The first would be the Maya. The concept of illusion and what is real is prevalent in many cultures, but it seems like Maya takes that concept to a higher level than most. I also think that the concept of a reader knowing something that the antagonist of a story does not know can make for some very tense storytelling; it seems like doing some research about the Maya and employing it in some stories could make for some very compelling writing. I haven't dabbled in horror writing before, so that is something I will keep in the realm of possibilities.
My second topic idea is Ravana. I have a good appreciation for a good villain: good heroes are easy to find, in my opinion, but a good villain can make or break a story. Although I haven't yet gotten the full exposure of the Ramayana, what I have read about him seems promising. I don't know what stories I would tell about him, but I am not opposed to the idea of writing my own stories after reading the Ramayana.
My third topic is the Nagas. I find it very interesting that snakes take the form of wise and powerful beings that, from what I've read, are benevolent creatures. Seeing as cobras are extremely venomous, I find it almost contradictory that snakes are held as creatures of good. I guess it's strange to me that snakes are usually associated with evil in western culture, even outside of religion. I don't know what stories I would write about the Nagas, or any Nagas in particular, I just find them interesting and would enjoy researching them further.
Lastly, my fourth topic is not yet on the list (from what I could see at least). I have always loved vampire mythology (although I think they've received a bad wrap in the 21st century,) and one of the interesting facts of vampire mythology is that most cultures from entirely different parts of the world have creatures similar to vampires. So my fourth topic would explore one creature or creatures in Indian mythology that are similar to vampires. Some of the possibilities I've found are vetala, pisacha, the Riri Yaka, and even rakashasas by some descriptions, although easily accessible internet information on any of those are sparse. I could do a storybook on each of them, or focus on one in particular.
Image Information
(Vetala - Wikipedia)
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