Topic Research: Creation Stories

The first possible topic that I found interesting is the "evolution" of Dashavatara, the ten avatars of Vishnu. As a biology major, I am interested in stories revolving around evolution. This is clear in the evolution of the avatars of Vishnu. The avatars go from a fish to a tortoise to a boar to a man/lion to a dwarf to warriors and kings. It would be cool to research how these characters progress and change through different incarnations of Vishnu.

The first story that caught my eye was the story of Matsya. This is the avatar of a fish.The story is interesting because the fish grows and saves earthly life in a Noah's-ark-like event. Matsya even carried Manu to safety according to some stories.  This would be another interesting story topic as Manu is often described as the first man. Perhaps there would be some stories on how modern life descended from this first man? This could provide some cool opportunities for stories that match my interests. The third story that seems interesting is the story of Narasimha. This is interesting because the avatar is half man and half mammal. Although this is a deviation from how evolution is truly understood to unfold, it is a good symbol for the transition to full man. I am also interested in this story because its purpose was to destroy religious persecution, so I think there would be some interesting stories that could be taken from this character.

Matsya

Topic Brainstorm

Gods and Goddesses: I think an interesting topic would be over some of the Gods and Goddesses. While I am not familiar with any of them in the list as a beginner to this subject, I do have some familiarity with some Greek Gods and Goddesses. I think it would be interesting to learn how the Hindu deities are similar and/or different. Some stories that would be interesting to tell could be retelling stories of the adventures of the gods. While I think it would be interesting to bring together multiple gods, it might be more beneficial to go in depth with one god and learn a lot about one.

Weapons of the Gods: Another interesting topic, in my opinion, would be the weapons of the gods. Again, I am more familiar with greek weapons such as Zues' thunderbolt and Poseidon's trident. So, it might be interesting to learn how the Indian weapons are similar. Some weapons that caught my eye were the Gandiva bow and the Pinaka. I would also be interested to learn how they are utilized by human warriors.

Creation Stories: This topic seems most interesting to me, as a biology major, because I thoroughly enjoyed my evolutionary biology class. I would be interested in Dashavatara, as I read that it has similarities to Darwin's theory which I am very familiar with. I am also interested in how some stories show gods with animal features. I feel that this could tie in very well with my interests in biology and evolution. Source: Wikipedia

Food: This topic would possibly be of great interest to me as I love to cook and eat. I am very willing to learn about new foods. Indian culture, and food in particular, are probably the most unfamiliar to me. I really enjoyed how one of the projects included lists of recipes. This could be something interesting to learn about and research. It could also be possible to tell how certain foods are important to Indian culture. Source: Wikipedia

Indian Meal Source: Pixabay