Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
-
Articles
Shrine a light
That a Muslim tomb is the most popular image of India may exasperate some but the Taj Mahal is emblematic of the many kinds of pilgrimages we undertake…
-
Articles
Prosecuting the Gods
Conversations that seek to ‘justify’ the actions of mythic figures often miss the point…
-
Articles
Beyond Hinduism: Is caste a religious or a regional problem?
Which mythology – religious or secular – shapes the South Asian mind?…
-
Articles
Gender bias in temples as old as the walls around them
Is celibacy a sign of respect for women, or just a clever form of misogyny?…
-
Articles
Divine domestic discords
The malaise of modern scholarship on Hinduism often comes from the assumption that Hindu sacred texts, like Bible and Koran, are instructive and seek to ‘reform’ humans…
-
Articles
Rasgullas for Lakshmi
As a Non-Resident Odia (NRO), I am often asked if rasgulla, the sweet dish, is of Odia or Bengali origin. So, what do we know?…
-
Articles
Did Shabari actually feed Ram ‘tasted’ berries?
The idea probably came from 15th century Odia poet Balaram Das, who challenged Brahmanical orthodoxy in his writings…
-
Articles
Understanding the(ir) Truth
To understand truth, it is useful to familiarise ourselves with three terminologies commonly used by philosophers. These are ontology, epistemology and phenomenology…
-
Articles
Why is Ram misogynist, but not the Buddha?
The world is conditioned to see the Ramayana and Manu-Smriti as anti-women, but not the Buddhist lore…
-
Articles
Unlimited Choice
The Ramayana is not a text; it is an evolving tradition; the many versions only enrich it further. You can choose the one that appeals to you…
