Where is Krishna?

I have been pondering about the terminology used to bifurcate the living from the once-living: ‘death rate,’ ‘death toll,’ ‘cause of death.’  There is a feeling of finality with the word, ‘death.’  Those who are left behind remain a fraction of the person they once were, having suffered their own death at the passing of...

A Doctor Without Borders

The world is a harsh place.  People can be nasty, conniving, merciless and shrewd.  At times one can feel like a sea otter caught in the jaws of a great white shark, thrashing about in the water, limb separated from limb.  The pain of facing life when the odds are stacked against you, of facing...

What is Love? What is Art? Who is a Guru?

On May 24, 2021, the residents of Bengaluru witnessed a spectacular celestial phenomenon of a halo around the sun.  It was a day of wonder, of delight and of sadness.  It was on this day that the illustrious Guru B. Bhanumati sought the abode of the Lord. Over the next two weeks, an earthly phenomenon...

From Formless to Form

The Hindu tradition reaches unimaginable heights of exploration in every sphere of activity, a crowning jewel of which is the temple.  What appears to be a place that is often criticized for the “excessive use of milk and flowers” is in fact a hallmark achievement in man’s endeavour of understanding the energy of the universe...

From Form to the Formless

It is a normal course of proceedings for temples in India to be closed following morning worship, re-opened again during the late afternoon and locked once more at night.  Devotees should plan their visit according to temple timings to ensure proper darshan of the Lord. Following the morning ritual worship at the Gangadhareshwara temple in...

Why me? Why not me?

Death can turn any fool into a philosopher.  The pain caused by loss can bring a person to a point of desperation, leaving him grappling at imaginary threads of, “if onlys” and “it doesn’t make any sense.”  After crossing the initial stage of disbelief, there is no choice left but to face the fact.  After...

The importance of sadhus in our lives

From the time I was born, rather, while I was still in the making, the presence of sadhus has been a constant blessing in my life.  As I grow, this association grows more entrenched, more beautiful, giving solace, meaning and inspiration.  Being in contact with these gentle souls has brought profound and deep-rooted change which...

COVID 19: Gateway to Freedom

This externally enforced self-isolation has put quite a few of us in a state of panic and despair.  What to do with all this time?  In certain parts of the world, online shopping services are still available and people can retain a sense of normalcy.  What about those of us for whom this is no...

Yoga in Arabia

Conditioning is a powerful tool which can colour one’s judgement, make or break a relationship and more disturbingly, distort reality.  Prior to a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, I too was conditioned regarding what to expect:  “Be careful! You could get kidnapped!  Be careful! They chop people’s heads off over there!  Don’t get caught with...

Riverside Musings

As I sat next to Ganga watching her flow, she gurgled and cooed in her benign yet forceful way, inevitably stirring up the rusted internal thought-manufacturing machinery.  All she seemingly does is move, and in her movement lies wisdom that transcends time, flowing uninhibited, available to all yet elusive to most.  Saffron-clad sages enter into...