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Abstract
Mulk Raj Anand is a well-known writer who contributed enormous works to Indian English Literature. He has used numerous elements of traditional Indian culture and myths in his short stories to highlight communal prejudice among the oppressed during the era of pre-independence. The collection of short stories Lajwanti and other stories is taken for this study focusing mainly on stories such as The Silver Bangles and A Village Wedding as they seem to be a warehouse of Indian myths that explore the themes of social inequality and the suffering of the marginalized community. These stories are the true witnesses of portraying the rich cultural and heritage value of our country. Anand tries to blend the traditional mythical elements of ancient India with contemporary storytelling. By incorporating proper cultural and mythical elements into the short stories, Anand connects his readers to a deeper level of understanding of the humanistic vision of modern India. The weaving of mythical concepts throughout his short stories helped him to make the readers more accessible to the history of ancient India and its culture. This paper investigates how the short stories of Mulk Raj Anand such as Lajwanti, The Silver Bangles and A Village Wedding utilize the mythical concepts of Indian culture to amalgamate the narrative techniques. This paper also explores how the narration helps the readers understand the complexity of tradition and modernity in the Indian context. Anand uses cultural motifs in his short stories to excavate the profound cultural heritage of India and at the same time, he offers a progressive and humanistic perspective on the social issues of contemporary society.