Biography
About Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik
Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (b.1970) is a medical doctor by education but a mythologist by passion with over 12 books to his credit. He topped the Mumbai University course in Comparative Mythology and lectures extensively on the relevance of sacred symbols, rituals and stories in modern times. His articles appear regularly in First City Magazine (Delhi) and Times of India (Mumbai). He lives in Mumbai.
He works as a manager in Business Advisory Services with Ernst & Young.
About Myth & Mythology
Every culture has its own unique understanding of the world that defies rationality. This is the myth of that culture. A cultural construction. A belief system. A subjective truth.
Mythology is the vehicle of stories, symbols and rituals that communicates this myth. Myth can be said to be the idea and mythology its expression.
Contrary to popular belief, both myth and mythology are not always religious; they can be secular. Thus there is the myth of the nation-state, the myth of human rights, animal rights, gay rights.
Myth and mythology are creations of man, by man, for man. They exist to organize the world for man, give life meaning, purpose and direction. Without myth and mythology, ideas such as right and wrong, good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate, heaven and hell, divine and evil do not exist.
