Delivered by Prof. Prakash Shah on behalf of Prof. Vamsee Juluri at the panel "Decolonisation, Public Discourse and IKS" during the IKSHA Conference at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, this thought-provoking talk argues that decolonisation cannot be reduced to merely replacing Western knowledge with Indian knowledge. It challenges the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) movement to examine its own assumptions and recover the spiritual foundations of Bharatiya knowledge. The talk ultimately asks whether true decolonisation is possible if Bhagawan is removed from the centre of the civilizational worldview.
Latest Posts

Scholarship and Sacred Truth
Can a civilization survive if all its sacred truths are judged solely by external academic standards? This essay argues that while historical inquiry has its place, Hindu Dharma must remain rooted in its own sacred framework of shraddha, sampradaya, and parampara. A living tradition cannot endure if its foundational beliefs are endlessly relativized. History may study a civilization from the outside, but only its sacred truths sustain it from within.

Rāmo Vigrahavān Dharmaḥ: The Sixteen Lakṣaṇas as a Complete Condition-Set of Dharma
What does it truly mean to call Rāma "Vigrahavān Dharmaḥ" - the embodiment of Dharma? Drawing on the opening verses of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, this essay argues that the sixteen lakṣaṇas are not merely admirable virtues but a complete and indispensable condition-set for the embodiment of Dharma. Through a rigorous śāstric analysis of pramāṇa, lakṣaṇa, and embodiment, it presents a compelling philosophical framework that reveals why Rāma is not simply a follower of Dharma, but its fullest living manifestation.

British Colonial Raj: Drivers of Socio-Cultural Impact
This essay examines how British colonial rule reshaped not just India's institutions, but also its everyday habits, aspirations, and cultural imagination. From club culture and hill stations to vacations and leisure travel, it argues that colonial-era practices continue to influence Indian society long after independence. By contrasting these with pre-colonial civilisational patterns, the article invites readers to reflect on whether India can rediscover a balance rooted in its own timeless traditions while navigating modernity.

The Sanitized Shastra: The Cost of Domesticating India’s Intellectual Traditions
A seemingly local controversy in Udupi sparked a nationwide digital outrage, revealing a far deeper civilisational crisis: the growing tendency to sanitize India's philosophical traditions to fit modern sensibilities. Examining the history of rigorous debate across Indian schools of thought, this essay argues that intellectual sharpness - not polite uniformity -was the hallmark of India's knowledge systems. It makes the case that reclaiming India's authentic civilisational confidence requires preserving the raw, uncompromising vocabulary and traditions that once made its philosophical culture so vibrant.
Daily Feed
Śaṅkara Charitam – a re-telling – Chapter-12 – Śivaḥ kevalo’ham
Chapter 12 of Śaṅkara Charitam takes us through Śaṅkara’s meeting with his Guru, and the Guru's acceptance of Śaṅkara as his disciple.
Govinda Bhagavatpāda asks the boy standing at the foot of the cave, inside which he meditated for centuries, to introduce himself and Śaṅkara calls himself - "Śivaḥ kevalo’ham".
The life of Gauḍapāda as a Brahmarākṣasa and his meeting with Govinda Bhagavatpāda is also mentioned in this chapter.
Dharmic view on Interfaith Dialogue and Coexistence
**Disclaimer: Neither this piece, nor its author feigns possession of any insight whatsoever into the realm of the mystic, where...
Thoughts on 3067 BCE being the year of the Mahabharata War
Incorrect methodologies to determine the time period of the Mahabharata war has led to much confusion.
Casteism: Scourge of Hinduism or Perversion of a Legitimate Vedic System? – Part 1
The corruption of the original purpose of the caste system has led to a lot of strife in India.
Consciousness, the key to Indic thought
Animate and inanimate objects are both propelled by the same prime driver which is Consciousness.
On the meaning of the Mahabharata – Early Rebuttal to German Indology (Part 2)
A lack of cultural grounding and humility has led to serious comprehension issues for most western reviewers of the Mahabharata.
Humour in Hinduism – Part 2
Criticism is inherent to Hinduism and hence the urge to mock arises but unlike other religions, it does not trigger damnation.
कृष्ण प्रेम (Krishna's love)
श्री कृष्ण के प्रति अटूट प्रेम, मानवता और आध्यात्मिकता के बीच के गहरे सम्बन्ध को दर्शाता है।
“Our Moon Has Blood Clots” by Rahul Pandita – A Review
Mayank Dhar, A Kashmiri Pandit, pens a nuanced and balanced review of Rahul Pandita's book "Our Moon Has Blood Clots", with praises where the author has earned them and pointed questions where the author deserves them.
Category Errors in the Study of Bharatīya Jñāna Paramparā
Modern scholarship often misreads Bharatīya Jñāna Paramparā by forcing it into text-centric, innovation-driven frameworks that do not match its transmission-based nature. This article argues that the confusion arises from deep category errors about what knowledge is and where it resides. Rather than a collection of texts, the tradition functions as an integrated epistemic architecture sustained through guru–śiṣya paramparā. Recognising this distinction reframes continuity not as stagnation, but as disciplined preservation of valid knowing.
Buddha, Caste and Environment
The Buddha realised that the future of any civilisation depended on its relationship with Nature.
Kailashnatha temple – Crowning glory of Pallavas: Kanchipuram (Part 1)
The exquisite Kailashnatha temple became the template for temple architecture with magnificent sculptures in south India and beyond.
Daily Feed
Understanding Indian Economy: Ancient To Modern – Part 1
"For a long time, Marxist historians had a hegemonic hold on only one type of discourse. Marxist linear history represents India and its traditions as the past, or decadence, and the West as the future, or progress. In a world where globalisation, trade, and mutual exchange are a given, it is disagreeable to argue that perhaps we needed an invasion or colonisation to open our eyes to the world."
A case of good nationalism
Nationalism in the study of Indian historiography is a useful tool to discover this ancient land.
Somnath Temple – Rising Phoenix
Somnath is a veritable treasure trove of pilgrimage locations, all clustered around the famous Jyotirlinga temple.
Excerpts From History Of The Freedom Movement in India By R.C. Mazumdar – The Politics Of The Book – Part 2
Dr Pingali Gopal explores the goings on that led to the birth of R.C. Mazumdar's book "History of the Freedom Movement in India" as the author tries to bring to light the truth behind India's independence and tries to redefine what "foreign occupation" means.
The rest of this series is a summary and paraphrasing of the works of RC Mazumdar. The essays are directly from the book, without indication as such in all cases. The first-person component of the essays also belongs to Mazumdar. There are no extra elements or comments added to the text of Mazumdar except for some editing and slight additions to give clarity to the background context and to give a smoother flow to the topic under discussion. The aim is to give an overview of the freedom struggle from a different perspective.p
On the meaning of the Mahabharata – Early Rebuttal to German Indology (Part 1)
A book that gives us a whole new understanding of the depths of the Mahabharata.
Decolonizing IKS (“Indian Knowledge Systems”)
Delivered by Prof. Prakash Shah on behalf of Prof. Vamsee Juluri at the panel "Decolonisation, Public Discourse and IKS" during the IKSHA Conference at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, this thought-provoking talk argues that decolonisation cannot be reduced to merely replacing Western knowledge with Indian knowledge. It challenges the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) movement to examine its own assumptions and recover the spiritual foundations of Bharatiya knowledge. The talk ultimately asks whether true decolonisation is possible if Bhagawan is removed from the centre of the civilizational worldview.
Assumptions in Empirical Inferences and the Case of GDP
Brainstorming needs to happen regarding the ideation of prosperity and wellbeing so that a holistic framework to view life can be developed in getting the right perspective to growth.
An Indic Reading of Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra – Part II
Knowledge is not merely to be read or heard as words; on the contrary, it is to be lived, experienced and thus renewed.
Suryanar Kovil, Kumbakonam – Part 2
It is tough to preserve and maintain one's cultural standards when derision is all you get from the so-called progressive-minded.
Did Sri Aurobindo Take the Easy Way Out?
A casual glance at Sri Aurobindo's life would make you believe that in order to avoid the vagaries of life he chose the spiritual path, in reality, it was anything but.
From Bihar to Mewar: The Story of Purbiya Mercenaries in Western India
In this detailed exploration, Deeksha Tyagi sheds light on the Purbiya mercenaries. Sought after for their expertise in firearms, they played a significant role in shaping regional politics and warfare from Malwa to Gujarat and even in the British East India Company. The author highlights how their history exemplifies the adaptive strategies of communities in response to changing political landscapes in medieval India.de
