Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
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Articles
Decoding Ganesha’s Parenthood
Ganesha’s arrival, in the latter half of the monsoon, marks the transformation of Shiva, the hermit, into Shankara, the householder. …
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Articles
Hill Fairies Who Abduct Men
The idea of enchanting magical women abducting men is a recurring idea around the world. …
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Articles
Why Stories of Floating Idols Crashing Ships Continues to Endure
The idea of a temple or a deity attracting ships, forcing them to move off course and causing shipwrecks by their magnetic power is also found on the western coast of India…
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Articles
The Goddess Came Later
We can argue that goddesses have been integral to Hinduism since Vedic times. But of the 1,000 hymns of the Rig Veda only the maximum number of hymns dedicated to a goddess as the 21 hymns for Usha, the dawn-goddess…
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Articles
Origins of the Rice Goddess
The oldest Indian mythology of rice can be found among the Bonda tribal people, who live in Odisha, who are linked to the Munda and Austroasiatic communities who entered India from the Southeast, and brought rice growing technology with them over 4,000 years ago…
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Articles
Surpanakha’s Shambuk
It’s great fun to read Ramayan by politicians and activists. Right-wing Hindutva folks will go …
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BooksFeaturedFeatured Books
Tales From the Land of Jagannatha
There are 30 short essays in this book. They were written by renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik over a ten-year period and published in various publications…
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Articles
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…
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Articles
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…
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Articles
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. …
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Articles
How Hinduism Reached Manipur and Remains Entrenched
Published on 22nd May, 2023, in Times of India. Manipuri dance is a popular classical …
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Articles
Swallowing Gods
Published on 21st May, 2023, in Mid-day. In Hindu mythology, during the battle between the …
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Articles
What Is Common Between Gandhi, Draupadi and Chanakya?
Published on 7th May, 2023, in Mid-day. Gandhi, Draupadi and Chanakya, all stood up to …
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Articles
Indra’s Paradise Is the Indian Paradise
Published on 30th April, 2023, in Mid-day. Swarga or paradise of the gods, full of …
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Articles
A Serial Killer From Vedic Times
Published on 16th April, 2023, in Mid-day. The Jaiminiya Brahmana is the prose section of …
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Articles
Reframing Hindu Gods As Saviour Gods
Published on 9th April, 2023, in Mid-day. As per Christianity mythology, Jesus was crucified on …
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Articles
Why Puranas Represent a Wider Indian Ethos Than the Vedas
Published on 5th April, 2023, in Times of India. The Puranas are called the fifth …
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Articles
How Was I Conceived?
Published on 2nd April, 2023, in Mid-day. In Ramayan, Sita is ploughed out from the …