Caste, Patriarchy, and Resistance: Mapping Feminine Identity in Girish Karnad’s Tale-Danda

Author(s)	Anjali Modanwal
Country	India
Abstract	Girish Karnad’s Tale-Danda (1993) stands as a profound historical drama that immerses the audience in the socio-religious ferment of 12th-century Karnataka. The play centres on the radical Sharana or Lingayat (Virashaiva) movement spearheaded by the poet-saint Basavanna. Through its narrative, Karnad delivers a trenchant critique of the deeply entrenched caste system, rooted in varnashrama dharma, and its inseparable entanglement with patriarchal structures that relentlessly marginalize women across social strata. At the same time, the drama illuminates pathways of resistance grounded in the egalitarian principles of the Lingayat tradition, which championed spiritual equality irrespective of birth, the sanctity of labour through the concept of kayaka, the repudiation of ritual pollution and purity taboos, and a direct, personal devotion to Shiva manifested via the Ishtalinga (Karnad 12-15).
Keywords	Girish Karnad, Tale-Danda, caste system, patriarchy, feminine identity, Sharana movement, gender resistance, inter-caste marriage, Basavanna, Brahmanical patriarchy, social reform, intersectionality, kayaka, Anubhava Mantapa.
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-14
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85786

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research