South India

  • How Brahmins helped create temple-states and kingdoms in South India and Southeast Asia

    How Brahmins helped create temple-states and kingdoms in South India and Southeast Asia

    It is fashionable nowadays to use the word ‘Brahmin’ with contempt … But this outrage (real and imagined) must not blind us to the contribution of Brahmins …

  • Epics about Women

    Epics about Women

    In the Tamil epics, we see three kinds of women: the woman who has relationships with many men, the woman who has a relationship with one man, and the woman who has relationships with no man…

  • A Hinduism before Bhakti

    A Hinduism before Bhakti

    A thousand years ago, India was very different from what it is today. North India had yet to face significant conquest by Muslim warlords from Central Asia…

  • India’s New Age gurus believe sexuality may be fluid – but not brutal structures of caste, gender

    India’s New Age gurus believe sexuality may be fluid – but not brutal structures of caste, gender

    They have fine-tuned Indian philosophy to pacify middle-class guilt about wealth and power while amplifying guilt over pleasure that could disrupt social norms…

  • Born of Brahma’s hair

    Born of Brahma’s hair

    Plants play a key role in Hindu mythology. Plants are seen as sacred, sometimes deities by themselves, and sometimes as key offerings in a ritual…

  • Bali underfoot

    Bali underfoot

    From a mythological point of view, the story is very complex, containing layers and layers of thought, spread over 3,000 years……

  • A Purana for Muslims

    A Purana for Muslims

    If this topic interests you, do read about it in the writings of Vasudha Narayanan who is Distinguished Professor, Department of Religion, University of Florida…

  • Is the Hindu thread ceremony same as baptism?

    Is the Hindu thread ceremony same as baptism?

    What then is the thread ceremony? It depends on who you ask…

  • Are Hindus vegetarian?

    Are Hindus vegetarian?

    Published on 14th June, 2017, on www.dailyo.in. The idea of “vegetarian” diet has spread throughout the world, thanks to many Hindu and Jain immigrants in the USA and the UK and the popularity of yoga. However, not all Hindus are vegetarian. In fact, most aren’t. Since vegetarian practices distinguishes Hindus from other communities, and was…

  • What is Tamil Veda?

    What is Tamil Veda?

    Depending on who you ask, you will find one of three books identified as the Tamil Veda, locally known as Dravida Veda or Tamil Marai…

  • The colour of Krishna’s skin

    The colour of Krishna’s skin

    When did the natural black become the supernatural blue?…

  • Is Hinduism the same as Hindutva?

    Is Hinduism the same as Hindutva?

    A crude, but useful way to understand the relationship between Hinduism and Hindutva is to study Hindu history…

  • The House of the Superstar

    The House of the Superstar

    Temples are built for heroes and heroines, by their fans in our country. Are these fans, or devotees?…

  • The Bahubali saga

    The Bahubali saga

    The 57-feet-tall statue, built centuries ago, is still Karnataka’s pride…

  • Similarities between Greek and Hindu mythology are superficial

    Similarities between Greek and Hindu mythology are superficial

    An interview between Dr Devdutt Pattanaik and Shinie Antony for FirstPost…

  • Mythology & Music: The Rage of Sati

    Mythology & Music: The Rage of Sati

    Anil Srinivasan, Devdutt Pattanaik, B.S Purushothaman Live Convcert at Kalakshethra. In this episode Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik speaks about Black, White and Gray Shades of the Feminine Divine…