Shani Temple Controversy: Why Are Women Considered ‘Impious?’
What Was The Controversy? In January this year, a group of four hundred odd women belonging to the Bhumata Ranragini brigade, led by Trupti Desai, a 31-year old housewife, attempted to break a tradition no one woman had ever dared of doing before. They tried to barge into the Shani Shingnapur …
#HappytoBleed
Natural bodily functions are often under attack by men. Menstruation (as natural as any other process humans possess), is often under harsh criticism in religious and public institutions. Religions present women in myriads of ways, yet women in the religious perspective and media eye continue to be poorly depicted. In …
The Banality Of Religion: The Trends in Hindutva Actions
It seems that recently the Hindu extremist fringe is desperately trying to stay in the news: the controversy over the reconversion,the statements made by Niranjan Jyoti,the allegations of love-jihad by saffron organizations, and now the latest example being the demand of a ban on the film PK. These have all created quite a …
Devadasi: The Godly Prostitutes of India
Background Dancing was an art that was meant for expression of religious stories and especially evident in Hindu mythology. Lord Shiva, otherwise known as Nataraja (the god of dance), expressed the cosmic cycles of birth, life and death in his vivid dance called the Tandava for his companion Parvati. The Tandava …
To Om Or Not To Om: The Controversy Over Yoga in the United States
Background Yoga is a growing activity in the United States with more and more individuals taking part in it every year. Largely, the new wave of yogis is composed of non-Hindu’s who want to practice Yoga for the physical and mental health benefits. There is a large controversy, however, over …
Let's Celebrate Diwali Without Hurting the Environment
Introduction Recently, Delhi based Director & Cinematographer Gurmeet Sapal and Sehaj Singh followed the recent trend of picture captions to create a “Green Diwali” campaign. Some of the submissions were great advice for celebrating the holiday without hurting the environment, and one common suggestion was to avoid using crackers to celebrate …
#TransformationTuesday: The Caste System
This article is the first in a series of #TransformationTuesday articles that will look at the past, present, and future of social justice issues in India to create a more profound understanding among both Indians and non-Indians alike about issues that are much more complicated than they appear on surface. …
