This is a collection of nine essays based on lectures delivered by Ayyappa Paniker, the Malayalam poet and scholar, at special conferences in different places in India and abroad. They constitute a celebration of the rich cultural diversity of humanity, especially in the Indian context. Over the past several millennia Indian culture has absorbed and developed a composite culture, which fosters a pluralist approach to human civilization. That is the beauty and strength of the Indian Tradition, which lives on and grows ever richer finer, despite countless obstacles and difficulties. Not only in the mosaic design of India’s historical evolution, but also in the various traditional accomplishments, like the kirtana or the narrative, divergences are not only tolerated but also preserved and absorbed to the nourishment of the over all pattern of culture. The word ‘difference’, with a slight variation in spelling of ‘difference’ is intended to suggest this creative potential. The main topics covered are: The mosaic of India Culture, The Kirtana tradition in India, The post-colonial experience in Indian literature, Going back is out of the question, The confluence of cultures, The Indian narrative: Visions of, and challenges to, cultural plurality, Towards a futuristic vision of recanonization, Let’s look for alternative aesthetics.
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