Journal | Lagoonscapes
Monographic journal issue | 1 | 2 | 2021
Research Article | General Introduction to Environmental Humanities in India
General Introduction to Environmental Humanities in India
The Ecocritical Discourse in Hindu Literature
Abstract
The article offers a general overview of the ecological debate and Environmental Humanities in India. After an introduction on the legacy of Gandhian ecological thought and contemporary literature, the essay focuses on the most discussed themes of the Indian classical tradition, with particular references to sacred texts (Vedas, Puranas, the epics). The sum of this knowledge is placed on the recursive perspective of Indian time: as yugas change, new structures of social life arise, reformulating society and its environment in a more holistic and sustainable way. This would be possible without ever denying the responsibility we all have in maintaining that personal empathy towards the environment that is reflected in Indian classical texts.
Submitted: Oct. 8, 2021 | Accepted: Oct. 28, 2021 | Published Dec. 21, 2021 | Language: en
Keywords Environmentalism • South Asia • Environmental Humanities • Anthropocene • India • Indian literature • Forest
Copyright © 2021 Stefano Beggiora. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP//2021/02/004
