Once every 12 years, the Kumbha Mela takes place at Prayaga in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly three other Kumbha Melas take place at Haridwara, Nashik and Ujjain. Depending primarily upon the placement of Jupiter in the vedic astrological chart, the timings of these melas are determined. The mela at Prayaga is the world’s largest religious congregation... Continue Reading →
Dharma vs Sampradaya
I use the word Dharma in the generic sense in this post — as a representation for Hindu religion in general — for Sanatana dharma. And the word Sampradaya — used in the title — could very well be substituted by ‘jAti’ — caste. In this critical juncture of Hindu civilisation — it is important to ensure that the differences in the various sampradayas of Sanatana dharma — the... Continue Reading →
Savarkar’s Solution to the Lingayat Issue
The title of this post may seem strange — given that the Lingayat issue has blown into a full fledged issue only recently, and Veer Savarkar lived many decades ago. But then — that is the greatness of such stalwarts — I guess. Their anticipation of where society would head — and what attempts would be made at attacking the Hindu religion is... Continue Reading →
The Cleansing of Jaya-Vijaya Inside Us
Note: This post is heavily influenced by the pravachana of Padma Sri Bannanje Govindacharya on the topic of narasimhaavatara. Many pranamas to him. (I have made a few extrapolations to what he has said) The story of jaya and vijaya — the doorkeepers of vaikunta — is well known to all readers of vaishnava literature. Their refusal to allow... Continue Reading →
Tradition as ‘Essential Religious Practice’ under Sanatana Dharma
Post independence, the Hindu religion, or more appropriately sanatana dharma, has been the focus of “reform” both by our ruling dispensation and by the judiciary. Our Constitution itself provides for such a reform by mandating it as a clause under the Right to Religion. Due to this attitude, the Hindu religion has been constantly targeted... Continue Reading →
Pranasutra 