Modern Mythmaking
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How we read mythology
To appreciate Hindu mythology, we have to agree to Hindu assumptions. That is difficult since the modern world is firmly based on Western assumptions.
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Wipe out my memories, please
Can we wipe it out? Yes, says yoga, when it recommends the eight-fold path.
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Dark Clouds Looming
The darkness was associated with the forest and fairness with the rain, darkness with wilderness and fairness with civilization. One was not better than the other. Both were needed for the circle of life.
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Palanquin for the King, or Boat for the People
How does a king, who is established through division, establish a kingdom that is united?
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Elusive Ownership
When something belongs to me, I have the freedom to order it around. I also want to protect and nourish it.
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The Hijra Legacy
The Supreme Court of India has finally recognised hijras as the third gender. This must be seen as a victory of ‘Indian culture’.
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The Meaninglessness of Rituals
Rituals have no intrinsic meaning. But that does not mean they are not valuable.
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The Architecture of Fear
A knowledge of fear is critical in management if one accepts that humans are animals with imagination, who cannot be domesticated using reason.
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The Good Death
Euthanasia means a good death and is a term used for an old or sick person voluntarily choosing death to relieve himself/herself of pain and suffering either by refusing treatment, or by asking the assistance of a doctor to facilitate…
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Queer Enchantment
Yes, Indic mythology is full of queer stories. But few are aware of it. And those who are not aware of it, usually assume they don’t exist.
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May the Most Fertile Win
Stories are told to make us aware that what matters more than quantity is quality.
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Brooms are for Sweeping
As a symbol, broom reveals some very interesting aspects of culture, both in India and in the West.
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The Death of the Vidushak
With the rise of democracy, and modern institutions, the Vidushak has probably been secularised.
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A Job for Disabled Gods
Why do we reject people with disabilities? Why do we want to isolate them? Why do we not want them to be seen in our midst?
