It is normally stated, nowadays even more pronouncedly, that rituals are a waste of time and money. However, it’s at best a secular thought and, at worst, a thought devoid of any thinking. Humans cannot live without rituals. It is rituals that give meaning and joy to human life. EvenContinue Reading
Fighting traditions were always there in Sanatan Dharma. When the Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century formed the Nagas as a Hindu army, a new martial tradition was born. Of all the Hindu akharas, the Nagas were the most militarily equipped and fierce, and their retreats are still referred toContinue Reading
There are many similarities in the histories of India and Israel. Both are much more ancient civilizations than Christianity and Islam, yet they have been victims at the hands of twin barbaric religions. Both have hostile neighbours who hate their very existence. Both gained their independence in the late 1940s.Continue Reading
Kashmiri historian Jonaraja recorded the destruction of temples in Kashmir by Sultan Sikandar Butshikan in the 1390s. There was no city, no town, no village, no wood, where the temples of the gods were unbroken. When Sureshavari, varaha and others were broken, the world trembled, but not so the mindContinue Reading
Women’s bodies have always been part of the terrain of conflict In ancient India, women enjoyed equal status with men in major fields of life and received the same education and rights as men. Many tribes and communities, like the Nairs in Kerala and the Khasis and Garos in Meghalaya,Continue Reading
Excerpts from my book: Swift Horses Sharp Swords with some additions Indian knowledge, specifically Hindu, proved to be a deep ocean of scholarship that was absorbed into Islamic knowledge, either by stealing or by natural adaptation and friendly exchange. The Islamic golden age, if it can be called one, inContinue Reading
Verdict: Must-read Author: Susmit Kumar Pages: 512, MRP: Rs 999, Publisher: Garuda Prakashan Reviewed by: Amit Agarwal, author of Swift Horses Sharp Swords & A Never-Ending Conflict. Gandhi is revered by the vast majority of Hindus as the hero of Indian independence, and many people throughout the world consider himContinue Reading
During the period of 1315-20, Rinchan, a Buddhist prince from Ladakh, revolted against the ruler of Ladakh who happened to be his uncle also. Rinchan was defeated soundly and was forced to flee to Kashmir. He was subsequently given asylum by Kashmir king Suhadeva and due to his abilities, hadContinue Reading
The genesis of the current Manipur conflict is in the incessant conversions of tribals and Hindus in the region. The two Middle-Eastern cults cannot live at peace with others and even among themselves. Their philosophy is rooted in violence, and they enjoy it; and at times, it becomes their businessContinue Reading
A general opinion is that the Dalits could never have any sympathy for the Hindus, who were spearheading the First War of Independence in 1857, and they have always sided with the British. The Bhima Koregaon incident is a prime example of a battle between the forces of the PeshwaContinue Reading