Category: Reluctant Hindu

  • A Pilgrims Progress

    A Pilgrims Progress

    I am at Kumardhara at Subramanya in Dakhina Kannada district. My early memory of this place was thick forests; one would see snakes in abundance.  Local families extended hospitality to the pilgrims. The temple in itself had been so rooted in the jungle it was dedicated to a live snake hill. It was considered auspicious…

  • Why Kankadasa will always remain relevant.

    Why Kankadasa will always remain relevant.

    “How can we let a lowly Kurba in/” the Brahmins of the Mutta hurled at the man, Vadiraja Teertha decided it was time to humble the arrogant Brahmins. He had immense faith in the devotion of the man, so he kept quiet. The Man stood out and sang the praise of the Lord … Lo…

  • Naraka-Chaturdashi

    Naraka-Chaturdashi

    Today is   Narakachaturdashi, The organic nature of this festival doesn’t cease to amaze me. Growing we heard the story of Narakasura who  captured 1600 women, made them his slaves eventually Krishna the Yadava rescued them. The legend also as it that Narakasura could only be killed by his mother. As Deepavali approaches kids begin collecting trash like old clothes, and old news…

  • Mahabali cannot be Dwarfed.

    As we were driving down from Panaji, to Margao I saw this banner that said, 37%  Goan have votes AAP, 27%BJP, and some X% congress, the conclusion was AAP leads, what occurred to me, is it could also be interpreted as 63% Goans are clear that they do not want AAP. Ultimately every story is…

  • Nagarapanchami

    Nagapanchami August 7th 2016 The worship of the snake god happens all over India and other indigenous  cultures. In the Tulu – Malayala region it is very vibrant since it is essentially the snake territory. We have the cult of Nagamandala, the Nagapatri and other folk rituals which tell the stories connecting nature-animal-man.  Most families…

  • Chaitra Shukla Padya.

    Chaitra Shukla Padya.

    The first day of the brand new calendar year is  an empowered time to psychologically unwind to mentally find ones own life charged emotionally with refined energy and enthusiasm to create a beautiful growth paradigm within the physically defined laws of nature and rules of the game called LIFE. Today is the onset of new…