The Story of Stolen Gods
In the medieval times, Indian kings declared their victory by bringing back home images of gods that were worshipped in the land they conquered. These gods became minor deities in the victor’s temple,...
View ArticleTales From the Land of Jagannatha
There are 30 short essays in this book. They were written by renowned mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik over a ten-year period and published in various publications... The post Tales From the Land of...
View ArticleHow Gujarat Got Temples That Are Upside-down Or Topped With Mountain Peaks
Internet alien hunters have concluded that in Gujarat there is an underground upside-down temple, despite the fact that the ‘upside-down’ temple has upright images of Vishnu and his avatars... The post...
View ArticleWhy Stories of Floating Idols Crashing Ships Continues to Endure
The idea of a temple or a deity attracting ships, forcing them to move off course and causing shipwrecks by their magnetic power is also found on the western coast of India... The post Why Stories of...
View ArticleRetelling Tales of Temple Plunder
While we want to reduce communal tensions created using history, we should not try to overstretch a point to make it seem like Muslim invasions did not bring about a major cultural shift in India's...
View ArticleThe Return of Idolatry
As Hindu Rashtra prepares to establish itself with the grand inauguration of the Ram temple of Ayodhya on January 22, it is good to remind ourselves that 200 years ago, the Hindu elite was defensive...
View ArticleThe Turtle In Shiva’s Temple
Between the Nandi Bull and the Shiva Linga is a turtle. No one quite knows the significance of this turtle, though many interpretations have been offered... The post The Turtle In Shiva’s Temple...
View ArticleFeet Of Fortune
After the devotee pays obeisance to the deity (darshan), the priest places a crown on his head. But it is not quite a crown. On top are the footprints of the deity... The post Feet Of Fortune appeared...
View ArticleHow to Visit a Temple
A visit to a Hindu temple can be a lesson in history and geography, politics and economics, along with spiritual upliftment. If we allow it, the structure, to speak to us... The post How to Visit a...
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