All posts by HHR

‘I have great reverence for India’s heritage and culture and I am deeply rooted in it’s rich tradition. Once while working for The Times of India, I had the opportunity to witness a quiz contest on Doordarshan (Indian State Run TV). There I saw that the participants could answer questions on Greek mythology but could [...]

The regimes that followed the Emergency (1975-77) did nothing to free the establishment from the stranglehold of the communist mafia. Members of the mafia have continued to occupy seats in the nation’s parliament and state legislatures, and man many other prestigious institutions. It retains control of two strategic states* on the borders with Bangladesh. In [...]

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on idol worship, music, art and ethics in Bollywood and politics. [...]

A devotee of Hanuman was once driving a cartload of grain to the market. On the way, one wheel got stuck and the cart could not be drawn forward. The cart slanted too, and a few bags fell on the ground. The devotee sat on the cart and started praying to Hanuman. He completed chanting [...]

Kothankulam residents plead with government for protection of the historic temple The proposed widening of East Coast Road is threatening the existence of a more than 600-year-old temple at Kothankulam in Kadaladi block in the district. Sri Sundararaja Perumal temple has the unique distinction of having a standing Manavala Mamunigal, a venerated vaishnavite saint, besides [...]

Religious fundamentalists are on the rise and that is bad for our societies. Most people will agree on this. Yet few examine who religious fundamentalists are. Obviously, such persons would want to stick to the fundamentals of their religion. They want to live a life that is advocated in their holy books and would please [...]

The Hindu psychology throughout this exercise is one of apology, of shamefacedness, of defence against what is initially conceded as a valid criticism of the idioms and forms in which Hindu spirituality has been spelled out in its shastras. This is a disastrous psychology. It leads to a supine surrender on the one hand, and [...]

Four Hindu temples in the Batticaloa District were ransacked and damaged by unidentified persons back in June The well-crafted sculptures and other idols at the temples were vandalized and jewellery and money were looted, sources said. The vandalized temples are Sri Sellakathirgamar Temple, Maangadu Pillaiyar Temple, Kirankulam Iyanaar Temple and Pandiruppu Draupathai Amman Temple. According [...]

A nation’s theories about education depend upon its theories about man. Its definition and understanding of education depend upon its definition and understanding of man. If we regard man as a physical entity, our approach to education would be of one kind; if we regard man as a mental being, our approach would be of [...]

Though I live in India since long, there are still some points that I find hard to understand – for example why many so called educated Indians on TV discussion forums become agitated whenever ‘Hindutva’ is mentioned. The majority of Indians are Hindus. India is special because of its ancient Hindu tradition. Westerners are drawn [...]