The Tale of Two Somnaths

Loud discussions on how Muslim raiders from Ghazni plundered Somnath temple, on the Gujarat coast a thousand years ago, ignore how Jain ‘basadi’ in Karnataka were replaced by Somanatha Shiva temples around the same time. This is also the time when Rajaraja Chola marched up the eastern coast of India, plundering the kingdoms of Andhra, Odisha, and Bengal and bringing back images of Bhairava and Kali…

Tirthankar: Jain Dharm Par 63 Vichar

by Devdutt Pattanaik (Author), Mihir Nilum Jajodia (Translator) …

The Forgotten Women Who Helped Shape Jainism

Jainism follows the path revealed by 24 sages known as Tirthankara, who appear in every …

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  • Will Bollywood Rama Ignore Shambuka?

    Will Bollywood Rama Ignore Shambuka?

    A Brahmin approaches Rama in grief. His young son has died prematurely. Such a death, he says, can only happen when dharma is disturbed. A king is responsible for cosmic order. If something unnatural has occurred, the fault lies with the ruler…

  • Are God’s Messengers Real or Imaginary?

    Are God’s Messengers Real or Imaginary?

    We know that information about Gautama Buddha, Chanakya, and Shankaracharya come from textual sources that were composed centuries after their supposed lifetimes. There is no material proof of their existence. But they are assumed to be historical figures. The same holds true for religious leaders like Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad. Believers insist they are…

  • Comparing Poems from Tantra and Bhakti

    Comparing Poems from Tantra and Bhakti

    A tiny fragment of the Indian population was literate in medieval times. But a large portion knew poetry, composed poetry and transmitted poetry. These poems are thus major cultural outputs. …

  • Blood Pacts of Kutch

    Blood Pacts of Kutch

    Priestly role was often performed by Charans. They were bards, negotiators, ritual specialists, poets, warriors, royal companisons and much more. They preserved memory in the old Dingal language. …

  • All About Marriage, Meaning, and the Shiva–Shakti Union

    All About Marriage, Meaning, and the Shiva–Shakti Union

    The marriage of Shiva and Shakti is not about property, lineage, or inheritance. It is not about power, spectacle, or display. It is about two individuals giving meaning to each other. …

  • Temple Gopurams As Royal Defiance

    Temple Gopurams As Royal Defiance

    Most of the tall gopurams we see in South India today were built by Nayaka kings of Telugu origin. Most are three to four centuries old, built during and after the Vijayangar period. Nayaka rulers reimagined Ram and Krishna as political and theological answers to the Islamic and Indo-Persian imperial culture that shaped North and…

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Devdutt Pattanaik writes and speaks on the relevance of mythology in modern times, especially in areas of management, governance, and leadership.