this topic, I would create an almost Percy Jackson world but for Indian mythology. The project could follow students who were related to Indian gods and goddesses similar to the Greek demigods and all of them having their own unique powers. There could also be a similar camp where the demigods meet up to train and fight evil demons and other villains. I think it would be interesting to profile different demigods or follow one demigod as he or she goes on a quest. Additionally, there could be more emphasis on female goddesses and figures as their representation seems to be more limited. My stories could be a retelling of traditional Indian epics or perhaps I could create my own. I feel there is so much freedom with this project idea.  Links:  https://www.thecuriousreader.in/essays/percy-jackson-indian-mythology/ https://riordan.fandom.com/wiki/Hindu_Gods Topic 2: Indian Mythology Common App For this topic, I would follow with my p...