Hathras puts godmen back in focus. You can dismiss them as charlatans. But recognise that they connect with those who feel most vulnerable in society. You can’t regulate this
The story of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation, the caste politics around him, and its resolution by the Kashi Brahmins is a lesson for all those who argue Hindu society is conservative and incapable of change
This desire to explain an archaeological site using Hindu mythology as proto-history is a trend also seen in Pakistan
How Brahmin bureaucrats thrived even in Islamic kingdoms and why there were rivalries between various Brahmin groups.
Indian Knowledge Systems are being discussed across schools in India. But they do not include India’s vast exploration of erotic pleasure: the story of Kama.
Atharva Veda is the collection of hymns containing spells for helping, healing and even hurting, composed by the Rishi who was generally excluded from the list of Seven Sages (Sapta Rishi): Atharva, Angirasa and Bhrigu.
Evolving discoveries surrounding the mystical Indian herb Soma bear testimony to how mythology changes over space and time, and new ideas are shared through the same old stories
The story of Krishna playing the flute comes to us from the Bhagavata Purana. It was written in the 10th century, a thousand years after the Mahabharata.
From architecture to kingship, a brief history of Islam's arrival in India and its synthesis with indigenous ideals and ways of life
From Vashishta to Vyasa to Shuka, we see a shift in the Vedic world from valuing wisdom to celebrating love, from intellect to emotion, from gyan to bhakti
Popular acceptance of the idea that a person has the power to change society is very Indian. It’s as valid as Western ideas that privileges institutions or a document or a God/state over any leader
Incongruences in the events of the Mahabharata cast significant doubt on its depiction of sati. In most cases, the heart of the epic had little to do with justifying this cruel practice
Benzaiten, the popular lute-holding Japanese goddess likened to Saraswati, bears testimony to how cultural ideas remain immortal through space and time
You can see him as a historical figure. Or as a grand vision endorsed by sages that can influence a nation-state. Or as a metaphor, timeless and unbound by geography, for integrity and grace
Our interpretation of Ram changed over the centuries and even now there are versions of the Ramayana that are popular in different regions
So important is this region that almost every temple in India mimics the geography of Uttarakhand: The conical roof of a Hindu temple represents Mount Meru/Kailas, and on the doorways are carved images of the river-goddesses
In Hindu Puranas, Vishnu is a strict vegetarian god, but Shiva eats whatever he is given. This should dissuade attempts being made to deny the meat-eating practices of many communities
There are suggestions that rakshasa Marichi transforming into a deer at the behest of Ravana was not the original plot, and instead Ravana himself took the form of a deer – golden with silver spots – lured the brothers away and then abducted Sita
Did you know that there are far more Samudra Manthan images found in Southeast Asia than in India? Moreover, in those images the Devas and Asuras are made to look similar. So when did the Asuras start being depicted as monstrous looking in India, and when did Goddess Lakshmi become a part of the narrative?
How is it that we find Lord Ram’s descendants linked to powerful royalty as well as to powerless nomadic communities of dancers, singers and storytellers? The answer may lie in the history of the story of his twin sons, Luv and Kush
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