2023 / Articles
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History of Luv-Kush
The word kushalava in Sanskrit literature like Manusmriti and Arthashastra refer to lowborn travelling entertainers. This feels strange as Kusha and Lava are the names of Ram’s twin sons — Ram who is the greatest king of Indian lore.
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The Politics of Ghosts
The spirits of the dead people were considered to be powerful, and these spirits are channelized during special ceremonies by special groups of people who are associated with singing, dancing, playing drums and going into trance.
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Sanatan Dharma and the Hierarchy of Purity
For the orthodox Hindu their faith is timeless i.e. sanatan. For the social activist, Hinduism is fundamentally about casteism, and casteism is about untouchability.
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Is Green an Islamic Colour?
Since green is the dominant colour of the Pakistan flag, many Sanatani Hindutva folks see it as the colour of Islam.
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The Advice of Vidur
Vidur-niti is a set of about 600 verses, split into eight chapters, found in the Udyoga Parva of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.
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Fifth Veda Uses Gender As a Metaphor
We need to remember that as per popular lore, the gods created the Puranas as the Fifth Veda to transmit Vedic wisdom to women and lowborn people who did not have access to the mantra and the ritual.
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The Forest and the Field
Increasingly, we find laws that protect forests being cut down, giving way for industries. This brings tribal communities into conflict with the state.
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The History of Draupadi’s Vastraharan
When we study the history of the story, we realise that Draupadi’s disrobing and rerobing by Krishna was never part of the earliest layers of the epic.
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The Celestial Stories of Plants in India
We have come a long way from the days when there were sacred groves across India, where no one was allowed to graze cattle, plant crops or forage for fruit or firewood.
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Diwali for Ram, Krishna, Lakshmi, Yama, Asuras and Ancestors
Diwali celebrations vary across India: In north India, it commemorates the return of Ram, while south India celebrates the defeat of Narakasura. Western Diwali involves a business-related renewal and in eastern India, the focus shifts to ancestor worship and paying…
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The Cattle Army of Kotrabaina
You have probably never heard this saga as you do not belong to the Gaur community of cattle-herders in Western Odisha.
