Across Southeast Asia, Hinduism and Buddhism did not clash for supremacy but intertwined across empires and scriptures to forge a uniquely unified civilisational ethos. Troluwan: Ruins of Majapahit Kingdom. History knows for sure as to when the Buddhist thought entered Southeast Asia, which was when the great Mauryan Emperor Ashoka sent messengers Sona and Uttara into then known ‘Suvarnabhumi’ consisting of Burma and Thailand, to preach Buddha’s message there. Ashoka’s effort

In spiritual philosophy, especially in the Indian metaphysical tradition, the ideas of Satkarma and Satphala are the ethical foundation of human life. They illustrate the close connection between action and consequence, behavior and destiny, effort and fulfilment. Together, they emphasize a timeless moral principle: right action leads to right results.   They explore the close connection between action and consequence, behavior and destiny, effort and fulfilment. The term Sat

A resurrected ritual on a riverbank in Malappuram reveals how Hindu self-assertion is quietly reshaping Communist Kerala Kerala’s Communists like to present themselves as an exception to India’s unruly ideological weather. If Hindu assertion was remaking northern India, they argued that secular Kerala was immune to it. But a sandy stretch of the Bharathapuzha river has begun to puncture that certainty. In Thirunavaya, a small town in Malappuram district often caricatured in p

From acoustics and astronomy to metallurgy and hydrology, ancient Indian monuments reveal a deep and deliberate scientific understanding. In my series on showcasing the scientific supremacy of ancient India, I had earlier explored its remarkable achievements in mathematics and astronomy. In this instalment, I turn to the equally impressive scientific understanding that underpinned the creation of ancient Indian structures—many of which have withstood the test of time and cont

Satellite imagery, groundwater studies, archaeology, and ancient texts affirm that the Saraswati River was not a myth but a civilisational reality. In the 1960s and 70s, Saraswati Puja was observed every Friday in schools, with children enjoying  prasad  of jaggery and roasted chickpeas. While they repeated that Saraswati was the goddess of knowledge, few understood what knowledge—or even being a student—truly meant. As the Saraswati River was believed to be long extinct, tex

In India, festivals are not just celebrations; they are living expressions of faith, nature, and inner transformation. India is a land where spirituality and nature walk hand in hand, where festivals are not merely dates on a calendar but living expressions of faith, seasons, and inner transformation. Among such deeply symbolic celebrations are Maghi Ganpati and Basant Panchami—two sacred observances that, though distinct in origin, harmoniously converge in spirit. Together,

In Vedic science, auspicious and inauspicious have little to do with divine approval and everything to do with energy cycles shaped by planetary movement. In my previous article, I discussed Hora and the movement of planets as understood through the concept of Varas. Building on that foundation, I had indicated that I would next turn to Muhurata and Choghadiya, two time-selection concepts that play an equally important role in traditional astrological practice. Since time imm

Was Goa’s festive season was tepid? As we wind down on 2025, and with Christmas behind us, travel and tour operators in Goa will be assessing how good the season was for earnings and business. When this writer asked for the booking in a small-budget seaside resort, he was told that a room may be available for the last 2 weeks of December but the January-February period was difficult. So, did tourists give Goa a miss this December? Going by local media, the holiday season has

Far from being foreign, Sanskrit is a civilisational inheritance woven deeply into Indonesia’s history, language and statecraft and deserves renewed academic recognition. This title may appear shocking for many, but the subsequent text may hopefully convince mostof them about the strength of the argument it presents throughout, to turn it into a case worthchasing. There is obviously a historical background that explains the beginning of the presenceof Sanskrit in Indonesia, w

Marathwada is a land sanctified by saints and valor, and nestled within this historic region is Malegaon village in Loha tehsil of Nanded district. Malegaon hosts one of the most vibrant and culturally rich fairs in South India. Beginning on Margashirsha Amavasya, the annual Malegaon Yatra has commenced this year on Thursday (December 18) and will continue till December 25. With a legacy spanning nearly four centuries, the Malegaon fair has held exceptional importance since t

Asanas are not just yoga poses but the groundwork upon which pranayama, meditation, and higher yogic disciplines rest. In the modern world, yoga is often reduced to a set of physical stretches or fitness routines. However, this limited view overlooks the profound depth of yoga as a complete science of life. Yoga is not merely about shaping the body; it is a disciplined path that refines the body, steadies the mind, and ultimately awakens inner awareness. Maharshi Patanjali, t

A woman’s surname is not a tradition to be surrendered—it is an identity to be honoured. AI generated image In every culture, names carry stories—childhoods, histories, places, belonging and identity.A surname is not just a word on certificates; it is a quiet record of one’s origins, the echo of generations, and the imprint of a life lived so far. Yet tradition created a strange rule: when a woman marries, she must surrender her name—as though her identity were an object to b

G. D. Madgulkar’s lyrical narrative of the Ramayana transforms an epic into a song that speaks across generations. The  Geet Ramayan  is a landmark of Indian music and Marathi literature and the most popular Marathi retelling of the  Ramayana  across literary, classical, cultural and spiritual spheres. Highly acclaimed for its lyrics, music and rendition, it was written by G. D. Madgulkar and sung by Sudhir Phadke and his team. Broadcast on All India Radio, Pune, in 1955–56,

In Vedic cosmology, the universe unfolds in Kalpas and Yugas — vast cycles that challenge our modern sense of time. Akshara Brahma Yoga , the 8th  Adhyaya  of the Bhagawad Gita, refers to the ultimate goal of life, the nature of the Supreme Being, and how one can attain liberation from the cycle of life and death. In this Adhyaya, paragraph 17, Lord Krishna says:सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः ।रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥ (sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar ya

A new dress code at Darjeeling’s Mahakaal Temple exposes how patriarchy still polices women’s bodies in the name of tradition. The Mahakaal Temple in Darjeeling is hot news right now not because of its religious and devotional connotations but because it has recently banned the entry of women in short skirts, shorts and short dresses. If it is not easy or possible for some women to wear sarees or salwar kameez, the temple has also announced a scheme under which women devotees

Bharat’s rich heritage shows that long before modern science, our sages explored the universe through sound, geometry, and consciousness. ॐ – the most divine chant that we have known since time immemorial. The chant that we relate to divinity and spirituality. To start with, it's not OM; it's A U M Do you know that there is a sound of the "heartbeat" of the Earth, and the sound vibration is at a specific frequency? First proposed by German physicist Winfried Schumann in 1952

Dev Diwali falls on the full moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Kartik — known as Kartik Purnima — and this year, it is on 5th November. In Varanasi (Kashi), it is celebrated about fifteen days after Diwali. The name means “the Diwali of the Gods,” marking the day when deities are believed to descend to the Ganga, whose ghats glow with countless lamps. Mythological significance One legend says that on Kartik Purnima, Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasura and his tr

The end of the festive season brings us back to our everyday rhythm lighter in spirit, renewed in energy, and quietly strengthened by the joy we’ve just lived. The festive season always brings with it a special kind of magic — the streets come alive with shimmering lights, laughter fills our homes, and our hearts feel lighter and happier. For a few precious days or weeks, life slows down in the most beautiful way. We pause from our regular routines, take time to decorate our

Diwali whispers softly, ‘Slow down, light a lamp and let your soul shine a little brighter.’ Diwali, one of the most popular Hindu festivals, is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour across India. The festival, also known as Deepavali, is a five-day celebration that honours the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Story behind Diwali The story behind Diwali is associated with the Hindu epic, Ramayana. According to the epic, Diwa

Pune's ‘Aapalee’- The Saree Library is one of its kind that celebrates sarees by making them accessible to everyone “Many women love sarees but don’t always have access to them or they find it inconvenient to wear them often. This thought was a trigger point to create Aapalee - The Saree Library — a space that celebrates sarees and makes them accessible to everyone,” says Pune based Pallavi Deshpande who at the age of 38 years, runs a business of renting out a wide range of s