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Articles

Essays, commentary, thoughts and opinions
on Mythology, life and business

  • How the Worship of Radha, Krishna Spread, Amidst the Shadow of Islam.

    How the Worship of Radha, Krishna Spread, Amidst the Shadow of Islam.

    Chaitanya, known to his followers as Mahaprabhu (great lord, incarnation of Krishna), popularised the worship of Krishna with Radha and the circular dance of Raas Leela in India…

  • The Story of Stolen Gods

    The Story of Stolen Gods

    In the medieval times, Indian kings declared their victory by bringing back home images of gods that were worshipped in the land they conquered. These gods became minor deities in the victor’s temple, living in the shadow of the victor’s patron deity, just as the defeated king lived in the shadow of the victor. It…

  • Shaped By the Rains

    Shaped By the Rains

    Aryans came from lands north of the Himalayas where there was no monsoon rains. They focused on four quarters of the year, based on the solstices, and equinoxes. Balgangadhar Tilak pointed out how Vedic hymns refer to long days without sun. He pointed out how great importance was given to dawn, Ushas, who appeared in…

  • Diversity and Inclusion is a radical idea in the West because of monotheism

    Diversity and Inclusion is a radical idea in the West because of monotheism

    In the USA, a section of activists prefer the word ‘birthing people’ to ‘mothers’. This …

  • Ravana in Malaysia and Indonesia

    Ravana in Malaysia and Indonesia

    The Ramayana has been retold by several communities and several people over a period of 2,000 years and over a region that spreads over 5,000 miles. Scholars have found the Ramayana retellings even in faraway places such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The story was taken there by seafaring merchants. …

  • Krishna’s Sister and the Varying Interpretations Of Her Image

    Krishna’s Sister and the Varying Interpretations Of Her Image

    One of the oldest caves (number 27) in Ellora in Maharashtra, has the image of a goddess holding a lotus flower, flanked by two gods…

  • Who are the power-broking landlord monks of Tamil Nadu?

    Who are the power-broking landlord monks of Tamil Nadu?

    Sengol is a staff of royal authority. We can call the symbol of justice in the spirit of wordplay, when a symbol of monarchy is made the symbol of democracy. …

  • Ask Krishna Anything? A Mythologist Puts Gita Chatbots To The Test

    Ask Krishna Anything? A Mythologist Puts Gita Chatbots To The Test

    Whenever I encounter young earnest young, Hindu missionaries selling the Gita to me on roadsides, I like to pose them a question that helps me gain insight about their mind and their understanding of the Gita. I ask them, ‘Why does Krishna refer to Arjuna as a “kliba” in Chapter 2 verse 3?…

  • Jinns and Aliens

    Jinns and Aliens

    When the Turkish soldiers from Khilji’s army, and later the Mughal army, saw the ruins …

  • Kappiri, Habshi and African Slave Gods

    Kappiri, Habshi and African Slave Gods

    The eastern coast of Africa has a long relationship of trade with the western coast of India. However much of it is undocumented and hence it is not part of the popular imagination…

  • How Hinduism Reached Manipur and Remains Entrenched

    How Hinduism Reached Manipur and Remains Entrenched

    Published on 22nd May, 2023, in Times of India. Manipuri dance is a popular classical …

  • Swallowing Gods

    Swallowing Gods

    Published on 21st May, 2023, in Mid-day. In Hindu mythology, during the battle between the …

  • The Naked Philosophers

    The Naked Philosophers

    Published on 19th May, 2023, in The Hindu. The naked philosophers: the reason some Indian …

  • Not Blood Or Bones, But Sweets

    Not Blood Or Bones, But Sweets

    Published on 14th May, 2023, in Mid-day. There is one temple of Sachi, wife of …

  • Amrit and the Terror of Impermanence

    Amrit and the Terror of Impermanence

    Published 13th May, 2023, in the Economic Times. As the stock market rises and falls, …

  • What Is Common Between Gandhi, Draupadi and Chanakya?

    What Is Common Between Gandhi, Draupadi and Chanakya?

    Published on 7th May, 2023, in Mid-day. Gandhi, Draupadi and Chanakya, all stood up to …

  • The Hindu History of Bengal

    The Hindu History of Bengal

    Published on 6th May, 2023, in Times of India. When we talk about Bengal, we …

  • Indra’s Paradise Is the Indian Paradise

    Indra’s Paradise Is the Indian Paradise

    Published on 30th April, 2023, in Mid-day. Swarga or paradise of the gods, full of …