Reading the Mahabharata by the Tungabhadra - Day 9
Day 9 of reading the Mahabharata - interactions with locals and tour guides, reflecting on Hampi’s destruction and drawing parallels to Dhritarashtra’s blindness to war’s cost.
This rock that I sit on is a picnic spot, and it suits the purpose really. Many locals come here, and their kids are curious about what I’m doing here. They try to talk to me in broken English, and I smile and reply in Kannada. They are shocked. Somehow, the hair and the beard have convinced them that I’m not even an Indian, let alone a Kannadiga. ...