February 2017

Religious fundamentalism can be defined as strict adherence to certain fundamental theological doctrines as prescribed in the sacred text(s). Originally, fundamentalism[1] applied to the Christian faith and it called for belief in the literal truth of the Bible. When taken at face value, it would amount to converting the whole of humanity to Christianity with total disregard towards all the other faiths.[2] The Qur’an holds a slightly broader...
Recently, one of my acquaintances well-versed in science and technology posed me a question: “Normally, people like us—meaning those from the fields of either science and technology or others engaged in physical or theoretical studies—don’t typically like to say anything about subjects that we’re not directly familiar with or haven’t sufficiently pursued or made an authoritative study in. And especially on public platforms, we tend to talk even...
Purushottam Laxman Deshpande (1919-2000), popularly known by his initials, Pu La, was a polymath from Maharasthra. Apart from being a prolific writer, comedian, and orator, he was also a theater and film actor, music composer, harmonium player, singer, and screenwriter. Here is a rare documentary that came out during his 60th birthday.
ಸಾವಿರದ ಒಂಭೈನೂರ ಐವತ್ತಾರು-ಐವತ್ತೇಳರ ಅವಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತದ ಸರ್ವವಿಧವಾದ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಗತಿಗಳು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗಿವೆಯೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಲು ಲೋಕವಿಖ್ಯಾತಭಾಷಾತಜ್ಞರಾದ ಡಾ|| ಸುನೀತಿಕುಮಾರಚಟರ್ಜಿಯವರ ನೇತೃತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಯೋಗವೊಂದನ್ನು ರಚಿಸಿತು. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಡಾ || ವಿ. ರಾಘವನ್, ಪಂಡಿತರಾಜ ವಿ. ಎಸ್. ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿ, ಪ್ರೊ|| ಎಸ್. ಕೆ. ಡೇ ಮುಂತಾದ ಪ್ರಗಲ್ಭಾವಿದ್ವಾಮ್ಸರು ಸದಸ್ಯರಾಗಿದ್ದರು. ಅವರುಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ಇಡಿಯ ದೇಶದ ಉದ್ದಗಲಕ್ಕೂ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷ ಸುತ್ತಾಡಿ ನೂರಾರು ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾವಿರಾರು ವಿದ್ವಾಮ್ಸರನ್ನೂ ಅನೇಕ ಗಣ್ಯರನ್ನೂ...
There is much discussion, debate, and even controversy about yoga these days. But what is yoga? First of all, it is far more nuanced than the typical image of a young lady sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, deep in meditation with a benign smile on her face. Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means ‘union.’ It simply means joining two things. For example, Rigveda Samhita 7.67.8 uses the word ‘yoga’ when it refers to the yoking of the horses to the...
As seen from earlier parts, the chief objective of Madhava-Vidyaranya was the rejuvenation of Dharma. While his works on Dharma and Vedanta influenced the educated and the deeply interested, they remained beyond the ken of the lay public. How then could his program of dharmic rejuvenation transcend societal and educational barriers? Madhava-Vidyaranya’s well-rounded education, which included exposure to both classical and folk music, helped him...
Dr. S L Bhyrappa's path-breaking novel ಆವರಣ was released in 2007. About a year before the novel was published, Bhyrappa wrote an article titled 'Nationalism can Never be Strengthened by Projecting Historical Lies.' This led to a heated discussion. Bhyrappa wrote a follow-up article in response to some of his 'secularist' critics like Girish Karnad, who had unjustly tried to whitewash the atrocities committed by Islamic fanatics like Tughlaq and...