Haryana, Kurukshetra and the Ongoing Mahabharata War
Kurukshetra—the great battleground that witnessed the Mahabharata—lies in Haryana. And probably for good reason.
Indo-US Relations : Predictable Unpredictability
Chanakya, the master of statecraft, provided an ancient framework for foreign policy in his Arthashastra.
Lose the Battle to Win the War
The Ram Mandir will finally be inaugurated on January 22, 2024.
Whose Land Is It Anyway?
Ask the most vociferous supporters of the Palestinian cause and they will tell you that Israel is a colonizer, one that deprived Palestinians of their lands.
War of Words: The Indian Narrative
Bharat is a land of stories and storytellers. Wandering bards recited our stories over generations and we built a treasure house of tales including our itihasa and puranas.
The Panchbhoota of World Peace
Shri Manoj Sinha ji, Prof Umesh Rai ji, Shri Ajay Kashyap, Shri Prakash Antahal, Organizers of Jammu University, national and international speakers and delegates, students, and so many dear friends that I deeply admire and respect.
Can't We Sell Without Sermonizing?
Recently a matrimonial site published an ad that gradually reveals the bruises of a woman as the colours of Holi are washed off her face. While gender violence is a serious issue, does it need to be associated with Holi?
Maha Akhand Bharat
At the recently concluded Times Now Summit, Samir Jain, the vice-chairman of this newspaper group said, "This is not the time of Mahabharat. Akhand Bharat is history. This is the time for a Maha Akhand Bharat."
One Wheel Alone Does Not Move a Chariot
Fixing India’s Justice Delivery System
Kautilya’s Arthashastra—written around 2300 years ago—says, "Judges shall discharge their duties objectively and impartially so that they may earn the trust and the affection of the people."
Sanatana Dharma: The Ancient Liberal Doctrine
What is a ‘liberal’? I asked Google Baba. He answered that a liberal is one who ‘respects or accepts behaviour or opinions different from one's own’. Next, I asked Swami Webster.
The Dangers of False Hope
From Siraj ud-Daulah to Zelenskyy, they would have done better had they been guided by fear
Maeeshat, hifazat, abadiyat … The new J&K strategy
Modi’s emphasis on economy, security & demography more realistic than Vajpayee’s doctrine.
The Big Bhang Theory: India’s Cannabis Law Needs Change
Legend has it that the shade of a tall cannabis plant once brought Lord Shiva relief from the blazing sun. Curious, he chewed some of its leaves and felt so invigorated that he adopted its usage—hence the use of cannabis in Shiva worship.
Walking the Dharmic Path To Secularism
What does the term ‘secular’ mean? Strictly speaking, secularism means separation in entirety of church and state. In a secular nation, the government must stay away from anything religious. But India fails entirely if that is indeed the definition. How could a government have codified and modified Hindu personal law in the 1950s if it was secular?
Let's Not Talk About It
A virus that was possibly spawned in a Chinese laboratory has played havoc with the world over the past two years. As I write this, there have been 209 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 4.4 million deaths globally.
Covid’s Silk Road
The term “Silk Road” can mean different things to different people. In 2013, someone called Ross Ulbricht was arrested by the FBI for narcotics trafficking.
Evolution is Always Noisy
In recent weeks there has been much talk about the government’s Central Vista Redevelopment Project with the Supreme Court having cleared the final roadblocks.
India’s Draupadi Moment
India is a country where soldiers chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ or ‘victory to mother India’ as their call to arms.
Want To Preserve Secularism In India? Well, Preserve The Hindu Ethos First
August 5, 2020 marked the Bhoomi Pujan of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. I have noticed that many have been genuinely anguished by this event.
The Dragons Within
The recent clashes in Galwan between India and China are a stark reminder of how complicated the relationship between the Elephant and the Dragon is.
The Problem of Distory
In recent weeks we have seen a spate of statues being pulled down. A statue of the confederate Robert E. Lee and the British slave-trader Edward Colston.
Quantum Theory of Ideas
It is quite normal to believe that ‘cold’ is the opposite state of ‘hot’. But the state of coldness is merely the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness is the absence of light.
The Philosopher and the Stone
There is an interesting story in the Srimad Bhagvatam about a king called Kakudmi. He had a beautiful daughter of marriageable age.
Kindred Spirits
I always knew that one of my books in the Bharat Series was going to be about the flow of knowledge and ideas between China and India.
The Truth Often Lies
Popular mythological fiction writers of today are often asked why we ‘distort’ the ‘accepted’ narrative of our epics and puranas.
Yeh Dil Maange More
Now that PM Narendra Modi and his cabinet have been sworn in, I thought of sharing some thoughts with you about what I believe should be priorities (not that my views count).
The Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva of Holi
Every festival in India is imbued with alternate meanings. For example, Holi is often called a “spring festival” signifying the transition from winter into summer.
First Journeys
The journey that changed my life was a chance visit to Srinagar, Kashmir. It was not my first time into Srinagar but it was the first journey that inspired a new avatar.
Kalachakra and its Significance in the Modern World
The Buddha is said to have preached during the last year of his life at a place called Dhanyakatakam in the present-day Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
How To Beat Stress & Succeed in Exams
Most schools and colleges are busy telling students what they should learn but they never seem to tell them how they should learn.
Legends of Diwali: Boodhi Diwali
Most of us associate Diwali with the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya on the darkest new moon night of the month of Kartika.
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Deconstructing The Indian Billionaire
On a flight to America, I was watching the popular HBO sitcom Silicon Valley. In one of the episodes, a wealthy investor is plunged into gloom.
Worshipping the Wealth Trinity
In India, we have always worshipped trinities. Hindus worship the female trinity of Lakshmi-Saraswati-Kali as well as the male trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva.
Holi High
One is 114 times more likely to die from overdosing on alcohol than from cannabis, reports a study from the Scientific Reports journal.
5 Things Lucky People Do
Let me tell you the five most important things that most lucky people seem to do: Luck hates loneliness. It’s almost impossible to be lucky alone.
The Year of The Sheep
In the Chinese calendar, 2015 is called the year of the sheep. Do keep this in mind when you read the rest of this article that attempts to show you how to be luckier in the New Year.
The Prophecies of Ashwin Sanghi
“I always avoid prophesying beforehand, because it is a much better policy to prophesy after the event has already taken place,” quipped Churchill famously.
Where is Harsha?
Allahabad, or the Garden of Allah, was once known as the Site of Ritual Offerings. After all, the ancient town of Prayag (which translates from Sanskrit to “site of ritual offerings”).
The Journey Is The Destination
My fondest memories of my childhood are centred around one particular train journey that my family would repeat each year during Diwali.
Certainties, Conspiracies & Cliff-hangers
Fact is stranger than fiction. You have heard this particular statement hundreds of times without giving it much thought.
A Tale of Two Martins
"I am ashamed of being an Indian male." There, I've said it. And as expected, I am equally ashamed of the statement that I have just made.
A Big Bore
What is spirituality? Numerous sages, philosophers and thinkers down the ages have attempted to answer that question.