Religions
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Were Our Hindu Gods Meat-eaters?
Hinduism is a plural religion, an umbrella term for many jatis, sampradayas and paramparas, some of whom may be vegetarian some of the time, or not at all.
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Did Europeans Steal Science from the Vedas?
These are two very different ways of looking at the world and to compare the two is nothing but silliness, stupidity, born of insecurity.
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Ramayana For Atheists
Atheists do not believe in God. They see themselves as scientific and rational, and find God to be a superstition.
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Is Governance a Yagna?
The word yagna is translated even today by eminent scholars as sacrifice, or fire-sacrifice, or fire-ritual.
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How Hindu Temples Evolved
We assume that temples were always part of Hindu culture. But historians present a far more complex story.
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The Lion Goddess and the River God
Nourished by the river Nile, Egyptian culture began with many settlements on its banks and in the delta, each its own god and chieftain.
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History of Luv-Kush
The word kushalava in Sanskrit literature like Manusmriti and Arthashastra refer to lowborn travelling entertainers. This feels strange as Kusha and Lava are the names of Ram’s twin sons — Ram who is the greatest king of Indian lore.
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The Politics of Ghosts
The spirits of the dead people were considered to be powerful, and these spirits are channelized during special ceremonies by special groups of people who are associated with singing, dancing, playing drums and going into trance.
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Sanatan Dharma and the Hierarchy of Purity
For the orthodox Hindu their faith is timeless i.e. sanatan. For the social activist, Hinduism is fundamentally about casteism, and casteism is about untouchability.
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Fifth Veda Uses Gender As a Metaphor
We need to remember that as per popular lore, the gods created the Puranas as the Fifth Veda to transmit Vedic wisdom to women and lowborn people who did not have access to the mantra and the ritual.
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The Forest and the Field
Increasingly, we find laws that protect forests being cut down, giving way for industries. This brings tribal communities into conflict with the state.
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The Celestial Stories of Plants in India
We have come a long way from the days when there were sacred groves across India, where no one was allowed to graze cattle, plant crops or forage for fruit or firewood.
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Solitary Buddha
Buddhism has the concept of pacceka-buddha, which is derived from the Sanskrit pratyeka-buddha.
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Hindu Gods Are Singers, Dancers and Artists
But, in Hindu mythology, gods also sing, dance and make music and this is what makes Hinduism stand out from most other religions.
