Holi - the Festival of Colours is intimately associated with Thandai (a cooling summer drink) and Bhang (cannabis) in North India especially in Uttar Pradesh. The intoxicating combination heralds the beginning of summers in this part of India. As the name itself suggests, thandai means providing refreshing coolness from the summer heat. And consumption of... Continue Reading →
We, the readers, are constantly on lookout for new authors. With the Bookstagrammers or the book Instagrammers, Kindle recommendations and Twitter, the task has become very easy with plethora of options in the last few years. Earlier we had to rely on few book reviews in newspapers or magazines, recommendations from friends and one's own... Continue Reading →
Banaras starts celebrating Holi 6 days before on Rangbhari Ekadashi when Shiva is supposed to come home first time with his consort Parvati post marriage and his followers welcomed them by playing colours with them. And next day Shiva's followers play Holi with ashes at famous cremation grounds of Banaras and this Pandit Channulal Mishra... Continue Reading →
What triggers a memory? The senses - the smell or the taste, the sound or the sight. And some memories are more vivid than others. Every Maha Shivratri I am reminded of the year of my Boards. It was 2nd of March - exactly two days before the Class X exams started. As was my... Continue Reading →
Amish Tripathi calls him "Dude of the Gods". Others call him by various names - 1008 names to be precise - Bholenath, Mahadev, Shankar, Shambhu, Rudra, Neelkanth, Nataraja or Shiva are some of the more popular ones. He is a paradox - as a destroyer and a benefactor, as an ascetic as well as a... Continue Reading →
Holi across the world is largely associated with Krishna, and people flock to Brijbhoomi to witness the festivities. Even the songs or paintings that celebrate this colourful festival centers around this playful God. But in the city of Shiva - Banaras (Kashi or Varanasi), Rangbhari Ekadashi marks the beginning of the festival six days before... Continue Reading →
