Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday replied to his friend Barack Obama and said “religious intolerance is a global concern”. US president Obama`s had recently remarked on growing r
India is world’s biggest democracy but voting average in elections is about 50% to 65% because less than half Indians think that elections are important. But over 80% think that religious fre
Going by the activities over the years in the riverbed and floodplains in Delhi, there seems to be a veritable #OccupyYamuna campaign going on. Sri Sri Ravishankar’s
Facing a barrage of allegations and a case in National Green Tribunal (NGT), Art of Living Foundation head and noted spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has appealed to all “to not politici
Noted environmental activist Bharati Chaturvedi has said that she considers the construction activities in preparation for the world culture festival in the Yamuna river plains, an act of violence
Giving a go ahead to the Art of Living (AoL) foundation to hold the
A defiant Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in an interview to
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has threatened to revoke permission for the
Activists, courts, and finally even the rain could not stop Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s World Culture Festival. Prime minister Narendra Modi too ignored alerts about its rickety dais and attended
The three-day World Culture Festival has begun on the flood plains of the Yamuna. The controversies surrounding the event failed to upset the participants and spectators who have gathered at the ve
Around 4.30 on Friday evening a band of 20 protestors led by voluntary organisation Sweccha gathered opposite gate number one of the World Culture Festival (WCF). They were protesting with black ba
Lashing out at some of the detractors of the World Culture festival, organised by the Art of Living (AoL) foundation, Delhi water resources and tourism minister Kapil Mishra has said that nowaday
There are many people who believe that after Anupam Kher’s spirited defence of the prime minister at a debate in Kolkata, it is proven that there has been no intolerance in India. But the US
The Shayara Bano case has placed the Muslim personal law under the judicial scanner yet again. The supreme court is set to examine triple talaq, polygamy and other discriminatory practices against
Devdutt Pattanaik is a physician turned mythologist, author and consultant. He has written over 600 articles and 30 books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times
The supreme court has ruled that electoral candidates cannot seek votes in the name of religion, caste, creed, community or language. A seven-judge bench, headed by chief justice of India TS Thakur
The government has requested the Law Commission of India to undertake examination of various issues relating to uniform civil code, the Lok Sabha was informed. &nbs
The conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case by a CBI court on Friday must be seen as a positive step towards the evolution of a “scientific and rational” s
Self-deception is an essential trait of a revolutionary, particularly of the Marxist variety. Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president seems too eager to internalise this trait in his politics.
When the supreme court ruled that women of menstruating age cannot be prevented from going to the Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, political parties in Kerala hailed it as a historic victory for gen
It is an incredible sight. As our small boat moves towards the Sangam (the confluence of the river Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj) much before the break of the dawn, a sea of hum
Prime minister Narendra Modi has announced in parliament the cabinet decision to form a trust to oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, as ordered by the supreme court.
India is known for its old and rich culture, and religion forms a substantial part of it. In India it is hard to find people who categorise themselves as atheists, unless we refer to the matrimonia
With Ramzaan expected to begin from April 24-25, when the Muslim community will observe dawn-to-dusk fast for the month, Muslim scholars and imams of masjids across India have come out with guideli
Sit Your Self Down A Novice’s Journey into the Heart of Vipassana By Gayatri Jayaraman Hachette India, 212 pages, Rs 399
As Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari went sarcastic and wrote to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking him if he had turned ‘secular’ – an epithet he hated, as the plac
With the pandemic, Maharashtra will have muted Dahi Handi celebrations – the main attraction of the Janmashtami festival in the state – for the second year in a row. In a meeting held w
During an online course promoted as a foundational step towards tuning one’s mind for personal spiritual growth (presumably for eventual greater happiness and even bliss through self-realizat
ANITYA By Gayatri Jayaraman Hachette / 196 pages / Rs. 399 On attaining enlightenment, the Buddha delved in that state for several weeks, bef
The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), an autonomous, rights-based organisation working for the reform of Muslim Family Law for the last 15 years, has called for making the Prohibition of Chil
Hindus are celebrating the Navaratri festival these days. Known
Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation By G.N. Devy Aleph Books, 150 pages, Rs 499 The Mahabharata is one of the greatest literary masterpie
“Deep down we grow in kindness, when our kindness is tested.” ‘The Book of Joy’ (first published in 2016) introduces two prominent personalities, the
Unmasking Indian Secularism: Why We Need a New Hindu
Amid the campaign for building a temple in place of Babri Mosque, India in 1991 passed a law, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, to prohibit the conversion of places of worship –
The Power of Thoughts By Swami Mukundananda Penguin Random House India, 282 pages World-renowned spiritual teacher and bestselling author Swami Mu
Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of ISKCON By Hindol Sengupta Penguin Ananda, 368 Pages. Rs 599
There is this popular saying that epics are never told, but always retold. Ramayana is one such epic and needs no introduction. Its plot is grounded in sacrifice and the end brings out hope that th
Prime minister Narendra Modi Friday laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs 3,400 crore in Mana village near Badrinath in Uttarakhand. Earlier in the day, he
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is one of the key texts for spiritual seekers. While there are countless translations and commentaries, Vasudev Murthy’s ‘Yoga Sutra Simplified – A Sea
The untapped potential of every individual is the biggest
‘See Things As They Are’: Life Lessons from the Buddha Edited by Nanditha Krishna Aleph, 98 pages, Rs 399
Aravindan Neelakandan has come out with a new work, ‘Hindutva: Origin, Evolution, and Future’ (Kali Imprint; BluOne Ink), which promises to be a must-read for understanding Hindutva
Somewhere Among the Stars: Reflections of a Mystic By Adi Varuni Kali/BluOne Ink, 282 pages, Rs 395
Saundarya Lahari: Wave of Beauty Translated from the Sanskrit by Mani Rao HarperCollins, 218 pages, Rs 399 ‘Saundarya Lahari’, usu
What is ahimsa or non-violence? Is it only an absence of violence or is it something more? Is ahimsa even possible in today’s world? How does one interpret the meaning of war from the lens of
In Love, At Ease: Everyday Spirituality with Pramukh Swami By Yogi Trivedi Penguin Random House, 360 pages, Rs 499
Untold Stories of Ramayana By Gaurang Damani 194 pages, Rs 300
Sri Aurobindo: The Life and Teachings of a Revolutionary Philosopher By Roshen Dalal Macmillan, 328 pages, Rs 699
Questions You Always Wanted to Ask By Swami Mukundananda Rupa Publications, 216 pages, Rs 295
India is celebrating the reinstating of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, his birthplace, after almost 500 years of politico-legal struggle. At the same time, politics is inevitable in a modern democracy; ironi
Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King By Patrick Olivelle HarperCollins, 400 pages, Rs 799.00
Dwapar Katha: The Stories of the Mahabharata By Sudipta Bhawmik HarperCollins, 608 pages, Rs 599.00
7 Chakras of Management: Wisdom from Indic Scriptures By Ashutosh Garg Rupa Publications, 282 pages, Rs 595
Invaluable By Somik Raha IndiePress, 316 pages, Rs 701
Mahabharata: A World War By Gaurang Damani Sanganak Prakashan, 317 pages, Rs 300
As Ramlila performances in north India are winding up and we celebrate Dussehra, the victory of good over evil, here is a unique retelling of Valmiki`s Ramayana.
