The sky as our teacher…
Brahmastra to Brahmos – Weapons of Ancient India
War is not new to Indians. Nearly, 2800 years ago, a treatise on wars and weapons was composed here, in our subcontinent. Some of the descriptions of the weapons mentioned in the Mahabharata seem eerily close to the advanced missile systems we use today. Check the video for the various categories of weapons listed in…
The Jain Mahabharata
Oral renditions of the Mahabharata were so popular among people that even the Jains chose to tell its story. The Jaina version however varies significantly from the Vyasa version we are familiar with. For example, unlike in Vyasa’s epic, the Kurukshetra battle takes place between Krishna and Jarasandha, who was Krishna’s arch enemy. And that’s…
We love the Ramayana because it upholds our family system
AK Ramanujan, the great folklorist from India collected a folktale in which a story and a song once escaped from the mouth of a sleeping woman frustrated that she refused to share them with others. The next morning, when she woke up, she had forgotten both the story and the song that she had kept all…
Rulers, Rama and Ramarajya
Rama and his story are well known even outside India. Thailand is one such place where the spirit and symbolism associated with Rama are celebrated both by its kings and its people. This video explores the story of how the prince of Ayodhya became the beloved of the Thais.
How Sri alias Lakshmi became the consort of Vishnu
The Mahabharata says that Draupadi was Sri incarnate. Sri, the goddess we know today as Lakshmi. This raises an issue. If Draupadi was Sri, her consort should have been Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu. But she wasn’t! And, she could not have been the wife of the Pandavas. But she was! Confused?! Watch the video…
3 stories of Ekadanta and their hidden meanings
A unique feature about Ganesha is that he is single-tusked. Check this video for three stories that tell us why and the hidden meanings behind them.
Myth or Epic? Krishna, Draupadi & the Raksha Bandhan story
A popular tale about Raksha Bandhan traces its origins to the relationship between Krishna and Draupadi. The Mahabharata, however, makes no mention of it. On the contrary, the epic introduces Krishna to us when he is attending Draupadi’s Swayamavara/ What exactly was the nature of Krishna’s relationship with Draupadi? If his relationship with her was…
Akshaya Tritiya: When Every Second is Gold! (The Indian Astrology series)
Akshaya Tritiya, as you many of you may know, falls in the month of Vaishaka on the third day after amavasya i.e. in the phase of the growing or waxing moon. Over the last couple of decades, Akshaya Tritiya, has come to be associated with the purchase of gold or some consumer durables for the…
Kannagi & the Goldsmith – Classical vs Folk Narrative
Silapathigaram, one of the five great epics of Tamil, composed about 15 to 1800 years back tells the story of Kannagi, who is famously believed to have burned down the city of Madurai seeking justice for her murdered husband. For those who are not familiar with the story, here it is, in brief. The Story…
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Kulture Katha 