Existentialism in plays of Girish Karnad Body-mind conflict and identity crisis in "Hayavadana and Nagamandala"

Existentialism in plays of Girish Karnad Body-mind conflict and identity crisis in “Hayavadana and Nagamandala” Dr. Suvarna Tiwari (Raina) This paper attempts to explore the themes of existentialism, body- mind conflict, and identity crisis in Girish Karnad’s plays 'Hayavadana' and 'Nagamandala', Girish Karmad, one of the most prominent modern Indian playwrights was deeply influenced by western existential philosophy as well as Indian cultural traditions. Through his dramatic works, he portrays the dilemmas, anxieties, and psychological conflicts of modern human life. Existentialism, a major twentieth - century philosophical movement that emerged after Second World War, addresses the problem of human existence identity, freedom, and the search for meaning in life through individual actions and experiences. It emphasizes that philosophy showed remain connected with human life and personal experience.[1] Influenced by thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Gabriel Marcel, Girish Karnad incorporated existential themes into his dramatic works. His plays explore modern human anxieties, alienation, incompleteness and the struggle for self-identity. The present paper mainly focuses on the reflection of body-mind conflict existentialism and identity crisis in 'Hayavadana' and 'Nagamandala'. It also examines haw Karnad portrays the existential dilemmas of modern Indian society through myth folklore, and symbolic characterization. * M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Former Guest Faculty Government Girls Degree College Datia.