Worship – Itisaras

Religious Tourism and Paid Darshan In Hindu Temples:

September 27, 2020September 27, 2020 Tanya Mittal 0 Comments black market, bumper offers, commercial exploitation, customs, Darshan essentials, deluxe darshans, discriminatory, donations, family darshans, fast track, festive seasons, flowers, Friday, God, Haldirams, Hindu belief, Hindu deities, holy prasadam, holy sites, hotspots, Idols, Incense sticks, Indian culture, Lokniti, Mandhardevi Kalubai, mismanagement, multi-stakeholder, nepotism, pilgrimages, prasad, pujas, queues, sanctum, Spirituality, stampede, temples, Vacation, VIP darshan, visitors, VVIP, waiting, wealthy passengers, Worship

All devotees are equal but some devotees are more equal than others? The peculiar practice of ‘VIP Darshan Pass’ that allows you to bypass long queues is one example of the extensive commercialisation that has permeated places of worship today.

History Opinions Polity

Promise of the Preamble

August 15, 2020August 15, 2020 Shriya Tandon 0 Comments Belief, Bharatiya Janata Party, Chief Justice, citizens, Congress, Constitution, contempt of court, controversy, country, crimes, criticize, customs, Dalits, Decriminalization of 377, democracy, differences, diversity, duplicitous, economy, Emergency, equality, Expression, faith, fraternity, future, Government, historical, hope, independence, Independence Day, institution, Judiciary, Justice, liberty, Lifestyle, mission, nation, nationality, policies, political, Preamble, pressure, Rajya Sabha, republic, scrutiny, sovereign, thought, threat, Triple Talaq, universal, values, verdict, vision, Worship

India is celebrating 73 years of Independence today commemorating its successful overthrow of the colonial rulers in 1947. A lot of promises were made to the citizens of our country post independence. The question is – Who lived upto it?

Culture

An Indian Lunisolar New Year

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 Shriya Tandon 0 Comments Ayodhya, Bihu, Calender, Chaitra, Chaitra Navratri, Culture, Dance, Dhanteras, diversity, family, festival, festival of harvest, festivities, food, Gudi, Gudi Padva, heterogeneity, hindu, Hindu calendar, india, language, Lord Brahma, Lord Rama, lunisolar, Maharashtra, Makar Sankranti, Makar Sankrati, Maratha, Music, New Year, orissa, Panchanga, Pongal, Puran Poli, Puri, Ram Navmi, rangolis, Ravana, Religion, Sakkar Bhaat, Sanskrit, sari, season, Shrikhand, sindh, Ugadi, Worship, Yugadi

Owing to its unique and vast cultural diversity, India has many festivals and celebrations specific to certain areas and regions. Since Hindus form the majority, a Hindu calender is followed to keep track of the festivities throughout the year. This calender holds great importance for a lot of people, and with good cause.

Society

Online Darshan during COVID-19 Pandemic

July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 Tanya Mittal 7 Comments aarti, artificial intelligence, astrologers, Augmented reality, Bhajans, Bhakt, bitcoin, Church, corona, Corona Virus, COVID-19, cyber crime, daan, dakshina, darsgan, deity, devotee, digital, digitalization, e-Puja, fraud, God, gurudwara, kirtan, langar, Lockdown, mosque, online payment, Pandit, Pilgrimage, Religion, scam, shraadh, shraddhanjali, skype, social distancing, temple, temples, video calling, Virtual Darshan, Virtual reality, virus, Worship, zoom

Never had we ever imagined that we would one day face a situation wherein visiting temples virtually would actually become a reality. Sometimes, things do take a drastic turn and for all of us this year in 2020, the Corona Virus Pandemic has been that change giving us many new “Normals”. Only time will tell how this will shape our lives in the future.

Culture Editor's Picks

Satra Institutions: The Nerve Centres of Assam’s Cultural and Religious Practices

November 8, 2019July 12, 2020 Editor 0 Comments Art, Assam, Culture, Fine Arts, Heritage, History, literature, Majuli, Monasteries, Music, Mythology, North East, Religion, Satras, Tourism, Worship

The Satras of Assam are a legacy Sankaradeva passed on to the state and its people. They are an integral part of Assam’s history and culture. Satras not only deal with devotional activities but also focus on literary and artistic aspects and are treasure troves of cultural artefacts. What more do these institutions include? What makes the Satras so significant? Let’s find out!