Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 1 January, 2019) wwwliteraryendewourorg, 375 70 A POSTCOLONIAL READING OF O.V.VIJAYAN'S KHASAKINTEITHIHASAM (THE LEGENDS OF KHASAK) AkhiIV, B, Assistant Professor, Departmentof Eng Co Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, mibarore feethaSenthitkuman Associatepinfessor& Chairperson, Deparinentof Engl ISE-Anivita Vishwa lidvapeetham, Coin Hone Abstarct: Literatureofan era reflects the cultural comtoursofa nation and moreover it responds to the very pulse ofthe respective time period. Thisprocesscan he understoodas cultural representationin literature Interpretation and depiction of cultural aspects in literature is undoubtedly a part of this principle, The post-independence Malayalam literature witesseda remarkableshiti to modernism with the contribution of writers like MT Vasudevan Nair O.V Vijavay, Kakkauadan, Mo Mukuidan, Awad, JaikomMuhammedBasheer, Sethu and PunathilKunhabdullah among many other eminent authors, The researcherhas selected the magnum opus fiction Khasakintelthihasam (self: translated as The Legendsof Khasak) written by O.V Vijayan to analyze theaspectof eultural representation in the postindepen Malayalam literature, ence Key Words: Colonialism, Post-colonial liter ture, Culturabreprese tation, Modern Sm. Post-independence Malayalam literature became more realistic withtheadvent of modernism. But since Kerala culture is built through the legends of ‘vadakkanpattukal’ (ballads of the north), ‘thekkanpattukal’ (ballads of the south), 'pulluvarpattukal’ (wraditional songs of pulluvar community’) “Mappilapattukal'(traditional songsby the Islamiccommunity) and such other’pattu’ schoalof poetry and thevastarray of mythsand legendsthat form the crux of Drav idianand Aryanancestry, there could never beatotal deviation, Colonialismlestitsdeep imprint upon almostallwakesofKeralahistoryand literature ‘wasmo exception, It was thecontinuation and persistence of colonial practicesevenafier colonization that plagued the society fora very long time, Villageswere the worst aflected as they still could notshrugol the colonial attitude imposed on them. A typieal village in Kerala just like Khasak presented by 0. Vijayan in Khasakintefthihasam (The Legends of Khasak) is tun by its traditions influencesof folklore. myths. legends and religious practices. The polities of such villages was bound by such traditional practices and religious percepts. With theadvent of the modem era alter independence, villages became the warehouse for the entire nation to dumb its venerable colonial practices as part of its cosmopolitan growth, Modern educational practices, technological advances and scientific knowledge proliferation were denied an impactful stint with a decently fast pace. in the villages. As a result, villages remained a vexingmix of traditional cultural practicesand thedeadslow inroadsof modern ways When it comesto Malayalamliterature, atrail of western influence thereforeisquictobvious, butit was notswayedby the process but rather flourishedwith the Foreign language influencesnd contact with other cultures. The point to beassessed here is how did the modern writers dealwith the abovementioned process of continuation of colonial practicesin the villages? It’s here the setting in of realism as part of modernismassumes importance because the locus wasalso on the folklore, Iegendsandmythsalong with thetructo lifedepictionsofKeralasociety. The focuson the rootsofaneestry and originis detinitely away ofexposingthe perspectivethat the legends, mythsand traditions have tobe theretoco-existwith thepost-ATOSICOLONIAL READING OF O.VUAYAN'S ALAS JAIL AUS 376 imperial modem world views, It is in this regard O.V. Vijayan’sKhasak becomes symbolic of the ance of a village neck deep in traditions and belies, struggling to saecommodste the colonial hangover and the modern trends. Another version of this analysis is plausible when weassess the trend of celebrating thelegendsandmythsotavillageasa way of glorifying theimmaculatebeauty ofthem Khasakinrelthihasam, a Malayalam novel written by O.V, Vijayan and selt-translated as. The Legendsof Khasaktakesup the legendsof Khasak (originally Thasarakk), remote villagein the Palakkad district of Kerala, India, as the backgroundof the narrative and synes it with an unusual tragic sense, the story of Ravi, the protagonist; astory of compassion andsensualinstinets. Raviadorns theroleofa teacher ofaprimary school, theonly suchone in Khasak. Khasak isoriginallya villagenamed Thasarakk in Kerala where the Dravidian and Islumie myths protrude their prominence through temples, mosques ind other religious centers. Ravi was an Astrophysics student who was researching on the nexus between astrological signs and theories of physies. Helost his mother carly in his childhood and was reared by his father and stepmother, Ravi often reminisces with a nostalgic touch the deep bondage he had with his motherand father butalso crashesdown when he recallstheevent of sharing bedwithhisstepmother. Ravi could not compleiehis researchasthe moral denigration ofthe past hauntshim like aspirit, Therealier he traversespaths farandwide insearch ofa shelteranda calmmind butthe shelter can only offerhimsensual satisfaction, quite often sexual urges. Hiscompassionatemindacceptsall the individuals of Khasak which include the mentally challenged Appukili, theilliteratelotorthe village Kunjamina, Maimuna, Chathan, Perakkadan and many others. Butanother facet ofRavi seeks sexual satisfaction with Maimuna, Kesiand Chanthumma, 0. ¥, Vijayan hassketched the character of Raviasone whois haunted by his pastbutat the sametimesirivesto livein thepresent, participate in thesagaof Khasak. TheChethalihillswheretheA rabi legend Shake Thangal passed through with his cavalry, the Arabi pond, 'Sarpakavu’ (dedicated For \worshippingserpents) along with the deity ofchastity named PulimkombathePothi' formtheerux of lifein Khasak, Fhe novelist gives picturesque representation tocach or these pulsesor the villageand Ravitoo is madea partofall these living myths. Ravi knows the outside world and he could sense that the village is struggling to find a bakince hetween the tradition and the tumultuous ways of modem life, Ravi himsell ropresentsthe Tip sideota modern individual whohaslosttrustinhis pastand whileseekingsolacein the presentyetsdrownedindeepsin It is important to analyze a few stories that are presented in the novel as myths and legends to substantiate how importantthey are to thewriterto establish the fact that such storiesdo havea signi impact on the villages and they should not be sacrificed for the westerninfluences, The Islamic legend namedShake Thangal had oncecamped in the Chethali hillsof Khasak with his full cavalry. One horsein hiscavalry wasa very aged one and upon death it had been given a ceremonial burial in the foot hills Villagers believe that Shake Thangal eares for the aged and helplessand the instance ofthe aged horse is, believedtobea representation otthesame. Thewhole village keeps uth in ShakeThangal whenever they face difficult times and people say they can listen to the foatsteps of the aged horse in the Chethali hills evento that day, Another legend is woven around the Hindu religious principle of chastitys.a deity named ‘PulimkombathePothi’. Thereisa huge tamarind tree rightat the heartoKhasak wherepcople believe that onlymenwhosewivesarechastecanclimbup. ‘Ghaliyar'isa typicalstatusgivento the one who isa priest to Sheikh’Thangal and isconsideredas, thecaretakerofthe village. upon whichanother legendis builton. The'Ghaliyar' is someonewithcurative powers and is also bestowed with a skill 0 make prophecy, All these stories build around myths and legends, whetherit isthe Islamic legend orthe Hindu deity of chastity orthe village 'Ghaliyar’, do suggest that they all hint at a need for humane values like compassion, love, sound moral values.and moreovera strongcommunity feeling. When Ravi dived intothisrich flow of legends, he naturally losthis feet on the ground, stumbled and eventually perished, Vilkiges like Khasak were totally aloo from the cities that emerged in the postindependent India, The administration almost totally neglected the villages and they signifi fieant Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : Issue: 1 January, 2019)ADOSICOLONIAL READING OF 0. VUAVAN'S AHAS:AKINEUTIUIS nisin 377 became the most vulnerable habitats for the continuation of colonial practices like coloricaste discrimination, denial of education, and denial of employment opportunities etc. but what affected the villages worse was the slow domination of modern life style over the traditional practices. This slows ineflectiveandmost importantly theundecided changetomodernwayscompelledthepeopleaf Khasak to forgo their ageoldcultural practices. A Fewinstances fromthe textto analyze thepointwould be helpful. 1 was a practice in Khasak that the children (belonging to Islam community) should join the religious learning center run by AllapichaMollakka, the then 'Ghaliyar' of Khasak. When Ravi started the government owned school, children were initially interested in the process but were tom between the two sides, They’ were not sure whether they should continue the religious learning orthe school learning but eventually they gave up bothand the parents werenot bothered by thesedevelopments. Thismakesit lear thatthe villagecannot ust forgo theageold practicesand slip intoa modemsystem. The moderneducation system should have allowed them to embrace both traditional learning and the formal school learning. Similarly when there was a spread of small pox cases in Khasak, people were interested in the pooja (an ofleringto the Hindudeity)doneby KuttadanPoosari, They werenoteducated enoughtosensethatin such emergencies they have to consulta doctor This event illustrates theotherside ofthe problem; the benelits of modern education and technological advancements turned a blind eye to the villagers thereby prompting them to resort to blind faith and fake practices. Myths, legends and traditional practices of a village form thebackboneofits existenceandsuch practices should be allowedto coexist with the modern lite style. Inthe case of Khasak the slow inroads made by the modem wayselfectively ruined the whole structureor the society builton traditional customs(religiousandcultural). Thewholeetfectottheprocess was a continuation of colonization of the villages because in effect they were neither modernized nor allowedto be foundedontheirancient traditional practices Khasakinielthihasam, projects the various myths, legends and cultural practices of Khasak thereby reiterating the repertoire of faith for the village. The narrative makes it apparent that a total deviation and neglect of such practices would [ead to a chaotic state. The juxtaposition ofnative culture with modem practices in the subtext of the novel emphasizes the point that the myths, legends and traditional cultural customs cannot subsist but they do exist, With these leads, the researcher attempts 10 bring out the cultural representation in the novel and subsequently to assess that such a representation determines the position of the native. The village Khasak in Kiiasakinrelthihasammepresents age old myths, legends and the traditional practices. Khasak, with all its mythological and legendary guardian spirits, isslowly driventoastate of indecisivenessandstunteddevelopmentowing tothecompleteneglect bythe administrationandaslow butdominating surge ot modernism, The villagesotIndiawere colonized ‘owing to the filthy remnantsof pre independence Imperialism in the formof discriminatory (towards the villages) administrational practices, corruption and willi ‘tions. Asan san ustenanee af colorieaste s impact, the villagesin India were forcibly cutout from their age old traditional practices, withoutantfort to harmoniously blend tradition with development. 0.V’ Vijayan's approach is unique as it Focuses on representing the relics of myths and legends with vivid detail as a strategy towa resistanceagainstthe shadow colonizationatvillages Work Cited 1. Vijayan, 0. 1969:Khasakkintelthihasam (Malayalam), Kottayam,D.C Books, 1990. 2. Ryga, Geome: The Festasy of Rita Joe. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2013. Abbreviated as ER in the article. Harikumar M.K. 1984: AurmayanangaludeK hasakk. Khochikode Olivepublications. 2005. 4, AvyappaPaniker, K, 1977: Short History of Malayalam Literature, Kerala, Information and Public Relations Dept.,KeralaState. 2006 Kidangoor, Sudheer2006: Novel Padavanangal (Matavalam) Kollam. Saindhaya Books. 2006. 6. Chaitanya, Krishna 197: /istoryof Malayaian Literanune, TheUniversityol Virginia. 2007 Is building a literary Literary Endeavour (ISSN 0976-299X) : Vol. X : + 1 January, 2019)