December 2018

Preparations for the Upanayana[1] A śālā (canopy, pavilion) was built under which the saṃskāra would be conducted.[2] On the eve of the upanayana, Purāṇic performances took place. Gaṇeśa was invoked and the various goddesses Śrī, Lakṣmī, Dhṛtī, Medhā, Puṣṭi, Śraddhā, and Sarasvatī were worshipped.[3] Often this is accompanied by the recitation of the udaka-śānti mantras. In some provinces, there is a custom of smearing the vaṭu with a yellow...
PadmaSubrahmanyam
Books written and institutions established by Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam for the promotion of Art and National Integration Padma Surbahmanyam derived her artistic and scholarly inspiration, amongst other works from Deivattin Kural, an encyclopedic work on Indian culture written by the Paramācārya of Kanchi. She has written several books in English and Tamil that focus on Indian aesthetics, artistic and cultural unity of the nation. ‘Bharatakkalai...
Diwan Gundopanth Road[i] in Bangalore lies to the north of City Market when we traverse from Arcot Srinivasacharlu Road towards Doddapet. The word “Diwan” has been in vogue in the Kannada language for a really long period. I’m unware of the root language from which this was borrowed into Kannada. The word is prevalent even in Marathi and Hindi. Its usage is in the following sense: “The chief of any office or organization,” or “head of office.”...