Rohit Phalke takes us on a captivating exploration of mythology, revealing the layers of truth, misinterpretation, and intrigue that shape these ancient narratives. He challenges widely accepted interpretations and emphasizes how misunderstandings can distort our perception of these timeless stories.

Sharing his personal journey—from childhood influences to his indepth study of unabridged texts like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavata Purana—Rohit highlights the importance of an authentic approach to mythological study. Through the complexities of genealogies and timelines, he unveils how his passion led to the creation of The Purana Project, an ambitious initiative aimed at organizing and simplifying the often fragmented and intricate stories found in various mythological sources.

Rohit illustrates how widely held beliefs frequently diverge from the original texts and calls for a fresh evaluation of what we consider “true” in mythology. Drawing from his extensive research, he advocates for the recognition of mythologists as "Heroes" in preserving and accurately interpreting these myths, which form the cultural foundation of societies like Bharat (India) and beyond.

Through this talk, Rohit challenges us to rethink our understanding of ancient myths, asking a critical question: “How authentic are the stories we believe?” "Rohit Phalke is a Teacher of Humanities and the Creator of The Purana Project. He has been a professional actor since 2012 winning awards such as the maharashtra state best supporting actor 2024 and nominations for his work in Motion Picture. He shifted over to full time teaching in 2021 and has since been engaged in training students in Economics, Integrated Humanities and Theory of Knowledge for various curricula. He uses technology and gamification as a regular pedagogical practice.

He has a deep passion for Mythology and strives to work for sustaining its relevance to the modern world. The Purana Project, his brainchild, is the fruit of years of hard work and hard research to make mythology accessible more easily and authentically." This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx