In the book Ten Heads of Ravana edited by Rajiv Malhotra, the well-known Hinduism scholar and historian, and his co-author, Divya Reddy, compiled ten excellent essays portraying ten prolific and very influential contemporary Hinduphobic writers in India and abroad. Shashi Tharoor finds a place of pride in the pantheon of those notorious ten who areContinue reading “Tharoorian balderdash: ‘Why am I a Hindu?’: (Part 2 of 2-Concluded)”
Tag Archives: Rajiv Malhotra
A conversation on “Kamban’s Ramayana” with Sri. Indira Parthasarathy – (Part 3 of 4)
Me: Sir, further to our very interesting ongoing conversations in the past few days on the subject, I have few more queries to which I would request you to please offer your valuable feedback/views. Eepa: Okay, Go ahead… Me: In the very first and opening paragraph of your essay (quoted below) I think I senseContinue reading “A conversation on “Kamban’s Ramayana” with Sri. Indira Parthasarathy – (Part 3 of 4)”
Devdutt Patnaik ( À la Vairamuthu) unable to discern the Esotericism in Mystic Eroticism – Part-1 of 3
When I read the Jan 19th 2025 article below in THE HINDU (“Wide Angle” feature article) penned by the well known Hindu mythologist, Devadutt Patnaik (the author of 50 books on mythology, art and culture), it at once reminded me of the controversial speech the Tamil Cinema lyricist, Vairamuthu had made seven years ago inContinue reading “Devdutt Patnaik ( À la Vairamuthu) unable to discern the Esotericism in Mystic Eroticism – Part-1 of 3”
Dushyant Sridhar sets the cat amongst the pigeons and laughs his way to the bank? – (Part 2 of 2)
Dushyant Sridhar is a young ‘upannyaasaka‘ of rare ability. He is a professional raconteur of purana, itihaasa and other Vedic scriptures. His scholarship, intelligence, eloquence and stage-presence appeal to young audiences and make him an ambassador even abroad for our Indian religious culture, especially of the Sri Vaishnava strain. None therefore should deny him hisContinue reading “Dushyant Sridhar sets the cat amongst the pigeons and laughs his way to the bank? – (Part 2 of 2)”
“Fareed’s Take” on liberal-secularism in India makes Zakaria sound like the “11th Head of Ravana”
Fareed Zakaria of CNN GPS fame makes no secret of his having — and how proud he is of — the bleeding liberal- secularist heart that beats inside his breast. In this hour-long interview with another equally if not more famous international best-selling author Malcom Gladwell, Zakaria preens in the centre of the Global PublicContinue reading ““Fareed’s Take” on liberal-secularism in India makes Zakaria sound like the “11th Head of Ravana””
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part 30
Given the enervating zeitgeist of the 19th century CE as it prevailed all over South India; given the conditions of material and spiritual impoverishment of all temples across the Tamil country; and given the slow but steady deterioration suffered by Sri Vaishnava temples especially as they passed into the grip of the iron fists ofContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part 30″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-29
The seismic social changes that overcame, rocked, overwhelmed and which utterly demoralized the Sri Vaishnava community towards the end of 19th century, and early part of the 2oth, under British Rule can be described under broad categories below: A. Language B. Education and Employment C. Migration D. Cultural alienation E. Wealth dispossession ******************************** A. LANGUAGE:Continue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-29″
The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-25
Derived as they were from his Indological studies premised on Christian evangelism, the monumental mischief that Bishop Caldwell’s ideas did to divide and fragment Tamil society has been most comprehensively explained in a chapter in the well-researched book “BREAKING INDIA”: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines” ((2011: Manjul Publishing House) co-authored by Rajiv MalhotraContinue reading “The Decline and Fall of the “ubaya-vedaantin-s”: Part-25″