Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
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Articles
Who is a Hindu? The politics of bodily fluids
By using body physiology to create a spiritual hierarchy, some Hindu orders have placed men above women…
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Who is a Hindu? Why do intellectuals scorn Hindu deities?
Hindus as it doesn’t comply with their preconceived notions of what god and religion should be…
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Articles
Who is a Hindu? – Saraswati: Once she was a river
Historians are fairly confident that at one time a river called Saraswati flowed in the north-west part of India, near or around the river Indus, and it is here that the early Vedic civilisation thrived…
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The rise of Durga
Amongst the earliest images we know today are one from Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra, and from Mammalapuram dated before 7th century…
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The forgotten Buffalo King
Not much is known about him, but the shrine is clearly not a Brahminical one and there is nothing about him found in Sanskrit literature…
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Articles
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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A ring of tantrik women
One thing that often goes unnoticed in many traditional Hindu temples, is that the walls of the shrine is made of a circle of women…
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Articles
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…
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Articles
God of Craftsmen
Vishwakarma Puja is located at the cusp between death and rebirth. Makes sense as Vishwakarma is the divine craftsman, patron of all craftsmen…
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Lakshmi means finance, not Finance Minister
When the Vice President recently referred to Lakshmi as Finance Minister, he revealed a popular misunderstanding of Hindu mythology…
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Cinderella Vrat Katha
The stories of the vrata katha are most interesting as they speak of coping with family issues…
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What Devdutt Pattanaik Says about the Kinnars/Third-Genders and Kankalas/Skeletons of Tantrik Temples in Nepal
I was told that Guhyeshwari Temple was one of the revered holy temples in Kathmandu, Nepal. This temple is dedicated to Adi Shakti…
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Articles
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…
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Articles
Fear of female fantasy
Let’s tell tales celebrating women’s desires, such as where Shakti demands Shiva satisfy her; and he does…
