In ancient India, in a green mountain valley fed by rushing ice-cold streams, two groups of philosophers sit down to debate in public. Eyeing one another with keenness and memorizing last-minute lines of handwritten text, the pundits wait patiently while hundreds of people gather to watch. Coloured flags curl and snap in the fresh breeze, and the fragrance of incense…
The general content demanded of any form of siddhanta, or ‘philosophical conclusion,’ whether a short poem or longer exposition, is that it should offer nothing less than a cogent, wide-ranging and well-evidenced explanation of Brahman, the ultimate reality, the infinite origin of all things, and the foundational matrix of all existence. The explanation must describe how the observer, the individual,…
The English Channel has long been a symbol of shared history and cultural exchange between the United Kingdom and the continent. However, in recent years, the calm waters have witnessed a surge of small boats carrying asylum seekers from various parts of the world, sparking a heated debate about immigration policies and national security. I feel it is important to…
The year 2023 marks a significant juncture in history as it commemorates the 50th anniversaries of various events, achievements, and cultural milestones that have left an indelible mark on our world. From iconic moments in technology and entertainment to ground-breaking achievements in science and society, these golden milestones serve as a reminder of the progress we’ve made and the legacies…
In the current socio-cultural landscape, the establishment of new norms surrounding transgender identity has emerged as a contentious issue that demands thoughtful consideration and balanced discourse. As society grapples with evolving notions of gender and identity, it is imperative to approach this topic with a discerning eye. What is required is a perspective that seeks to address the problems associated…
(This first appeared in the New Statesman magazine January, 2007.) “Could we have a group of Hare Krishnas to appear in The Da Vinci Code?” asks film director Ron Howard in a call to the London Krishna temple one morning. “We want a typical London street scene for the film.” He wanted “a few seconds” of orange-robed Krishna chanters while…
In 1965 an elderly Indian gentleman boarded a steamship in Calcutta. He was a saffron-robed sadhu – a holy man – bound for America, a place he had never visited before, and a place where he had no friends. Almost 70, he had spent the last eight years in the sacred medieval town of Vrindavan, the home of Lord Krishna. In…
The Devil always likes to help saints ‘organise’ religion, and organised religion can be problematic. But without human structures, the saint’s messages and good public works may not endure over the next three generations. For thousands of years, whenever saintly people have searched for a good spot to live, they’ve chosen places of tranquillity, far removed from the noise and…
The pink city of Jaipur is the India of a million tourist photos. The sunlit forts and palaces, the elephants and camels in rush-hour traffic, the dust, big moustaches and even bigger turbans, the hot pink sarees and rugged landscape of Rajasthan, everything is there, all the sights and sounds from a holiday brochure. More important for Vaishnavas is the…
