The Architecture of Lies: Post-Truth Consciousness in O. V. Vijayan’s The Saga of Dharmapuri

Abstract

Contemporary post-truth studies examine emotions, personal beliefs, and subjective narratives. Many Indian writers such as O. V Vijayan explored concepts associated with post-truth well before they became popularized in the intellectual quarters. His works such as The Saga of Dharmapuri predicted the authoritarian and manipulative aspects of post-truth. Vijayan was an Indian cartoonist, pioneering novelist and short story writer, and a leading figure in Malayalam literature. In addition to cartoons and journalistic articles, on such subjects as politics and the environment, he produced several novels and a number of short stories.

His novels The Legends of Khasak and The Saga of Dharmapuri introduced a blend of magical realism, existentialism, and deep philosophical reflections that deviated from the traditional focus on social realism and cultural identity in Malayalam literature. Vijayan’s novels often explore the metaphysical and spiritual, set against the backdrop of Kerala’s landscape.

This paper argues that The Saga ofDharmapuri anticipates the contemporary post-truth condition through its depiction of propaganda, linguistic manipulation, grotesque state power, and the commodification of human life.