What I searched all these years for myself-and I only found Ahalya, the woman I was supposed to be born as: unblemished, without any faults. I had no hala in me, no sin, no crime, no guilt. What I had done was to respond to the call of life within me...'-Ahalya. Created by Brahma; married to one of the greatest rishis of all time; desired by the king of gods, Indra. A woman maligned and cursed. But who was Ahalya? What did she want? Did she have ambitions and desires? In this sparkling retelling of the well-known legend, bestselling author Kavita Kané draws out the voice of a character that lacked one-even before she was turned to stone.
Awakеning Divinity:" Unlеashing Thе Powеr Of Hinduism" takеs you on a transformativе journеy through thе dеpths of Hinduism's profound tеachings, rituals, philosophy, and cultural hеritagе. Explorе thе 25 captivating chaptеrs that dеlvе into еvеry facеt of this anciеnt tradition, from thе sacrеd scripturеs and philosophical systеms to thе divеrsе practicеs, social issuеs, arts, sciеncеs, and thеir rеlеvancе in thе modеrn world. Dеlvе into thе wisdom of thе Vеdas, Upanishads, and othеr anciеnt tеxts that form thе foundation of Hindu philosophy. Uncovеr thе sеcrеts of thе Trimurti, thе divinе trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and discovеr thеir significancе in thе cosmic ordеr. Explorе thе powеrful prеsеncе of goddеssеs and othеr dеitiеs in Hinduism and thеir еmbodimеnt of various aspеcts of divinity. Immеrsе yoursеlf in thе captivating storiеs of thе Ramayana and Mahabharata, and uncovеr thе symbolism and tеachings еmbеddеd within thеsе еpic talеs. Discovеr thе rich symbolism and tеachings found in othеr mythological storiеs that havе shapеd thе Hindu worldviеw for cеnturiеs. Witnеss thе rolе of rituals, fеstivals, and lifе-cyclе cеrеmoniеs in Hinduism and undеrstand thеir significancе in spiritual practicе and pеrsonal transformation. Expеriеncе thе powеr of yoga and mеditation as pathways to sеlf-rеalization and innеr awakеning. Gain insight into thе major fеstivals that cеlеbratе thе divеrsity and spiritual еssеncе of Hinduism. Explorе thе social, cultural, and еnvironmеntal dimеnsions of Hinduism, including thе castе systеm, womеn's еmpowеrmеnt, and thе rеligion's influеncе on art, litеraturе, music, and architеcturе. Witnеss thе intеgration of Hinduism with tеchnology in thе digital agе and its impact on spiritual practicе, еducation, and global outrеach. Engagе with thе profound philosophical systеms of Hinduism, from Advaita Vеdanta's non-dualistic pеrspеctivе to thе dualism of Samkhya. Gain an undеrstanding of karma and rеincarnation and thеir implications for pеrsonal rеsponsibility and spiritual еvolution. Witnеss thе dynamic intеrplay bеtwееn Hinduism and othеr major rеligions, such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, and еxplorе thе principlеs of intеrfaith dialoguе and harmony. Discovеr thе significancе of dеvotion (bhakti) as a spiritual path and lеarn about thе tеachings of prominеnt bhakti saints throughout history. Gain insights into thе challеngеs and opportunitiеs that Hinduism faces in thе modеrn world, from adapting to technological advancеmеnts to addrеssing social issues and promoting sustainability. Explorе thе еnduring rеlеvancе of Hindu philosophy in providing guidancе, еthical principlеs, and a holistic worldviеw in a rapidly changing society. Awakеning Divinity: "Unlеashing Thе Powеr Of Hinduism" is a comprеhеnsivе еxploration that cеlеbratеs thе timеlеss wisdom, spiritual dеpth, and cultural richnеss of Hinduism. Whеthеr you arе a sееkеr on a spiritual journеy, a scholar of rеligion, or simply curious about thе profound tеachings of Hinduism, this book will immеrsе you in a transformativе еxpеriеncе that unlocks thе powеr of divinity within you.
Making Sense of Myth and Mythopoeia stands out for its unique and holistic treatment of mythmaking in the current set-up. Renowned mythopoeic writers Anand Neelakantan and Anuja Chandramouli offer deep insights into the genre thereby making the book an unputdownable must-read for myth lovers. The book also houses revisionist texts by Swarnalatha Rangarajan and A.V. Koshy. The subtitle is justified in The Editor's Workshop where the editors offer key pointers for interpreting a mythopoeic text. In the section titled The Critic/ Researcher, research papers by academicians serve as illustrations of what goes best into exploring a revisionist rendering. Sujatha Aravindakshan Menon offers a wide-ranging theoretical framework that applies to mythological renderings. Things don't end here. Readers and myth lovers discover the ‘Goodreads’ to fan their passion for generative/ adaptive renderings in the section Book Reports/ Reviews.
Essays focusing on some of the ways in which myths have been made, and made to function, in the rich cultural history of India from the dawn of history through to the present day.
Orphaned and homeless after a tsunami decimates their coastal India town, teenage sisters Ahalya and Sita Ghai are abducted and sold to a Mumbai brothel owner before they are helped by an American attorney fighting human trafficking.
Mythopoeia has always been a steady proponent in the construct of any socio-cultural order. In contemporary times, owing to the rise of cultural studies, a steady interest in revisionist literary texts has also surfaced. The association of Indian culture and values with a plethora of mythological narratives have made several scholars curious because they do offer an array of new perspectives of understanding the art, aesthetics and also the politics of myths within a larger social, religious and cultural context. Similarly, by exploring the trope of myth, it has been possible to look at other countries' cultures as well. This anthology offers new readings of classical myths across continents and cultures. The anthologized essays have collectively explored the various trends of revisionist literature. Sincere attempts have also been made to highlight the ways in which re-readings of select literary works can admirably transform set notions and ideas of human existence.
“Friendship or Love, Power or Loyalty - these are the choices that mankind has struggled with from time immemorial." Set in present day Mumbai and Delhi, the rivalry between two corporate houses and the contrasting backdrops of The Glamour World and Indian Mafia, the story follows its main protagonists as they evolve their conclusions. Theirs is a journey of passion, violence and even treachery. Dark secrets tumble out from the past shaping the future and their eventual fate. The Desais are modern day media barons, The Sahnis Industrialists and Power Brokers. When the conflict erupts between them it's a winner take all battle. At the centre of the storm is Veer a modern day “Friend like Karna ". Veer must overcome not only his powerful adversaries but the legacy of his birth. Then there is the Gorgeous Nisha whose substantive presence will catalyze the events that unfold. This is a thriller, a love story and a document of human drama.
‘Lyrical and poetic ... enthralling’ BIBEK DEBROY ‘A magical and thought-provoking adventure, Ahalya will intrigue and mesmerize readers’ CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI ‘An enigmatic tale about purity, chastity, seduction and redemption’ NAMITA GOKHALE ‘Brilliant and intriguing’ ANAND NEELAKANTAN It is known that Ahalya was cursed by her husband, Gautam, for indulging in a physical relationship with Indra. But is there another story to Ahalya's truth? Who was Indra anyway? A king? A lover? A philanderer? The first book of the Sati series, Ahalya hinges on these core questions, narrating the course of her life, from innocence to infidelity. In the Sati series, Koral Dasgupta explores the lives of the Pancha Kanyas from Indian mythology, all of whom had partners other than their husbands and yet are revered as the most enlightened women, whose purity of mind precedes over the purity of body. The five books of the Sati series reinvent these women and their men, in the modern context with a feminist consciousness.
From the bestselling author of Karna's Wife, comes this book about Urmila, Sita's sister and the neglected wife of Lakshman, and one of the most overlooked characters in the Ramayana. As Sita prepares to go into exile, her younger sisters stay back at the doomed palace of Ayodhya, their smiles, hope and joy wiped away in a single stroke. And through the tears and the tragedy one woman of immense strength and conviction stands apart-Urmila, whose husband, Lakshman, has chosen to accompany his brother Ram to the forest rather than stay with his bride. She could have insisted on joining Lakshman, as did Sita with Ram. But she did not. Why did she agree to be left behind in the palace, waiting for her husband for fourteen painfully long years?
WHAT IF YOU could live in peace every moment of your life? What if you could manifest the best reality in your life every day? What if you could feel contained and live in a state of ecstasy every second? What if stories answer the spiritual queries you have been living with all these years? What if you get answers to social rituals that you have been forced to perform but do not understand? Will you be interested in unravelling the secret? The secret lies in a wonderful journey to the Universal Source of Creation. The journey answers your questions and clarifies your doubts. We know mythological stories related to Lord Shiva and his life. We classify them as stories and do not relate them to our life. This book associates the stories with our life and allows us to learn and apply the teachings to our day-to-day life. Through this knowledge and wisdom, we are self-awakened and our consciousness is uplifted. The journey begins with the TRUST, that the knowledge and awareness of these truths will lift and shift the reality of our life. Trust that the journey is easy and enjoyable. Trust that happiness, joy, bliss, and containment is yours and you can achieve it through wisdom.
