Imagine sitting down to order your favourite meal at your beloved restaurant. You take in the smells and the sounds, mouth watering while waiting for the arrival of your comfort food. And then, it finally arrives. Just taking in the aroma of the hot fare makes you feel better already.
We keep buying stuff. Bigger houses, faster phones, fancier cars. But there's a void that Amazon Prime can't fill, no matter how fast the shipping. That part of you—the one that feels connected to something bigger—isn't impressed by your corner office or
What happens when one civilization says 'we contain multitudes' and another says 'there is only one truth, and it's mine'? The first gets called "tolerant" right up until the moment it refuses to disappear. Then it becomes an obstacle. A problem to
शिवो हरिर्हरिः शिवः। Śivo Hariḥ Hariḥ Śivaḥ I first heard about the supposed rivalry between Shaivas (worshippers of Shiva) and Vaishnavas (worshippers of Vishnu) a couple of decades back. A colleague at work mentioned, quite matter-of-factly, how in some parts of India, people frowned upon the
In the lively world of global activism, the #FreePalestine cause stands out as one that really pulls at the heartstrings. Here in India, where we've always rooted for the underdog—remember our own freedom struggle? —people have taken to the streets with real passion, flags flying and voices
There's this thing Hindus do. It's cringing. That involuntary full-body recoil when someone mentions anything remotely dharmic in mixed company. The quick glance around to see who's watching before you touch your parents' feet. The way "spiritual" is acceptable but "
You think your secularism is the thin line between civilization and chaos, between modernity and medieval darkness. You've been taught that without this precious imported ideology, India would spontaneously combust into communal violence, that 1.4 billion people would tear each other apart over gods and temples and
When Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi landed in Delhi, he didn't just come for diplomatic talks with the Indian officials. He also made a pilgrimage to Darul Uloom Deoband—the theological equivalent of kissing the ring. The Taliban, ideologically spawned from Deobandi seminaries in Pakistan, was coming
I write this article for all the women, who carry the force of the divine within them quietly without realising it, and for the men who have not realised the divine Feminine. Hinduism has never oppressed women, but rather worshipped the immense power she holds. The Vrata aspect:- I
You know what's beautiful about Indian "liberalism"? The sheer consistency of its inconsistency. This species— the Enlightened Indian "Liberal"—has mastered the art of geopolitical contortionism. They twist themselves into pretzels as they navigate foreign policy. They're experts at assuming "principled
In the archaic world of academia and the humdrum of social media (both remnants of colonial thoughts and ideas) , the disdain and patronizing attitude towards Hindu Civilizations reigns supreme “Show us the proof of your ancient history. Where are your artifacts? Your carbon dates? Your inscriptions?” The implication is that
Contemporary discussions about the relationship between Islam and politics often assume that religious and political spheres can or should be separated, projecting modern Western concepts of secularism onto historical Islamic contexts. However, this perspective fails to account for the fundamental structural differences between Islamic civilization and other religious traditions. Unlike
Decolonize
I was born in a Hindu family in Delhi. We were what I’d call 'normal Hindus'. We celebrated our festivals, visited temples, spoke about our gods at home, but we were not kattar about it. Religion was a part of our lives, but it didn’t dominate
Thought
Editor's Note: The following piece is presented in the author's own words to honor a young Indian's sincere expression of cultural concerns. These views represent the author's personal perspective. We value providing space for heartfelt community voices on matters of spiritual and
Itihas
By the time I finished researching for this article, I was tempted to give it a click-bait title - "10 Terrorists Who Escaped Conviction for Their 1990s Crimes in Kashmir. Number 9 will shock you" But satire is a luxury history cannot afford. Too many people are already
Dear fellow Indians, let me tell you a story you think you already know. You think India gained independence in 1947. You think we're a sovereign nation making our own choices. You think democracy is working for us and that our Constitution protects us, that our institutions serve
Itihas
When Christians in India are asked of their origin, or rather the advent of Christianity into India, they trace its origin to the mystical St Thomas the Apostle, one of the disciples of Jesus, and how he brought it to the Indian subcontinent. The story goes as follows, with St
Editorial
You thought you were smart. You navigated the labyrinth of Indian bureaucracy and the soul-crushing competition. You aced your entrance exams, and you landed on Western shores with a shiny new H-1B visa. You were the golden child, the escapee, the one who made it. And then, in a elegant
Decolonize
“India did not have a religious identity before,” says Vidya Balan, during an April 2024 podcast. While this view is also adopted by many eminent scholars, including PM Nehru, who believe that the state must remain separate from religion, we must take a nuanced view of the subject. In contrast,
Thought
Editor's Note: The following piece is presented in the author's own words to honor her sincere expression of faith and cultural concerns. These views represent the author's personal religious perspective. We value providing space for heartfelt community voices on matters of spiritual and cultural
Thought
Imagine this: A professor at a major university in Mumbai calls an Abrahamic Religion "a social system designed to perpetuate inequality." The backlash is swift and severe. Career over. Now imagine the same professor makes this exact statement about Hinduism. The result? Tenure track promotion and speaking invitations.
Dharma
A silent epidemic seems to be reshaping the landscape of human psychology: discontentment. It knows no boundaries. It is everywhere, at work and at home, in our relationships and routines, in classrooms and boardrooms, and even in the private spaces of our hearts. When did we become a world so
Editorial
We are told that India threw off the colonial yoke in 1947, built a vibrant democracy, and developed an independent press that speaks truth to power. We love telling ourselves this story. It makes us feel good about our post-colonial journey, our intellectual evolution, our hard-won sovereignty. Except—It'
Decolonize
When Bengal and Bihar fell under the rule of the East India Company in 1765, it became difficult for the British to administer the Hindu law of inheritance. Thus, in 1765, Manusmriti, previously considered the authoritative base of Indian justice, was translated into English as ‘A Code of Gentoo Law’