All posts tagged: Ramayana

Amish Tripathi Talks About His Latest Book ‘Raavan’

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Described as ‘India’s first literary popstar’ by world-renowned film director Shekhar Kapur, Amish’s unique combination of crackling story-telling, religious symbolism and profound philosophies has turned him into an Indian publishing phenomenon, with spiritual guru Deepak Chopra hailing Amish’s books as ‘archetypal and stirring’. Amish’s 6 books till now — The Immortals of Meluha (2010), The Secret of the Nagas (2011) and The Oath of the Vayuputras (2013), which collectively comprise the Shiva Trilogy, and Ram – Scion of Ikshvaku (Book 1 of the Ram Chandra Series) (2015), Sita – Warrior of Mithila (Book 2 of the Ram Chandra Series) (2017), and Immortal India – Young Country, Timeless Civilisation (Amish’s first non-fiction book) (2017) — have 4.5 million copies in print. The third book of his Ram Chandra Series, Raavan was release recently. Avatans Kumar (AK) had an opportunity to ask a few questions about this latest book and several other related topics amidst Amish’s busy promotion schedule. First of all, congratulations on this highly anticipated book of the Ram Chandra Series. What made you write …

Ramayana Navaham – An immersive Experience

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Lord Rama and the Ramayana have been a great source of inspiration and pivot for devotional expression through music and other arts across India for centuries. Our vagyakaras have shown us that there are many ways to reach Rama, but the path through music is the easiest. Indian art such as painting and dance have also left their indelible imprint on Indic spirituality and devotion. Vedanta and Bhakti, the boundaries of Saguna and Nirguna bhakti, the seeker and the Lord merge as art takes over. January 2020 will see Heritage Trust, in collaboration with Indic Academy, host its 11th annual Gudiya Sambhrama festival with the theme being Ramayana Navaham. Early morning Suprabatham, Parayanam, Upanayasam by Dushyanth Sridhar in English, Sangeetha Nitya Kainkaryam and Hastha Kala in Indian art forms will mark Bangalore’s iconic temple festival. The 9-day festival will also present performances by leading artists. As a prelude to Ramayana Navaham, Heritage Trust and Indic Academy invite you to offer your music, art, dance, photographs, writings and thoughts as a tribute to Lord Rama and …

Re-Discovering Mata Sita & Her Relevance Today

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The Global Peace Initative for Women(GPIW) and Jnana Pravaha are hosting a gathering titled “Rediscovering Mother Sita and Her Relevance Today” on March 8-9, 2019 in Varanasi, India. This gathering intends to be a reflection on the life message of Mother Sita as it relates to so many of our current challenges we face today. Sita is a beloved figure for Hindus around the world, as well as for non-Hindus throughout Southeast Asia. But the message of her life extends beyond these audiences and bears universal import, particularly relevant for the modern age when a new understanding of feminine wisdom and leadership is needed, and when we are facing an unprecedented ecological crisis. Mata Sita and Sri Ram were instrumental in setting the foundation for a new civilization during a time of transition from one era, or yuga, to another. We stand at a similar time in history, where we are experiencing the passing of one era and intuitively feel the birthing of another, as yet unknown. One thing seems certain, however, that the new society we …

Women And Politics In The Epics – A Conversation

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Were women empowered in ancient India? It is a big ‘Yes’! The phrase ‘women empowerment’ will transport you to a terrain of mixed views; the weight will shift more to what we perceive with our eyes and what the media infuses us with! And there is no dearth of literature in the digital world. Just a click or a touch with your fingertip and there you are, surrounded by an ocean of both positive and negative news and information. In this conversation blogger and author Manoshi Sinha interviews well known author of women centric books Kavita Kane on women and politics in Indic Epics. Women in ancient India enjoyed equal status with men. They were educated by choice. They were trained in the art of warfare by choice. The Rigveda finds mention about a warrior queen Vishpala, who was trained in the art of warfare. She lost a leg in battle; an iron leg revived her spirit and she resumed her battlefield exploits. Look at the world around you – that women is empowered is …

Sita: Nature in its Feminine Form

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I would try to understand the personality of Sita in this paper, as she lived and conducted herself in the remote past, on her own terms, by her own rules2. Sita appears in the Ramayana as the embodiment of nature: Sita is sprung from the earth and returns to the earth (most naturally, just like a plant) while a major part of her life is spent living the spontaneous life of the forest2. The symbolism of nature (prakriti) is unmistakable. I examine each of three major events in the life of Sita below and postulate how it related her to prakriti (resembling forest in symbolism). In fact, these events of Sita’s life form the central core of the Ramayana. It is notable that the central story of the Ramayana begins with Sit’s eventful appearance from earth (birth) and ends with her unusual disappearance as absorbed by the earth, although, not narrated in that order. Her life is out of the ordinary and unparalleled in comparison to a normal woman. The spontaneous nature of Sita, can …