Nature Matters: An Ecocritical Study of Select Indian Novels in the Light of Hinduism

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of ecocritical theory and ancient Indian religious ethos, specifically analyzing how ecological wisdom embedded in classical Hindu texts informs post-1900 Indian English literature. By tracing the evolution of ecocriticism from its foundational waves in Western academia to its postcolonial and eco-justice iterations, this paper examines how modern novelists reframe the relationship between humanity and the biophysical world. Through a close reading of Raja Rao’s Kanthapura, Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, and Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide, this paper demonstrates how contemporary narrative arts echo the organic, non-anthropocentric worldview of the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads. Ultimately, the study underscores the urgency of synthesizing traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation frameworks to counter the degradation driven by unchecked urbanization and industrial progress.