A Forum for Hindu Studies
The purpose of this essay is to highlight the growing dissatisfaction on the part of the Indian American Hindu Diaspora with the way Hinduism, Hindus, and India have been depicted and mis-portrayed in the American education system, and about the urgency to…
No deep history, religion, culture or theory in this essay – just the random musings of people on a day when they wish they were in the “matrubhoomi”. Yesterday was “Thiru Onam”, or “tiruvonam” as melodized in the language of the Malayalis…
Hindu empires had flourished in Java for a millennium until they were replaced by expanding Islamic polities in the 15th century, setting the stage for Indonesia becoming the world’s largest Muslim nation. In the 1970s, however, a new Hindu revival movement began…
This article is the first in a series planned to explore the idea of an India – to see if the idea is meaningful, and if so, to trace the birth and the evolution of the idea. Was this concept indigenous to…
In a May 22, 2004 article in the Hindu (Calling India’s freethinkers), Meera Nanda contends that “drawing clear distinctions between science and religion is crucial in India.” Obviously only with reference to Hinduism. After reading the article, I was profoundly perplexed. I…
The history of the ethnic group, known collectively as the “Gypsies,” is a long and muddled one. For a long time, no one knew their origins. Now as we’re beginning to unravel their past, their future is uncertain. But what is certain…
“If you are able to wrap your arms around the pillar completely, you will be showered with good luck.” That is the most common story told about the Delhi Iron Pillar. The story of this pillar is more interesting and deeper than…
Dharma broadly refers to a universal value system. The word ‘dharma’ is derived from ‘dhr’, which means support or sustain. Thus the meaning of the word is – that which supports. However, with time and after much evolution of this system, it…
“Although there seem to be no myths or folktales in which Ganesa explicitly performs oral sex, his insatiable appetite for sweets may be interpreted as an effort to satisfy a hunger that seems inappropriate in an otherwise ascetic disposition, a hunger having…
The 2004 election results are out and the “secular” Indian media is hardly able to contain its glee. Front page articles and editorials are rejoicing at this “resounding” win for secularists in India. The venerable Times of India is now educating its…