Devas

Published on 27th June, 2021, in Mid-day. The Vedic people worshipped celestial beings known as devas. They also worshipped their ancestors known as pitras. The worship of these two sets of divinities complements each other. People worship the devas during the waxing of the moon, in spring and summer, before rains. People worship the pitras during the waning half of the moon, in autumn and winter, after rains. These are the seasons when the days grow shorter and colder. While worshipping the devas, the sacred thread is hung over the left shoulder. When worshipping the pitras, the sacred thread hangs on the right shoulder. One ..

Published on 16th September, 2018, in Mumbai Mirror Krishna steals women’s clothes. Ram abandoned his wife. Shiva smokes narcotics. Durga kills a buffalo. Hindus worship weird gods! These are the comments I hear from people who have moved on from Hinduism, embracing other faiths. But often, also from well-read Hindus. Hinduism embarrasses these intellectual Hindus as it doesn’t comply with their preconceived notions of what god and religion should be. And where did these preconceptions come from? From education – the assumption that god is good and all-powerful, and that religion is supposed to create a just and fair society based on ethical and moral ..