Why we can’t stop adding God to genius Indians have a strange and enduring obsession: the need to spiritualise human talent. It’s not enough for someone to be a genius—they must have had divine backing, supernatural ancestry, or at the very least, a mythological sidekick whispering mantras into their ears. It’s as if the humanContinue reading “The Divine Ghostwriters of India”
Category Archives: BLOGS
The Breast Tax: When Casteist Hindus Policed the Female Body, and the British Put an End to It
In the cruel annals of caste history, there lies an incident so outrageous that it still stings the conscience—the breast tax, or Mulakkaram, a barbaric practice in the princely state of Travancore (modern-day Kerala). A tax levied not on land, income, or profession—but on a woman’s breasts, and more specifically, a lower-caste woman’s right to cover them. Yes,Continue reading “The Breast Tax: When Casteist Hindus Policed the Female Body, and the British Put an End to It”
Who Do You Hate, Really? The Indian Hindu’s Confused Resentment
In today’s India, hatred is not always rooted in knowledge — it’s often rooted in confusion. A strange cocktail of inherited biases, WhatsApp forwards, political rhetoric, and historical wounds has led many Indian Hindus to passionately despise something — but what exactly that “something” is, remains worryingly vague. Ask a Hindu who rails against Muslims: “WhomContinue reading “Who Do You Hate, Really? The Indian Hindu’s Confused Resentment “
The Vegetarian Halo: Why Greens Don’t Guarantee Goodness
Somewhere along the moral highway of Indian society, we took a dangerous turn — one where we began to believe that a person’s diet could define their character. Particularly, we bestowed an invisible halo upon the “pure vegetarian.” The man or woman who doesn’t touch garlic, shuns onions, and treats egg as taboo — surely,Continue reading “The Vegetarian Halo: Why Greens Don’t Guarantee Goodness”
Caste Wasn’t Ordained by God — It Was Enforced by Upper-Caste Hindus
Caste-based hierarchy wasn’t a divine decree. It was a human design — institutionalized, enforced, and brutalized into the Hindu system by upper-caste Hindus. This is a reminder for those who still believe Hinduism never imposed anything on anyone. There is a comfortable lie many modern Hindus love to tell themselves — that their religion isContinue reading “Caste Wasn’t Ordained by God — It Was Enforced by Upper-Caste Hindus”
The Faces I’ll Never See
Over the last two decades as a Vedic astrologer, I’ve created imaginary faces for 99% of my clients. Because truth be told, I’ve never met most of them in person—and likely never will. I wouldn’t recognize them in a crowd, even if they walked right past me. All I know about them are their birthContinue reading “The Faces I’ll Never See”
The Ideal Man and the Ideal Gas: Ram Through Valmiki’s Lens
Valmiki’s Ramayana didn’t just narrate a prince’s story — it sculpted a cultural archetype. Ram, as painted by Valmiki, was not merely a character; he was an emblem, a metaphor. A maryada purushottam — the “ideal man.” He was the obedient son, the loving husband, the just king, the disciplined warrior, the stoic exile. He did the right thing,Continue reading “The Ideal Man and the Ideal Gas: Ram Through Valmiki’s Lens”
Why Do Indians Take Marriage Advice from Celibates?
A car expert is someone who has driven a lot of cars, repaired them, renovated them, and reviewed them. That’s why we trust his opinion before investing in a car that will last maybe a decade — fifteen years at best if you’re lucky or drive like a grandma. Now imagine this: You’re planning toContinue reading “Why Do Indians Take Marriage Advice from Celibates?”
Second-Class Citizens: The Immigrant’s Unspoken Reality
In a foreign country, you are a second-class citizen. You either adapt to their culture or go back to your own. That may sound offensive to some ears — especially in a world that celebrates “diversity,” “inclusion,” and “global citizenship.” But anyone who has lived as an immigrant, especially in the West or in culturallyContinue reading “Second-Class Citizens: The Immigrant’s Unspoken Reality”
Shruti, Smriti… and Smarana: When Wisdom Becomes Real
In the Vedic tradition, all knowledge — śruti (that which is heard), smṛti (that which is remembered), śāstra (scriptures), and purāṇa (mythic lore) — has already mapped out the full spectrum of human experience. There is nothing a man will go through in his life that hasn’t already been articulated in the Rigveda’s hymns, the Upanishadic silence, or the stories of the MahabharataContinue reading “Shruti, Smriti… and Smarana: When Wisdom Becomes Real”