Paper short abstract:

This paper will attempt to answer the question, in what way the new media impact the image of Lala Hardaul, a local deity worshipped in Bundelkhand, India. The analysis is based on a comparison of the basic folklore version of his legend with its numerous audio and video variants.

Paper long abstract:

Lala Hardaul ((?)1608 - (?)1631) is a deified Bundela prince of Orchha. His legend falls into two parts. The first part narrates about his short earthly life and focuses on its unnatural end: Hardaul was poisoned by his bhābhī at the order of his elder brother, the Raja of Orchha. The second part is the story about how Hardaul, after his demise, perfectly fulfilled his duty of māmā and gave his niece, the daughter of his sister, a magnificent dowry. The latter plot is clearly connected to Hardaul's cult and his function as the patron deity of brides and unmarried girls.

The core content is identical in all versions of the legend. Unlike the posthumous part that does not allow for a strong content variation, Hardaul's life story undergoes (re)interpretations time and again leading to multiplication of versions, some of which are politically relevant. Owing to the opportunities of content creation provided by electronic technologies they have been circulated on information carriers since 1970es.

The paper will attempt to show the major trends in this process and relate them to the general media scene in India with regard to the content and formal features. On the other hand, it aims at revealing specific features of the medial representations of the story that are conditioned by local views, aspirations and technical opportunities.