Author: Raghu Bhaskaran (Raghu Bhaskaran)

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No Waqf, No Fawq, Just some FAQs on Hindu Temple Properties
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March 25, 2025March 25, 2025ESSAY

No Waqf, No Fawq, Just some FAQs on Hindu Temple Properties

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A Hindu temple and its properties do not belong to the government, the public or even the Hindu community — they belong solely to the residing deity, the Pradhana Devata. Historical arguments about coercion in temple land donations ignore the broader reality that all land ownership has evolved under different rulers. While institutions like the Waqf Board retain vast properties, temples face state control and encroachment, reducing them to mere revenue sources. This neglect betrays both the faith of past donors and the cultural heritage temples embody.

The Deity: D-scale of Dharma
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February 4, 2022February 4, 2022PERSPECTIVE

The Deity: D-scale of Dharma

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On objects like vessels, over time sediments accrete and coat the surface. The process of removing the accretions and restoring the shine is known as 'descaling.' Similarly with Deities, over time sentiments and fallacies have formed a layer over our beliefs. This D-Scale can be used to assess that and clean our attitudes towards the deities.

Maryada Purushottam
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November 13, 2018July 17, 2021ESSAY

Maryada Purushottam

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Bhagwan Rama's stance of supposedly abandoning Sita is often questioned due to a perspective which is blinkered and one which does not understand the nature of upholding Dharma.

Conundrum of the Hindu identity
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November 5, 2018August 26, 2020PERSPECTIVE

Conundrum of the Hindu identity

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The Indian state refuses to recognize Hindus as the varied trees of the same forest and instead considers them worth protecting only if they conform like the uniform vegetation in a small grove or a garden.