Reclaiming the sacred: feminine archetypes in South Asian myth and cultural memory

This paper revisits the Sacred Feminine within the South Asian mythology landscapes, not as a static relic of devotion but as a living, evolving presence. Through goddesses like Durgā, Kālī, and Sītā, who are deeply embedded in both cultural memory and personal upbringing, this paper reflects how sacred archetypes, long held in reverence, are also quietly confined. Drawing on Jung’s theory of archetypes, feminist mythopoesis, and Kristeva’s intertextuality, the study explores how contemporary writers, artists, and everyday storytellers are breathing new life into these figures. From reinterpretations in literature to the unlikeliest digital spaces, the sacred feminine is no longer just worshipped, but spoken with, challenged, and even meme-ified. These acts of reclaiming do not reject tradition; they diversify it, offering richer ways to understand gender, power, and resistance. The paper asks what it means to engage with these myths now, not as fixed ideals, but as mirrors, alive with questions we’re only beginning to ask.