Holi – that wonderful festival that conjures up images of rang, bhaang, gulal, abeer, and water pichkaris. It also reminds one of the childhood days, the complete abandonment with which kids play Holi and their oblivion to any notions of health or environment, as may be the case.
In India,...
In the wake of the recent and rapid outbreak of the coronavirus, and the World Health Organisation's declaration of the disease COVID-19 as a pandemic, various countries have taken precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus. The most widely recommended and followed precautionary measure has been that...
After sleeping (in nidra) for the four-month Chaturmas period, Lord Vishnu is said to awaken on probodhini (awakening) ekadasi, also known as the devutthani (Lord's awakening) ekadasi. This is an auspicious day, not only because the Lord is awakening from his slumber but also taking charge of his duties...
Sometimes we need to make that external physical journey in order to make that inward spiritual journey and connect to our souls. That is the essence of the Pandharpur Yatra (pilgrimage) or ‘Wari’ as it is more commonly referred to.
The Wari
Sant Tukaram was the first one to set out...
Christmas is a wonderful time in this part of the world. Everything turns into something magical - London transforms into a living testimony of this magic, with Christmas trees and decorations adorning many famous landmarks of the city. From Christmas shopping to Christmas markets, special goodies deck every nook and...
Mewar: the food and culture of central Rajasthan
Mewar - the name itself carries with it the sounds of royalty and centuries worth of cultural richness. Mewar (or Mewad) is the south-central part of the largest state of India, Rajasthan. Although not a single city or district, Mewar is the...
Mohenjo-daro is an archaeological site, which is to date the largest settlement of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. It was built around 2500 BCE, in Sindh province of Pakistan. The city of Mohenjo-daro was discovered in 1921 and, since then, archaeologists have buried themselves in the study of the...
Rajasthan - the land of shifting sands, heritage structures, cenotaphs and vibrant handicrafts - has always fascinated me and I was quick to grab the first opportunity to visit Jodhpur, the state’s second-largest city punctuated with palaces where Rajas and Maharajas still reside. The city is a bit of...
The word Reiki originated in the Japanese language, and it means "universal life energy." Reiki is also said to have originated in Japan in the early twentieth century. The credit of its discovery goes to Dr. Mikao Usui.
In the Japanese language, it also stands for "spiritually guided life force...
A common thread that binds together a spiritually awakened former prince, a religion, an empire, inscriptions on pillars, and millions of devotees is but an ancient language, Pali. Buddha’s sermons carried its sounds, Buddhism carries its spirit, the great King Ashoka’s Mauryan Empire gave momentum to its usage, and...
We studied Sanskrit in school, albeit with the aim of scoring high in the final examination, hardly realising that this exotic language of ancient India is the door to the secrets of our sacred ancient texts, which can unravel many a mystery of spiritual life and heritage, which is...
Colorful dances, multicultural extravaganza, classical music, spiritual teachings, mouthwatering street food of aamchi Mumbai and dilwalon ki Dilli, puppet shows depicting stories from the Ramayana, Bollywood music, and loads of enthusiastic people enjoying the revelry – that’s what Diwali in London at Trafalgar Square (also known as DOTS for...
