Showing results for "INDIA" in Religious Studies

In Why I Am a Hindu, one of India’s finest public intellectuals gives us a profound book about one of the world’s oldest and greatest religions. Starting with a close examination of his own belief in Hinduism, he ranges far and wide in his study of the faith.

Punjab went through a politically turbulent period between 1978 and 1994, triggered by the rift between Sikhs and Nirankaris, and fuelled by the operations Blue Star, Woodrose and Black Thunder I and II. Narrated as an eyewitness account by Ramesh Inder Singh, then the district magistrate of...

"I thought the nation was coming to an end,’ wrote Khushwant Singh, looking back on the violence of Partition that he was witness to over half a century ago. He believed then that he had seen the worst that India could do to herself. But after the violence in Gujarat in 2002, he had reason to...

Today's view of history cannot account for ancient anomalies, such as the Pyramids and advanced knowledge contained in India's Vedas. But in 1894, an Indian sage gave us an explanation not only for our hidden past but for the trends of today and for our future enlightenment - the 24,000-year yuga cycle.

How do myths and stories influence culture? What is the difference between one culture and another, and how did these differences come to be? Are cultures fixed or do they change over time?Devdutt Pattanaik, India's leading mythologist, breaks down the complex maze of stories, symbols and...

ശിലായുഗകാലം മുതല്‍ ക്രിസ്തുവര്‍ഷം 1500 വരെയുള്ള കേരളത്തിന്റെ സമഗ്രമായ സാമൂഹിക-സാംസ്‌കാരിക-രാഷ്ട്രീയ-സാമ്പത്തിക ചരിത്രം. പ്രാക് ചരിത്രം, ആദ്യകാല കുടിയേറ്റക്കാര്‍, ചേരന്‍മാരുടെ വരവ്, പാണ്ഡ്യന്‍മാരുടെ സമുദ്രാധിപത്യം,ബ്രാഹ്മണ കുടിയേറ്റവും ബ്രാഹ്മണമേധാവിത്വവും, പെരുമാള്‍വാഴ്ചയ്ക്കിടയായ സാഹചര്യം, ചോളമേധാവിത്വം, സാമൂതിരി യുഗം.

For centuries, temples have functioned not just as places of worship but also social and cultural centres, offering both a connection to the divine and entertainment in the form of music and dance as respite from everyday life. In Dynasties of Devotion, Deepa Mandlik explores seven ancient...

The Ramayanam, an itihasa of the highest order, is considered adi kavya, the first poem to have been composed. Written by Valm ki during Rama's time, and ratified by him, this timeless epic has been treated with utmost care by all acaryas in their famed commentaries. Since the advent of human...

Why are Hindus so ritualistic? Why do they worship idols? Were Hindus always casteist? Are Hindus supposed to be vegetarian? Why is a Hindu prayer different from a Muslim or Christian prayer? Did the arrival of Muslim invaders a thousand years ago destroy Hindu culture?Answering key questions on...

"Since time immemorial, India has been an ocean bed over which numerous stories have flowed and enriched the world. Storytellers from Tulsidas to Rohinton Mistry have added their magic to this magnificent repository. Inspired in part by Somadeva’s Kathasaritasagara, William Radice collects...

There was one partition of the land in 1947. Harsh Mander believes that another partition is underway in our hearts and minds. How much of this culpability lies with ordinary people? What are the responsibilities of a secular government, of a civil society, and of a progressive majority? In...

This comprehensive history sets yoga in its global cultural context for the first time. It leads us on a fascinating journey across the world, from arcane religious rituals and medieval body-magic, through muscular Christianity and the British Raj, to the Indian nationalist movement and the arrival of yoga in the 20th-century West. We discover how the practice reached its present-day ubiquity and how it became embedded in powerful social currents shaping the world's future.

While the Puranas mention that Lord Brahma becomes an avatar whenever Lord Vishnu comes to Earth to establish dharma, it is in the Dasam Granth (one of the holy books of the Sikhs) that the avatars are actually listed. The common point in Hinduism and Sikhism regarding the avatars of Brahma is...

Embark on an enlightening journey through the rich tapestry of Hindu mythology with Hindu Mythology Simplified: Vishnu, Shiva, and the Great Epics of India. This comprehensive guide demystifies the complex narratives and profound philosophies that have shaped Indian culture for millennia, making them accessible to modern listeners seeking spiritual insight and cultural understanding.

"Since time immemorial, India has been an ocean bed over which numerous stories have flowed and enriched the world. Storytellers from Tulsidas to Rohinton Mistry have added their magic to this magnificent repository. Inspired in part by Somadeva’s Kathasaritasagara, William Radice collects...

Shahan Mufti’s family history, which he can trace back 1,400 years to the inner circle of the prophet Muhammad, offers an enlightened perspective on the mystifying history of Pakistan. Mufti uses the stories of his ancestors, many of whom served as judges and jurists in Muslim sharia courts of South Asia for many centuries, to reveal the deepest roots - real and imagined - of Islamic civilization in Pakistan.