In the novel, Uttara Kaanda, renowned novelist, Shri S L Bhyrappa is on an odyssey. An odyssey through the eyes of his protagonist, Sita; the daughter of Janaka, wife of Rama, and mother of Lava-Kusha but also something more, something that belongs only to herself. Something that makes Sita who she is.
Sita is not ‘Devi’ in Uttara Kaanda, but she is most definitely either our Mata, our Bhagini or our Kanya. That is why our hearts beat with Sita of Uttara Kaanda.
Ami Ganatra's book "Mahabharata Unravelled" is going to be revelatory for those who are used to a steady diet of modern, almost fictitious and agenda driven, retellings, or rather remodellings, of dharmik epics. It must be read as a stepping stone for the study of the source text to understand and absorb the main epic in a deeper manner.
The Ramayana is not simply a chronicle of Shri Rama's life and times on Earth, but also an epic saga that holds within itself much for both the devout and the rational.
Each of the characters is fascinating, but there are some that shine like gems in their limited roles without making too much noise. One such character is that of Sumitra, one of the three chief queens of king Dasharatha of Ayodhya, the other two being Kausalya, and Kaikeyi. This article aims to understand Sumitra's character in deeper detail through textual references from both the Valmiki Ramayana as well as Tulsidas's Ramacharitamanasa.
Dr. Pingali Gopal reviews 'The Imperishable Seed' By Bhaskar Kamble, a theoretical physicist from IIT Kanpur and presently a data scientist in Germany.
The linear progression of history from a primitive past to an advanced future, deeply entrenched in western philosophy, embeds itself in Indians even today as a classic case of ‘colonial consciousness’. Bhaskar has done a brilliant job of describing the history of mathematics, a much ignored subject in our educational systems, and tracing the roots of many subjects to the genius mathematicians of ancient and mediaeval India.
Vamsee Juluri's book is a page-turner, a great example of creative reimagining done right.
It cannot easily be categorised as per conventional genres. Depending on individual inclination, it can be classified as spiritual, based on passages dealing with the questioning of the nature of Dharma; action-packed thriller, given the battle scene depictions and wars waged; or 'mythological', since despite being based on living Devatas, it is a fictional representation of them; and very different from the stories we were raised on.
In this review of "Hindu Love Stories" by Aditi Banerjee, we learn about the author's motivation behind writing the book; and her treatment of her characters. She brings forth the popular tales, as well as some lesser known ones; and shows us that some of the lore known to us as tales of duty and surrender can also be viewed from the Hindu view of love, which is very different from the single-hued romantic love marketed by the West.
Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews Aditi Banerjee's book "The Vow of Parvati", and gives us his impression of the retelling as well as the writer's approach towards the different episodes in the life of Devi in her different births and roopas.
Rohan Raghav Sharma reviews two interconnected books, by the same author, on the same subject - 'Tiruvannamalai Beckons' and 'A Month In Tiruvannamalai'.
He critiques the writing style as well as the content and delves into the lore of the mystic mountain of Tiruvannamalai, in this well-penned piece.
In this review of Kantara, Rohan Raghav Sharma tackles the allegations that the film depicts women in a poor light by analysing the actions of the key characters as well as scenes that may be interpreted as such.
"Stories ranging from the Warrior princess Chitraganda who fights alongside Arjuna to the bold princess Ulupi who approaches Arjuna for the union of her own accord to Queen Subhadra who finds a different way of carrying out her dharma and supporting her husband than the conventional way one expects a wife to. Characters etched in the minds of popular imagination such as Satyavati, Shakuntala, and the duo Nala-Damayanti are also presented in a narrative that cannot fail to entertain and arouse interest. The most metaphysical and philosophical stories are undoubtedly those of Gargi, the Brahmavadini, and Maitreyi, the scholarly wife of the famed Yajnavalkya. These stories prove that while there were women steeped in the Shastric worldview, they were not purposely debarred from aspiring towards education and a spiritual path."
In this review of 'Aryaa - An Anthology of Vedic Women' Rohan Raghav Sharma discusses the need for such a book before delving into each of the ten stories told in the book. He gives detailed insights into each story along with his critique of the writing styles of the different writers.