Saha Sutra
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The great 17th-century Maratha leader, Chhatrapati Shivaji, is known for his military strategy and diplomacy. While he commanded over 300 forts during his reign, it’s interesting to analyse how Pratapgad—the site of the famous battle between Shivaji and Afzal Shah in 1659, and the first and only…
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We explore the literary, scriptural, spiritual and anthropological connection between Murugan, the primary deity of the Tamil festival of Thai Pusam, and Tamil identity—especially in India and South East Asia (Photo Source: William Cho/Wikimedia Commons)
‘The great drums beat
As Asura warriors…
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The Humayun's Tomb is perhaps one of the grandest historical sites in India. Built over 400 years ago, it boasts of Persian and Turkish influences and also offered a template of Mughal architecture for many subsequent monuments, including the iconic Taj Mahal. (Photo Source: Ayan Ghosh/…
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Much admired and much attacked, V.S. Naipaul's writing speaks of the contradictions that created him (Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons)
V.S. Naipaul’s novel A House for Mr Biswas was a title that all Indian students of English Literature at the Honours and Postgraduate level know very well, though…
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The most popular story associated with the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain is that of the pot of nectar that emerged from the samudramanthan (churning of the ocean) by the gods and the asuras. While there are several references to this tale in the epics and the Puranas, there…
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From founding the Nyingma sect to being one of the principle architects of Tibetan Buddhism, it is safe to say that the world may have lost the tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism if it weren’t for Guru Padmasambhava. As Sahapedia co-organises a conference highlighting the life and legacy of Guru…
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A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sun Temple in the form of a grand celestial chariot is an architectural and sculptural marvel. Did you know that the spokes of the famous wheels on which the chariot is mounted are believed to have served as sundials? (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)
Few temples…
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The ubiquitous Hanuman is in the eye of a storm because of his lineage and where he belongs, thanks to a politician’s comments. While we do not intend to contest or endorse the veracity of such statements, we explore here some of the legends and lore associated with the much-loved vanardev, or…
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Jataka Tales are part of Buddhist Theravada literature, which depict earlier incarnations of Gautama Buddha. In each of the fables, the Buddha demonstrates an aspect of non-violence (ahimsa) as he advances towards the perfection to be achieved in the birth as Siddhartha Gautama. These tales are a…
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Over the centuries, the Dasamahavidyas and the Shakta Tantra systems have been assimilated and integrated into temple rituals and yogic practices that see the human body and the cosmos having similar structures and intersecting points of energy. The ‘yantra’ of intersecting triangles known as Sri…
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