continued from part #2 In Treta Yuga, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Kumbhakarna and Ravana. Assuming that most of the readers are familiar with Ravana, I will skip writing about Ravana now. Along with Ravana, Kumbhakarna is also well known, so well known that one who sleeps too much is called a Kumbhakarna and … Continue reading part 3 : the sentinels of vishnu
part 2: the sentinels of vishnu
Dying dance form Prahlad Natak staged during Kalua Jatra in Berhampur, Odisha. Image source: DNA India Continued from Part #1 Hiranyakha’s brother, Hiranyakashipu learns of his brother’s death at the hands of Vishnu in the form of a boar. It fills him with rage and he vows to take revenge. He thinks that the boon … Continue reading part 2: the sentinels of vishnu
the sentinels of vishnu
Ancient Indian legends or the stories from our puranas are not mere stories for entertainment. Each story also illustrates an eternal truth or an important lesson. Some of the puranas like the Bhagvat purana attempt to illustrate the principles of upanishads and other philosphies for the easy understanding of the common man. The two prominent … Continue reading the sentinels of vishnu
even for gods one life is not enough – the ritual of nabakalebara
There are hundreds of festivals and rituals associated with the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, the annual car festival, which falls on 25th June this year, being the most prominent one. There is one ritual that is unique to this temple. The presiding deities of the temple - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra … Continue reading even for gods one life is not enough – the ritual of nabakalebara
ageing gracefully
Once somebody asked His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – ‘How can we age gracefully?’ Pujya Gurudev answered, (with a mischievous smile and a small subtle gesture toward himself) "Like this! See you are really asking how to look attractive. Your desire to look attractive makes you unattractive! If you want to look attractive, have … Continue reading ageing gracefully
being woman
On one hand, in our ancient literature, we deified her, put her on high pedestal as the female version of God calling her the epitome of power as Durga or, the bestower of wealth as Laxmi, or the dispenser of wisdom as Saraswati. On the other hand, in two of our most revered epics … Continue reading being woman
dharmic nature of aggression
Are the non-aggressive, tolerant attitudes of Hindus a liability, so much so that many of them have become victims of apathy, conspiracy and forced displacement in their own homeland. Ref: Kashmiri Pandits, Col Purohit, Sadhwi Pragnya. #hindusvictimised - Thus goes the topic for Indispire Edition167 The premises are definitely wrong. I say this not only in … Continue reading dharmic nature of aggression
girlfriend by two
When I first came across the word Half Girlfriend during the launch of the eponymous book written by our great Indian novelist and twenty first century intellectual Sriman Chetan Bhagat ji, I wondered what might be the meaning of such a word. In Indian hotels, we are used to the rate card of a … Continue reading girlfriend by two
India First
The unique thing about living in India is that one learns to live under a plethora of diversities and yet, love it. Nowhere does one get the real taste of this unique feature than in Armed Forces. Yes, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of an Armed Forces fraternity; Indian Air Force … Continue reading India First
oh sister, my sister
(This time, in stead of I writing a blog post in response to the topic of Indisipre Edition #165, I asked my son Dipayan to write one. Being the beginning of the academic year, I saw him having too much fun and I wanted to curtail it. But I was proved wrong as he … Continue reading oh sister, my sister
PEBBLES AND WAVES 