During the pandemic, Doordarshan re-released some of its classic shows, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and they quickly garnered millions of views. Social media was full of folks in their 30s and 40s talking about the continuing allure of these stories.
Perhaps some of this is nostalgia - many of us grew up being told these stories, reading them, and later, watching them on TV. But a lot is also the sheer depth and breadth of these stories within stories.
There is love and loss, adventure, fighting & making up, drama, battles, negotiation, victory & defeat, challenges & creative solutions... There are numerous ideas to debate with older children too, for instance, gender roles, body safety, the ideas of duty & morality.
As a tribute to the lasting fascination of these epics, we have brought out a limited edition set of Ramayana peg dolls. They make for great collectibles, additions to your bommai golu, or props for storytelling sessions with your little one. |