For centuries, the term mythology has been used to refer to the ancient narratives of India — from the spiritual verses of the Vedas to the grandeur of Ramayana and Mahabharata. But what if the word mythology itself was a subtle tool of erasure? A way to veil India’s documented and archaeologically-supported historical depth as mere legend?
The word mythology suggests fiction, a collection of fantastical tales disconnected from reality. Yet, India’s history — stretching back to the sophisticated Indus Valley Civilization — tells a different story. One of societal organization, advanced urban planning, spiritual architecture, and philosophical depth. The very foundations of Indian civilization, such as the Dharmashastras, Vedic literature, and temple architecture, are not myths but well-documented socio-cultural blueprints that shaped one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations.
Ancient temples, once living universities of art, astronomy, architecture, and community governance, were not just places of worship. Each stone and sculpture carried symbolic significance. The architecture reflected cosmic geometry, moral order, and human purpose. Civil laws encoded in Sanskrit texts guided harmonious social coexistence — centuries before modern concepts of democracy and civil rights emerged elsewhere.
However, during colonial rule, this heritage was deliberately reframed. The British intellectual class — and many Western historians thereafter — branded India’s indigenous narratives as myths, relegating them to the realm of folklore. This systematic linguistic framing allowed the colonizers to dismiss India’s achievements, asserting that the West brought “reason” to a land mired in “myth.”
It is time we reassess. The so-called “mythological” texts are in fact historical-cultural documents, reflecting not just imagination, but observation, codification, and expression of profound truths. Rather than being tales to be dismissed, they are lenses through which we can understand human values, cosmic principles, and ancient knowledge systems.
Restoring the historical value of these texts, temples, and traditions isn’t just about national pride — it’s about correcting a narrative distortion. It’s about acknowledging that India’s civilization was not an accident of myth but a deliberate, conscious evolution of law, philosophy, and purpose-driven living.
As scholars, educators, and citizens, we must learn to read between the lines — to see what was always there, waiting to be recognized not as myth, but as legacy.