The culture journal
Explore Indian heritage through clear introductions to sacred places, thoughtful readings of familiar texts, and practical guides to living traditions.
217 articles
Puranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
Bharata's meeting with Rama is one of the most searching episodes in the exile narrative. He comes hoping Rama will return, yet the brothers do not resolve the crisis…
Read articlePuranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
Lakshmana accompanies Rama and Sita into exile, but his role is more than that of a figure standing beside them in a painting. His decision raises questions about loyalty,…
Read articlePuranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
Sita's place in the exile story is sometimes reduced to the sentence that she followed Rama into the forest. In the Ayodhyakanda, however, her departure is preceded by conversation.…
Read articlePuranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
Rama's departure for the forest changes the direction of the Ayodhya story. A planned coronation becomes a separation, and a public expectation gives way to a promise made within…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 2 min read
Ayudha Puja brings the objects of work into a space of gratitude. Tools, instruments and other implements are cleaned and honoured in several Navratri traditions. The observance offers a…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 2 min read
Kullu Dussehra has a rhythm that surprises visitors familiar with a one-evening finale. The local celebration begins on Vijayadashami and continues as a week-long gathering. Its focus on Raghunathji…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 2 min read
Mysuru Dasara belongs to the religious and civic life of a particular city. Its relationship with Goddess Chamundeshwari, its palace setting and its public cultural programmes make it distinct…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 2 min read
For an audience arriving only at the final evening, Dussehra may appear to centre on Ravana Dahan. Yet the effigy belongs to a much larger storytelling tradition. Watching even…
Read articleSanatan Festivals & Rituals · 3 min read
Dussehra is often introduced as the victory of good over evil. That phrase is a useful beginning, but it does not explain why one family watches a Ramlila, another…
Read articlePuranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
The memory of Sant Dnyaneshwar is carried not only in books and temple worship but also in the movement of the Wari. The palkhi associated with him travels from…
Read articlePuranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
Alandi, Apegaon and Nevasa appear in accounts of Sant Dnyaneshwar, but they should not be treated as interchangeable names for one pilgrimage stop. Each belongs to a different part…
Read articlePuranic Legends & Epics · 2 min read
Pasaydan is the closing prayer associated with the Dnyaneshwari. Many listeners first encounter it at the end of a school programme, a devotional gathering or a reading. Its position…
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