Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
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Articles
Pushpak Viman Was a Wooden Peacock
Pushpak Viman of Ravana was shaped like a peacock. The origin of this idea comes from an old Sri Lankan folk tale…
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Articles
Ramayana’s Golden Deer
The story of the golden deer comes from the Valmiki Ramayana. In the forest chapter, Ravana tells Marichi to turn into a deer and enchant Sita and draw Ram and Lakshman out of the hermitage, leaving Sita unguarded enabling Ravana to abduct Sita…
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Articles
History of Amrita Manthan
There are far more Samudra Manthan images found in Southeast Asia than in India, and this remains a huge mystery…
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Articles
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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Articles
Faithful Husbands, Faithful Wives of the Ramayana
Renuka is polluted in thought. Ahalya is polluted in body. Sita is polluted in reputation. …
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Articles
Ravana’s Women
Women are shown as Durga, again a warrior, again alone. Bharat Mata is also alone, with a lion and weapons. God is male here and if not male, certainly violent. …
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Articles
Iron of the Asura, Gold of the Rakshasa
Where did Ravan get his gold from? Was Ramayana the story of Aryans in search of gold?…
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Articles
Sons Who Kill Their Fathers
A recurring theme in Greek mythology is of sons killing their fathers…
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Articles
India is Ram’s Mother, Bharat is Ram’s Brother
Unless we accept the story of Indumati, India is effectively a name by which the outsider saw India…
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Articles
Aging Parents as Cost Centre
In the old days, children were an investment centre, as their success ensure improvement in parents’ lifestyle. Poor parents rejoice in success of children, in whom they invested money and education. But now children have become a cost centre, you can send them to the best schools, best colleges, but you do not expect them…
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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 out of their way to be apologists as to why the mutilation of the nose of a sexually-demanding woman such as Surpanakha by the hero brothers is justified, and in line with dharma. Left-wing Liberal folks will insist that the…
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Articles
Ravana in Malaysia and Indonesia
The Ramayana has been retold by several communities and several people over a period of 2,000 years and over a region that spreads over 5,000 miles. Scholars have found the Ramayana retellings even in faraway places such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The story was taken there by seafaring merchants. …
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Articles
Tibetan Ramayana
Published on 12th March, 2023, in Mid-day. In the early 20th century, six incomplete manuscripts containing excerpts of the Ramayana were found in the Mogao caves of Dunhuang, an archaeological site at the eastern end of the Silk Road in Xinjiang province of China. Written in an early Tibetan language, dated to approximately the 8th…
