Happy VijayaDashami, Durgotsab, Durga Pooja and Dussehra to all…
On this auspicious day, let us all pledge to do our best to get rid of the three major evils that plague India…Terrorism, Poverty and Illiteracy…and promise ourselves to work towards building a proud, strong and united India.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
(Above) An effigy of the demon king Ravana go up in flames, marking the victory of good over evil, on the occasion of the Dussehara festival in New Delhi [ Original Link ]
A scene from the immersion the idol of Goddess Durga at the Ichamati river in between India and Bangladesh. The idol is loaded on a typical conjoint boat called ‘taki’. The other side of the river is Satkhira in Khulna district of Bangladesh. [ Original Link ]
Photographs Courtesy: Press Information Bureau of India
Related Posts:
Om Namah Shivaya
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!
October 9th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Ancient Indian History, Hindu Festivals, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Women in Hinduism & India |
2 comments
Last week, responding to a petition to ban a history textbook, the Supreme Court asked Delhi University’s expert panel to consider the views of petitioners before submitting a final report to the Vice-Chancellor.
As some of you would know, the textbook - prescribed as part of the BA (Hons) second year syllabus at Delhi University - is said to include offensive references to Shri Hanuman and Sita Mataa such as “Lord Hanuman was a henchman of Lord Rama” and “the little monkey was a womaniser” etc…The book was the cause of a protest led by ABVP earlier this year during which Dr Jafri, the Head of History Deptt at DU was manhandled…
Curious to know more about the textbook, I spent some time researching on the internet this morning…Here is a link to Ramanujan’s essay that is included in the textbook…
After reading it, I felt that the ABVP over-reacted on this one… The “offensive” passages are not penned by Ramanujan but are part of folklore and stories around Ramayana in different cultures and regions. Furthermore, I found them more “entertaining” rather than “offensive”…As an example,
One day when Rama was sitting on his throne, his ring fell off. When it touched the earth, it made a hole in the ground and disappeared into it. It was gone. His trusty henchman, Hanuman, was at his feet. Rama said to Hanuman, “Look, my ring is lost. Find it for me.”
Note that the word “henchman” is not Ramanujan’s translation and possibly part of the original folk-story…What is the problem in that? In another version of Ramayana mentioned by Ramanujan, Sita is Ravana’s daughter…
I hope most of you would agree that there is space for divergent views in Hinduism…and a big attraction of this faith for me is that it allows - and respects - alternative interpretations, viewpoints and thoughts….Let us not dilute this core feature of Sanatan Dharma.
***
On Sunday in far-away London, the home of the publisher of a similarly controversial book (although this was not a textbook but a fictional novel) was fire-bombed, just “hours after police had warned the man that he could be a target for fanatics”. The book, “The Jewel of Medina” is written by Sherry Jones and had already caused controversy in the US. Martin Rynja (the publisher) had bought the UK publishing rights earlier this month.
From The Guardian:
The book was originally due to have been published in August by US giant Random House. But amid controversy the company halted publication, a move denounced by Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, as ‘censorship by fear’.
…One sex scene has been described as ’softcore pornography’ by an American academic, Denise Spellberg, an influential professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas. Spellberg made the comments after Random House sent her the book hoping for a favourable comment to publish on its jacket. Instead, in an email that was leaked to the US press, Spellberg described the novel as a ‘very ugly, stupid piece of work’.
‘I don’t have a problem with historical fiction,’ Spellberg wrote. ‘I do have a problem with the deliberate misinterpretation of history. You can’t play with a sacred history and turn it into softcore pornography.’
It appears Spellberg was instrumental in drawing attention to the book among segments of the Muslim community. In April, Shahed Amanullah, an editor of a popular Muslim website, claimed Spellberg had told him the book ‘made fun of Muslims and their history’.
The resulting furore prompted Random House to pull the book, a move that dismayed its author, who received a $100,000 advance…
My question to all of you is:
What do you make of Spellberg’s argument viz: “‘I don’t have a problem with historical fiction (but)…I do have a problem with the deliberate misinterpretation of history. You can’t play with a sacred history…”
- Is “Ramayana” part of our sacred history?
- Can the folk-variants of Ramayana be considered ”deliberate mis-interpretation” of history?
Anyways, I will be watching the reaction of Indian government to this book whenever (if) it is released in India.
Suggested Reading: Academic Terrorists and The right to offend
Related Posts:
Leave Ashis Nandy alone
UPDATED: Is Taslima being treated differently from MF Husain?
Will Arundhati Roy pl. stand up for Francois Gautier?
P.S. Curiously, it appears that DU had not taken permission from OUP before reproducing Ramanujan’s essay in their textbook.
October 1st, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Debates & Discussions, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Miscellaneous, Women in Hinduism & India |
12 comments
A heart-rending story by that doyen of Hindi/Urdu writing of early 20th century, Munshi Premchand (Thanks to Jagmohan for pointing me to it)
Unfortunately, it is in Devanagari script and I am not sure that the emotions or the beauty of the prose can be captured in any translation…But for those of you who can read Devanagari and understand Hindi/Urdu, it is a treat (be warned, it may be hard to stop reading till the very end).
There are other stories available online, thanks to some painstaking work by Sh Raman-ji.
. Keep Reading…
September 16th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Miscellaneous |
4 comments
Thanks to Sh Nachiketa Tiwari for spotting this and Sh Kak for emailing it to me.
Although this is a fairly long excerpt from an exchange of emails re. learning Sanskrit, pl. try and read in full. It shows how some western academics tarnish any attempt(s) at learning more about our ancient heritage (including language) with labels such as “fundamentalism” and of course, “Hindutva”.
I have taken out email addresses of the respondents to protect privacy.
By the way, many of you would remember that learning Sanskrit is now considered to be a “communal” activity.
*** Excerpts from the email exchange ***
Keep Reading…
September 4th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Ancient Indian History, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, History, Identity, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality & Philosophy |
7 comments
Fellow blogger Varnam recently wrote twoposts on how learning Sanskrit is now considered to be a “communal” activity and something that might put you at odds with the “secular” brigade.
In the first one, he pointed out:
Usually you see the word saffronization associated with the Hindutva folks, not Sanskritization…the revival (of this word)is with mischievous intent. Now the name of a language has become a synonym for communal politics.
In fact this attempt to brand Sanskrit as a non-secular entity happened once before, believe it or not - by the Central Board of Secondary Education. It was an attempt to pull the rug off India’s cultural heritage and history by branding an entire language as not-secular.
…The Supreme Court in a landmark verdict rejected the accusation that teaching Sanskrit was against secularism.
…the Court wrote that Sanskrit was the language in which Indian minds expressed the noblest ideas. It was also the language in which our culture, which includes the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, the teachings of Sankaracharya to Vallabhacharya and classics of Kalidasa to Banabhatta were expressed. Without understanding Sanskrit, the Court wrote, you cannot understand Indian philosophy on which our culture is based.
In a follow-up, he wrote:
This January, the Indian Govt. cut funding for a Sanskrit program because it is now a sin to learn an ancient language and the reason: India has a large Muslim population.
When the Supreme Court of India writes judgements admiring the language in which Indian minds expressed noblest ideas, it takes the UPA Govt. to accuse that it is communal.
JK suggests (and I fully endorse): Instead of whining about the Govt. the best course of action would be to organize a Samskrita Bharati camp in your area.
Fellow blogger Sandeep has also commented on this issue:
…Sanskritisation, a noun used as a verb form is a strange creature that really defies definition. Interestingly, Seema uses this without defining it, an act similar to her boss Sonia Gandhi who wields power without responsibility but alludes to M.N. Srinivas who coined it.
…Sanskritisation, however, you want to define it, has no factual basis in Indian history or tradition or societyunless you equate Sanskritisation with Brahminisation (ugh and sic!).
Related Posts:
Dont wear a tilak to work!
Secular Fundamentalismalive & kicking inIndia
Also read: Pseudo-secularism at itsbest?
June 17th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Identity, Impact of Islam on India, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Indian Media, Media Related, Politics and Governance in India, Politics of Minority Appeasement, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality & Philosophy |
2 comments
This ishow an otherwise straightforward news-story gets distorted in reporting:
From rediff, “Do TV serials promote the Hindu way of life?“
“…The Afghanistan government has banned Indian television serials because they feel it wrongly influences their culture and traditions.
In their words: ‘Indian serials are un-Islamic.’
Most Indian serials are about traditional North Indian families, and tend to celebrate Hindu festivals with more gusto than any other festival.
Do you think Indian telly soaps promote the Hindu way of life? Was the Afghan government right in banning them?”
As a commentator has noted on the rediff board, pl. notehow the last question was artificially framed.
Instead of a straight-forward “Is Afghanistan becomingTaliban-ised (once again)” it somehow manages to putthe TV serials on the defensive!
Of course for most of us familiar with Indian TV serials, saying that they promote a “Hindu way of life” is at best, a stretch andat worst,a joke.
Related Posts: The great joke that is Indian media series:Part 1,Part 2,Part 3and Part 4.
April 10th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
A Hindu Identity, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Hindu Dharma, Hindu Social System, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Indian Media, Women in Hinduism & India |
5 comments
Today is the first day of Chaitra and the beginning of the Hindu New Year for some Hindus*. The day has a special significance for me (in my personal life) because of an event that happened many years ago - but that is a story for another day 
It is widely celebrated as Gudi Padwa and Ugadi (Yugadhi)in western and southern India. Gudi Padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra and coincides with the onset of spring.
From the Wikipedia entry on Gudi Padwa:
Gudi Padwa is especially dedicated to the worship of Lord Brahma. Many legend states that this festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Rama over Bali.
Some Maharashtrians see the gudis as a symbol of victory associated with the conquests of the Maratha forces lead by the great hero Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Gudis are also displayed as they are expected to ward off evil and invite prosperity and good luck into the house.
The gudi, Brahma’s flag (Brahmadhvaj) is hoisted in every house as a symbolic representation of Rama’s victory and happiness on returning to Ayodhya after slaying Ravan. Since a symbol of victory is always held high, so is the gudi (flag).
…On Gudi Padwa, you will find gudis hanging out of windows or otherwise prominently displayed in traditional Maharashtrian households.
The day is celebrated as “Ugadi” in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
From a very informative and well written piece on eprarthana:
“The Hindu New Year’s Day commences on the first day of the month called Chaitra or Chithirai. It is also called Chaitra Vishu for this reason. The occasion is said to be an auspicious one because, at this time, the sun enters the sign Aries of the Zodiac.
The people call the occasion Chaitra Vishu Punyakalam or, the sacred occasion
…The reason why the people in India compute the Indian year from this month when the sun enters Aries — the ram in the signs of the Zodiac — is said to be one philosophically derived from the science of cosmo-genesis. The Sanskrit word for ‘ram’ is aja which means ‘that which is not born.’ Therefore the sign of the Zodiac under reference stands for the ultimate cause of everything, and consequently the month in which the sun enters this sign is rightly considered to be the first month of the year. From time immemorial, the Hindu conception of an ideal life has been one of sacrifices and religious observances. Thus the information regarding the appropriate time for the observance of particular rites or ceremonies becomes important. This information is furnished by the Hindu astrologers and astronomers in the form of a calender called panchangams.
…It is also said that the Chaitra Vishu day or the opening day of the first fortnight of the waxing moon was the occasion chosen by Brahma to create this world. Hence this day is also known as yugadhi or the beginning of a yuga.
Read more here- It also hasan interesting story of Narada Muni and his sixty sons in there.
Heres wishing you,your families and loved ones a veryHappy New Year, Happy Gudi Padwa, Happy Ugadi and also Happy Vishu, Happy Bohaag Bihu, Shubho Naba Barsha, Happy Nau Roz and Happy Baisakhi !!
Find of the Day: Gudi Padwa
Related Posts:
Happy MakarSankranti
Om Namah Shivaya -UPDATED
* Pl. see Patriot’s comment below.
April 6th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Ancient Indian History, Hindu Festivals, Indian Culture, Arts and Music |
3 comments
Starting with thisone by Sandeepwhich includes quotes from MF Husain’s recent interview.The two that Ifound most interesting were: (emphasis mine):
MF Husain:
“…Later, in Hyderabad, in 1968, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia suggested I paint the Ramayana. I was completely broke, but I painted 150 canvases over eight years…When I was doing this, some conservative Muslims told me, why dont you paint on Islamic themes? I said, does Islam have the same tolerance? If you get even the calligraphy wrong, they can tear down a screen.
…
In colleges, you learn about Shakespeare and Keats, Kalidas does not find mention. This is why there is no pehchan in India, no recognition of what is Indian. Things are so farcical that years ago when the Benaras Hindu University honoured Subbulakshmi, JRD Tata, Mother Teresa and me, we were given red caps and cloaks! (laughs) This was the seat of Hindu learning! The custodian of Bharatiya sanskriti! “
.
followed by Daniel Pipes’ sharp analysis on how Britain is inching closer to Islamic Lawthat has a mention of how, after a year-long review, …the British government has concluded “…that recognising multiple marriages conducted overseas was “the best possible” option” (even though) bigamy is punishable in Britain by up to seven years in prison. As an aside, also read “Britain’s love affair with the Saudi kingdom“, By Jemima Khan, written inNov ‘07.
.
then move on to “Are Youth Bulges theRoot Causeof Terrorism?“in which Dilip has done a painstaking and fascinating job of analysingarecent study by Gunner Heinsohn to understand its implications for India.
The premise of Heinsohn’s research is that demographics, in particular, large numbers of disaffected youth are one of the key factors behind terrorism. Here is what Dilip thinks about the challenges we face in various states:
Jammu and Kashmir: The J&K population growth rate probably peaked in the early-to-mid 70s, so the impact of the youth bulge would be expected to be most intensely felt in the late 80s to early 90s which is exactly around the period when violence was at its height; its subsequent decline could also be attributed to the fall in growth rate.
It has however not ended despite a considerable decline in the growth rate, a fact that may be attributed to the high absolute rate (despite the decline) as well as other factors such as external infiltration.
Punjab: A similar profile is seen here. The growth rate probably peaked by 1971 and the effects of the bulge would be expected by the mid-80s which again matches the timing of the violent aftermath of Operation Blue Star (in light of this, is Blue Star which is routinely blamed for the escalation the paramount cause of it after all?). The falling growth rate may have been instrumental in its demise by the early 90s.
Nagaland: The stubborn persistence of this conflict through the decades could also be attributed to incessant series of youth bulges through the decades. The trend, if this theory is true, indicates that no resolution must be expected in the near future which may lend support to the Centers continuing ceasefire with the dominant I.Muviah faction.
Assam: In case of Assam however, the growth rate was in inexorable decline through the 70s which ought to have translated into a peaceful 90s which was not the case there was considerable violence through the early 90s and ULFA, though no longer as potent, continued to retain enough potential for mayhem even through the first decade of the 21st century.
…
In summary, it appears that youth bulge is an important factor in sustaining violent conflicts and preventing the restoration of political stability. However, such problems are multidimensional and it is only one (albeit an important one) amongst several factors. Heinsohns idea of it as the nidus upon which all else coalesces to create the storm may therefore not be quite accurate…
Incidentally, Mr Heinsohn’s prediction for the future of Pakistan and Afghanistan is dire and warns of impending instabilityin our neighbourhood.
“Pakistan’s bloodletting will not be ending soon. A burgeoning population of young men shares the Taliban’s dream of a nuclear-armed Islam, with a united Afghanistan and Pakistan as its core territory and led by a new Caliphate. Although the fertility rate among Pakistani women has declined from close to six in 2000 to an average of four children each in 2007, their sisters in Afghanistan are still having close to seven.
That is why in the Hindu Kush every 1,000 pensioners are followed by 5,570 men of best military age and 11,130 boys aged 0 to 4. This means the troubles in Pakistan and Afghanistan will be with us for at least 20 more years. “
Not comforting.
.
Finally, for a bit of “light reading”fun, read, “Winds of War: More PinheadThinking on Terrorism“ which talks aboutaBritish study that draws links between “engineers and terrorism, saying such people are high achievers and often get sucked into radicalism out of frustration with their corrupt bureaucracies…and thus receptive to radical messages“.
Priceless.
February 15th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Current Affairs, Global Terrorism, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Jammu & Kashmir related, Khajuraho, Pakistan related, Terrorism in India |
no comments
Stumbled across this news today: “No love on Valentine’s Day, Sena on a rampage“
“… In Delhi, about a dozen Sena protesters briefly blocked a road early on Wednesday and burnt Valentine’s Day cards and gifts, chanting ‘Down with Valentine’.
In Lucknow, Sena activists sent out a diktat against Valentine’s Day celebration and threatened to beat up couples found celebrating their love.
“Our volunteers will check parks, hotels and restaurants and swoop upon young lovers found walking hand-in-hand,” Vijay Tiwari, a Shiv Sena activist in Lucknow, said. “We are deadly against Valentine’s Day,” Sapan Dutta, a Sena leader, said. “We are for civilized love and affection.”
In Pune, activists of Sena Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, Shiv Sena’s student wing, protested outside prominent colleges. They tore Valentine’s Day cards and shouted slogans. Several Vidyarthi Sena activists were taken into custody and police pickets have been deployed outside the colleges.
In Indore, Sena activists demonstrated and raised slogans against Valentine’s Day celebration near the Gandhi statue.
…
The clarion call to Shiv Sena workers to oppose Valentine’s Day came from none other than the Sena chief himself. Writing on Sena mouth piece Saamna, Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray said the party’s opposition to Valentine’s Day will continue as it has ‘nothing to do with Indian culture’.
Only those who are not patriotic and has a lot of parents’ money to spend will celebrate the day, and ‘Sainiks’ will continue to oppose the foreign culture, he said through the article. “
I would love to rip this argument apart but unfortunately I am constrained by time today…so here are some extempore comments…
This is madness…
While I agree that Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with Bharatiya culture, does that mean that Shiv Sainiks have the authority to go about bashing people who may not agree or (more likely) are just having a nice time?
Vandalising property and threatening innocent, harmless couples is not Bharatiya culture either..
How far are we from a dictatorship? and what happened to the famed Bharatiya and Hindu virtues of tolerance and liberalism?
And in any case, what has allthis go to do with being “patriotic”?
Related Posts:
Lets shoot themessenger and
Dumb andDumber
And if you have some more time, let me know your thoughts on how far are we away from this?
P.S. Has anyone heard of Vasant-Utsav? Read this and this (recommended, unfortunately only in Hindi)
February 14th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
An Indian Identity, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Hindu Dharma, Hindu Festivals, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Women in Hinduism & India |
6 comments
I finally understoodthe symbolic significance of this first Hindu festival of the (modern) New Year, courtesy this site(excerpts):
Introduction of Makar Sankranti:
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious day for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. Lakhs of people take a dip in places like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to Lord Sun.
It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati’s not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline…It is a day for which Bhishma Pitamah kept waiting to leave his mortal coil.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God of Hindus begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere. Sun for the Hindus stands for Pratyaksha-Brahman - the manifest God, who symbolizes, the one, non-dual, self-effulgent, glorious divinity blessing one & all tirelessly.
Sun is the one who transcends time and also the one who rotates the proverbial Wheel of Time. The famous Gayatri Mantra, which is chanted everyday by every faithful Hindu, is directed to Sun God to bless them with intelligence & wisdom. Sun not only represents God but also stands for an embodiment of knowledge & wisdom. …
Of all the cosmic bodies Sun is the most glorious & important, thus every sun-centric cosmic event became very important spiritual, religious & cultural events. On Makar Sankranti day the Sun begins its ascendancy and journey into the Northern Hemisphere…
For the religious and astrological significance of “Makar Sankranti”, read on:
Keep Reading…
January 14th, 2008
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Hindu Dharma, Hindu Festivals, Indian Culture, Arts and Music |
2 comments
I wrote a follow-up comment on Jo’s blog following my earlier comment which I feel is worth reproducing in full here:
Jo,
First a clarification (which I think is very important):
I am all for freedom of expression and as I have maintained several times in the past, I label myself as a liberal who is prepared to fight for the ideals of freedom, tolerance and respect for others.
To make it absolutely clear: Although I do feel offended by certain paintings of Husain 1] this is a free country and Shri Husain is free to paint what he wishes to 2] I absolutely and unequivocally condemn the death threats and threats of violence in this situation (just as I would condemn the fatwa against Salman Rushdie) and 3] if certainpeople are upset about it, they have recourse to judicial means.
Now to the main argument (and this is not really about just the one painting that you have on your blog).
What I cannot understand is the inconsistency in the stand of the government (the cartoon controversy comes to mind),in the mind of the artist (did Shri Husain defend the Danish newspaper editor? not as far as I know although I am willing to be corrected on this) and in the minds of various defenders of freedom of expression.
I think it is really very simple: Either you are FOR”freedom of expression” - in which case you would also show the Mohammed cartoons on your site along with the Husain painting (- or desist from showing both out of deference to popular sensibilities) OR you are FOR”limited/restrained freedom” in which case you will probably agree that Husains paintings are sometimes over the top.
I am not a right-wing Hindutva-wadi (in the sense that you imply) and I cannot support their threats of personal violence against Shri Husain (or the moral policing by certain groups that you refer to- the Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty controversy comes to mind).
In fact, the essence of Hindu traditions (as I have written before on your blog) is to hold all alternative viewpoints in equal respect and not consider them as blasphemous or sacrilegious. So a true Hindu may be offended by Shri Husain’s paintings but will not call for his death just because of that. Further, a true “Hindu fundamentalist” will (i) havebelief in the one-ness of all life and (ii) hold that in spite of diversity and external dissimilarity, all beings are one, all life is sacred and all creatures are part of one eternal truth and (iii)betolerant and respectful of others. The “Hindutva-vadis” you mention are far removed from this.
As regards dieties being painted in the nude, let me try and explain:
Hindu temples are not just places of meditation and solemn rituals. Temples have historically (and even today) been one of the important centres of social and cultural activity in any village, town or city. This is important so that one can understand the context and appreciate that not every sculpture or icon in a temple belongs to a diety.
The Khajuraho sculptures that people routinely refer to,are not those of Gods and Goddesses but of courtiers, courtesans, royals and ordinary mortals. Please go and visit if you have not done so far (orif you do not believe me).
Bear in mind also that the Khajuraho tyemples were built by Chandela kings who were heavily influenced by (and were followers of) the Tantric cult. This is not the best place to get into the complexities of that belief system (and it is widely mis-understood) but that partially explains the sexual postures on the outside of temples.
Yet, to be clear, thetemples do not contain sexual themes inside the Temple premises or near the deity(-ies).
The erotic carvings themselves are a small proportion of the overall art (they obviously get disproportionate attention) and the idols of Shiva, Durga and Vishnu avatar are clothed.
Hope this clarifies things somewhat.
May 10th, 2007
Posted by
B Shantanu |
A Hindu Identity, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Dharma, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Khajuraho |
8 comments
Manoj pointed me to these two links that neatly sum up Pakistan’s schizophrenia with regards India:
1] Pak says no to Chennai-made (Nokia) phones: “The three to four authorised distributors of Nokia in Pakistan have offered their regrets to Nokia as they think that consumers will give a cold response to the Indian product…”…Not just that but“The (Pakistan) government had not allowed the entry of Indian made mobile phone sets in Pakistan and it may not allow the same in future, the newspaper said…”
2] Ash-Abhishek wedding catches imagination of Pakistanis: “The Aishwarya-Abhishek Bachchan “dream wedding” made waves in Bollywood crazy Pakistan with the media here going on a feeding frenzy over the event.
The wedding in Big B’s household remained a top story for several days on Pakistani TV channels like Geo and ARY which deployed special staff to anchor “exclusive” features highlighting various events of the wedding…
The print media splashed the story on the front pages today, with photographs and details of the marriage….Bollywood has a large fan following in Pakistan even though the movies are banned in theatres.” ( - See thispost for reference)
Thanks Manoj.
April 24th, 2007
Posted by
B Shantanu |
An Indian Identity, Current Affairs, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Culture, Arts and Music |
16 comments
Came across this on Varnam’s blog: “Chess originated in Kannauj?”
Varnam quotes from a recent Times of India report:
“The Maukhari ruler Sharva Varman had gifted the game of ‘chaturanga’ to his contemporary Persian ruler Khushrau-II in lieu of saltpetre (a variety of gunpowder).
A recent book ‘Kannauj, The Maukhari And Chaturanga The origin of chess and its way from India to Persia,’ authored by Ranate, laid the foundation for further research. The Maukhari rulers used to play ‘chaturanga’ with 16 cabinet terracotta before venturing into military campaigns, said Eder. Even Banbhatta in his ‘Harshcharita’ had mentioned a game called ‘ashtapada’ similar to chess, he added.
Historical accounts say during the later Gupta period there was an Indian army school where cadets were taught about warfare through terracotta pieces on ‘ashtapada’, which was again the game of chess in its primitive stage, said Eder. “
March 26th, 2007
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Medieval Indian History |
no comments
An interview that Rachael Kohn did with Sir V S Naipaul in 2001, reproduced below:
**********************
Summary:
The land of religious extremes and political upheavals, India is also the ancestral home of one of the greatest living writers, Sir V.S. Naipaul. In his books, India: A Wounded Civilization, An Area of Darkness and India: A Million Mutinies Now, Naipaul has documented the social and religious complexity of a country whose mythic attraction to a generation of hippies and soul seekers masked the dysfunctions of an ancient civilization unable to take its people into the modern age. He speaks to Rachael Kohn. Keep Reading…
July 15th, 2006
Posted by
B Shantanu |
Ancient Indian History, British Rule in India, Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Islamic Rule in India, Medieval Indian History, Modern Indian History, Post Independence History |
no comments
