I have a fascination for Kolkata. I have been enticed to travel its by-lanes after many a virtual experiences of its physical and mental landscapes through the hungryalists and other Bengali authors whom I have admired since childhood days. In spite of that, Kolkata is the only big city of India that I am yet … Continue reading A Taste of Kolkata for the Non-Bengali Soul
Author: Durga Prasad Dash
of dandas, do gaj ki doori and the future of entertainment
Many mainstream news papers are not worried about what will happen to the future of humanity or the future of economy. They are worried about what will happen to Bollywood. Some have even calculated the loss to the industry to the last penny. Of course they have a point. For many of my generation before … Continue reading of dandas, do gaj ki doori and the future of entertainment
India : The Zen Connection
Today both Dhyana and its English equivalent Meditation are used in mutually exclusive dual senses. In spiritual context, or in the context of reaching higher state of consciousness, meditation means a state of pure awareness devoid of any thought or judgement. In ancient times Dhyana was used in that context only. But today the popular … Continue reading India : The Zen Connection
Yogic Texts of Hindustan
The common understanding about yoga is that is a set of physical postures. It is also propogated as such these days. But in reality the physical posture of yoga, which is called as hathayoga to distinguish it from other forms of yoga, was a later development. It is believed that many of the independent ancient … Continue reading Yogic Texts of Hindustan
The X-factors of Hindustan
India may have hundreds of X factors that distinguish it from other countries. For this post I have taken three broad factors which in themselves will cover a whole range of other factors. Of course India has also many negative aspects. But when we talk of X factors, it should be positive. After going through … Continue reading The X-factors of Hindustan
From Wholeness to Wholeness : three types of mathematics
In my previous post I have given some idea about vedanta or the Upanishads which are the foundations of India philosophy and spirituality. Most of the stanzas of the Upanishads do not subject themselves to easy understanding. That is also one of the reasons why many epics were written so that the common man can … Continue reading From Wholeness to Wholeness : three types of mathematics
Vedanta and the Villains of our epics
If you think that the use and popularity of grey characters in movies and literature is a recent phenomenon, you have to think again. It may well have its first inception back in the vedic ages. Even though not many in number, in India there are temples dedicated to Ravana. In many versions of Ramayana, … Continue reading Vedanta and the Villains of our epics
Odisha and its People : the Unknown, the Unique and the Ugly
Where is Odisha? To write about unknown Odisha is a difficult proposition because, for someone not from Odisha everything about Odisha may be unknown. In my interactions with common men during my travels in India I have found that the North Indians think it is somewhere in South India and the South Indians think it … Continue reading Odisha and its People : the Unknown, the Unique and the Ugly
Train Travel in India
Having briefly mentioned in a previous post about the opportunity train travel provides to meet with alien characters, I intend to write a full post about it. Moreover this series may feel incomplete without such a topic since train journeys are so much part of our real and reel life. Talking of reel life who … Continue reading Train Travel in India
What happens when you don’t understand Sanskrit
So, what does really happen if you are an Indian and don't understand Sanskrit? Chances are, you may grow up to be a fake mythologist like Devdutt Pattanaik. It is a matter of shame that Indians grow up reading the interpretation of our mythologies and other scriptures of only western authors and then grow up … Continue reading What happens when you don’t understand Sanskrit
