SAAC Hosting: Devdutt Patnaik in South Asian Speaker Series

Indian author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik

to hold talks across various cities in the US centered on

“Mythology, the subjective truth & the root of

coexistence & harmony across cultures”

 
Devdutt Pattanaik is a well-known author, illustrator, storyteller, mythologist, culture consultant, and leadership coach. Often dubbed as India’s Joseph Campbell and Dan Brown, he has written over 30 books and 700 articles on the relevance of stories, symbols and rituals — both sacred and secular — in modern life.
His books with publisher Westland Ltd. — 7 Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art, 7 Secrets of Shiva, 7 Secrets of Vishnu and 7 Secrets of the Goddess — are designed to help readers negotiate, explore and celebrate a fabulous worldview that emerged in the Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago. It helps us understand why India has been a relatively tolerant culture despite being home to over 6,000 distinct and diverse communities. It provides unique ideas that could enrich the global village by enabling us to get the best out of our relationships.
Devdutt’s talks and writings provide a deep understanding of how myths and mythologies from around the world have shaped our cultures and the world around us. This Fall, Westland Ltd., has organized for him a series of talks across eight cities in the US to delve deeper into how mythology has colored our worldview and, in fact, is the root of coexistence and harmony across cultures:
 
Jaipur Literature Festival @ Boulder
Boulder Public Library, 24th & 25th September 2016
– Pride and Prejudice, 24th Sept 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm
A panel with Devdutt Pattanaik, Charles Rice-Gonzalez and Thrity Umrigar discusses gay pride and the prejudices it confronts.
– Olympus: Indian Retelling of Greekness, 25th Sept 2.45 pm to 3.45 pm
Ancient Greece and India have both bequeathed a lasting body of myth to the world. Reversing the gaze, Devdutt Pattanaik explores the fascinating connections between these stories and sagas. Introduced by poet Eleni Sikelianos.
 
A talk with Starbucks India Partner Network
Starbuck Corporate Office, 27th September 2016
– How Mythologies of the World Reveal the Diversity of the Human Mind
At Starbucks Corporate Office, Devdutt extends the understanding of myths and mythologies to derive cultural insights and add diverse perspectives to the business.
 
University of Washington
Allen Auditorium, Allen North Library – 29th September 2016, 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm
– The Stories of Hindu Gods = the Fruits of the Vedic Tree
Hindu mythology abounds with fascinating gods, goddesses and larger-than-life fantastical stories around them. However, very little is known about the deeper significance, symbology and life lessons that these stories offer. Devdutt throws light on the profound meaning of Hindu mythology and its relevance in modern times.
 
The Indus Entrepreneurs Seattle Chapter
Seattle (Invitee only event), 29th September 2016, 6.00 to 8.00 pm
– How Mythologies of the World Reveal the Diversity of the Human Mind
At Starbucks Corporate Office, Devdutt extends the understanding of myths and mythologies to derive cultural insights and add diverse perspectives to the business.
About BOSTON;
Launch of South Asian Author Series with SAAC
Boston Public Library – 1 October 2016, 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm
– The Stories of Hindu Gods = the Fruits of the Vedic Tree
Hindu mythology abounds with fascinating gods, goddesses and larger-than-life fantastical stories around them. However, very little is known about the deeper significance, symbology and life lessons that these stories offer. Devdutt throws light on the profound meaning of Hindu mythology and its relevance in modern times. Translating his words in fluid motion, Bharatnatyam dancer Mesma Belsare performs a piece on Ardhanārīśwara.

The Rama Epic: Beauty & Timelessness, a prelude to “The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe”
Palo Alto Art Center – 4 October 2016, 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm
– SACHI, Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India, and INK talks present A Discussion on the Ramayana
Bringing his creative lens, Devdutt explores the beauty and timelessness of the ancient Ramayana epic through new and fresh perspectives. With his unique, contemporary take on myth, which he defines as subjective truth, he sheds new insights on the Ramayana’s enduring appeal across two millennia, as a prelude to “The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe” an upcoming exhibit at Asian Art Museum, SFO.
Chrysallis Institute presents The Myth We Live In with Devdutt Pattnaik
Grace Street Theater, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond – October 6 2016, 7.00 to 9.00 pm
– The Narrative Thread: Story and the Search for Meaning
Devdutt delves on how no society can exist without myth. Humans cannot function without myths because myth creates notions of right and wrong, good and bad, heaven and hell, rights and duties. Marriages, monogamy, peace, salvation, non-violence are all concepts based on myth; they don’t exist in nature.
All religions, all nations, all tribes, all ideologies, all ways of life are based on myth. “Human rights” is based on the myth of equality. Only a world without humans is a world without myths.
 
Yale International Relations Association & Yale Hindu Studies Council
Yale University – October 7 2016, 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm
– Understanding Mythology
Devdutt illustrates how every culture, Indian or Western, religious or secular, modern or tribal uses stories, symbols and rituals over generations to convey its own truth that is indifferent to rationality. Without myth there is no meaning, and without meaning, there is no culture.
 
Indo American Arts Council Literature Festival
NYU Kimmel Center, Washington Square Park, NYC – October 9, 2016
– Understanding Mythology
Devdutt illustrates how every culture, Indian or Western, religious or secular, modern or tribal uses stories, symbols and rituals over generations to convey its own truth that is indifferent to rationality. Without myth there is no meaning, and without meaning, there is no culture.
 
Jivamukti Yoga Center presents Myth & Mythya with Devdutt Pattnaik
Jivamukti Yoga Center, Jersey City – 9th October 2016, 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm
– The Stories of Hindu Gods = the Fruits of the Vedic Tree
Hindu mythology abounds with fascinating gods, goddesses and larger-than-life fantastical stories around them. However, very little is known about the deeper significance, symbology and life lessons that these stories offer. Devdutt throws light on the profound meaning of Hindu mythology and its relevance in modern times.
To know more about Devdutt Pattanaik refer to:
Website: devdutt.com
Twitter: @devduttmyth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DevduttPattanaik/