Religions
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The hymns of the first Hindus
Beyond the codes, metaphors and allegories, the mantras of the Rig Veda reveal how the first Hindus engaged with the unknown.
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Descendants of Chitragupta
In one story, popular in the Gangetic plains, the god of death, Yama, wanted a scribe to help him keep a record of people’s karma. And so Brahma created Chitragupta (he who knows the secrets of diagrams i.e. scripts), who…
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A good leader is one who rules with a sense of detachment
A leader is appointed by the people, from the people, and for the people… However, his success depends on whether he is aligned to wisdom…
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Even the Gods played sport
We can safely say that sport in India began in both agricultural communities as well as martial communities.
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Who is a Hindu? Diversity unites, homogeneity divides
Unlike Westerners, Hindus have been comfortable seeing unity in diversity for thousands of years.
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Is Hinduism feminist or patriarchal?
In Hinduism, God is not a judge and so feminism is not about judging men.
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Belief shapes our behaviour
Belief shapes behaviour. When we see behaviour we can decode the underlying belief. However, the opposite is not true.
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Evolution of the Devil
From the 16th century onwards, the Devil appeared as a goat-like creature. Those who opposed God were called Devil-worshippers… The Hindu idea of hell also evolved over time…
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Bridging the many interpretations of the Ramayana across Southeast Asia and India
From the Ramakien in Thailand to the Ramaker in Cambodia, the eclectic interpretations of the story in Asean countries are worth recounting
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How to Conduct a Same-sex Wedding Based on Indian Rituals
The idea of ‘wholeness’ in Hinduism is not necessarily a matter of the union of two bodies in marriage or even two souls in love; rather, wholeness or completeness in Hinduism can be understood as rising to the fullness of…
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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.
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Who is a Hindu? Hinduism’s DIY kit
It is time to reclaim the diversity offered by the four-spice model of purush-artha.
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Hinduism thrives on diversity, Hindutva on monotheism of Abrahamic faiths
In nature, there is diversity. There is also equality in the sense that no creature is nature’s favourite. Every living organism has to fight for its survival using its strengths and overcoming its weaknesses to find opportunities and fend off…
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Using Puranas for politics
Politics may change but there is always a political enemy, and so the Puranas lend themselves to serve as communication and even propaganda tools to whip up popular sentiment.
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Who is a Hindu? Can politics be spiritual?
Spirituality is kept out of all rational conversations because we still cling to 19th century definitions of it.
