Walking the Sacred Path: The Tradition of Pilgrimage on Foot
As Shravan month starts; and the earth becomes covered by the carpet of green grass; we see thousands of Shiva devotees carrying water pots on their shoulder. The water pots are tied to two ends of a stick, and the pilgrims carry this stick on their shoulder. These Pilgrims; called as Kanwariya; are carrying holy […]
The Heritage Diary : July 2024
Hanuman : The embodiment of Power and Humility
Hanumana, the all powerful Hindu deity, is one of the most revered characters in Ramayana. Even though Ramayana is a story of Ram and Sita, the side character of Hanuman gets equal praise, love and respect in the story. Such is the magic of this deity. The son of wind god Vayu and Anjani is […]
The Heritage Diary : March 2024
Ancient Wisdom, Modern Understanding: The act of Validation
Validation is the act of making someone realise that he/she is important and deserves respect. Or in some cases, it is the process of accepting the authority of someone. Is the validation really necessary? Does everyone not understand his / her own worth? Is validation a component of Self-worth ? or is it just another […]
Guardians of the Locals: A look into Hindu Folk Deities
The phrase folk religion or folk deity is very commonly heard in terms of culture. Every state and region in India have a set of folk deities. After the release of movie Kantara, there was wide discussion about the folk deities represented in the movie. So I thought, let’s try to answer the question : […]
The Heritage Diary : January 2024
Daanam and CSR: The Sacred Art of Giving in Hinduism
Many epics and Purans tell story of Mahabali, one of the greatest kings the earth has seen. He is the grandson of Pralhada and descendent of sage Kashyapa. Mahabali is considered to be the noblest and most prosperous ruler, who transformed his kingdom into a heavenly place. His legend is a major part of the […]
Bridging the Gap of Artha and Dharma: Insights from Mythology on Work-Life Balance
Recently, Mr N. R. Narayanmurthy gave a statement about how Indians should work 70 hours a week. The statement got a lot of heads to tilt, a lot of brains to think and a lot of mouths to speak. Some were criticising him saying his expectations are not in the best spirit for the work […]
Beyond the Legends: The story and significance of Narakasura’s killing by Krishna
The festival of Narak Chatudashi is part of Diwali and is celebrated in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh on the day before Lakshmi Poojan. Sometimes the two festivals coincide, depending on the lunar cycle. The festival gives a very important message. Narkasur; the son of Vishnu as Varaha and Lakshmi as […]