It is one of those few memories of my early childhood. Or it could be the first series of events of my life that I am still able to recall in bits and pieces. I am attending the famous Danda Nacha closing ceremony at a village named Gallery with my mother and my grandmother. The … Continue reading danda nacha- a religiocultural celebration since time immemorial
Author: Durga Prasad Dash
Can Indian Classical Music Kill Corona Virus?
Myth: Playing of Indian Classic music kills Corona virus in the surroundings. Truth : Forget about killing, there is no evidence to suggest that Indian classical music has remotely disturbed the cellular composition of the virus. A time may come when WHO delivers the above message to our cell phones. I would agree with it, … Continue reading Can Indian Classical Music Kill Corona Virus?
my B-town connections
Because ‘Bombay’ starts with the alphabet B and most of the Hindi movies borrowed their style and substance from Hollywood, I think the naming of Hindi Film Industry as Bollywood was perfectly logical. The yellow journalists used to call Bombay the B-town, while using it with reference to the glitterati that inhabited the city. By … Continue reading my B-town connections
the land of exceptional arts
image source: https://thesrinibash.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/160/ In the month of October/ November every year, the ancient city of Cuttack is witness to the largest open fair of Asia. Known as Bali Jatra, the festival starts on the full moon of Kartik and continues for a week or so. There is another event that happens throughout Odisha on the … Continue reading the land of exceptional arts
will vasudhaiva kutumbakam ever be a reality?
Today when the whole of humanity is divided even in the face of a common enemy, what lofty ideals our ancient seers had. They conceived of a utopia where the whole humanity is bonded like a one family. This was long before a map of the whole world was available. By virtue of my association … Continue reading will vasudhaiva kutumbakam ever be a reality?
that which we call progress
What we call progress is nothing but our solutions of the puzzles thrown at us. Some of them are cosmic, some local, some biological, some social, some related with our survival and so on. Every answer brings new questions. Matter is composed of molecules. What about the composition of molecules? What about the composition of … Continue reading that which we call progress
How far can one deviate in retelling our Itihasas and Puranas?
In India along with books of chick-lit genre written by the ilks of Chetan Bhagat, the books of another genre that sell well are those based on the characters of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Some authors like Devdutt Patnaik call their books as re-tellings, which of course is nothing new. Retelling is perhaps as old as … Continue reading How far can one deviate in retelling our Itihasas and Puranas?
Why Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate self-help book
You would not find the Bhagavad Gita in the self help section of a library or a book store. It is good that it is so. A book of the stature of Bhagavad Gita should not be reduced to the level of popular, (maybe even best seller) self help books which give a feel good … Continue reading Why Bhagavad Gita is the ultimate self-help book
today flowers blossom in me
This post is in response to the prompt of Indispire Edition 307 – “Share any recent happening that has sparked joy in you”. To avoid repetition, I am re-sharing an old post. Similar feelings came to me while travelling to a distant place in Bengaluru a couple of days back. Even though it was a … Continue reading today flowers blossom in me
the fake heroes of our times
I have a feeling that if films had been invented in 15th century, in stead of Shakespeare, it is the lead actor of his plays whose anniversary we would be celebrating. The heroes of ancient times were warriors, kings and gods. The Sanskrit word which can be thought of nearest in meaning to the word … Continue reading the fake heroes of our times