Genealogists of Rajasthan

One of the most fascinating things my husband told me before we got married was that when he was a child in the 80s, a Bhaat (geneologist) had come to their house and taken down his name to add to the list of Rajput ancestors.

How a sweet from UP became a rage in Karnataka

How could I go to Dharwad and not buy Dharwad Pedha? But first, I needed to find out whether the Dharwad Pedha available in Dharwad was any different from the Dharwad Pedha we get in Bengaluru.

A British Officer Who Met a Sage

Imagine a revered Guru who has been invisible for 130 years but suddenly appears before Thomas Munro, the Collector of Bellary. The story of the meeting between Munro and Raghavendra Swamy (of the Dvaita Vedanta lineage started by Madhvacharya) is an intriguing one! I have heard this story from childhood.

Jaisalmer is not just the Golden Fort

If there is one thing in Jaisalmer that enamours tourists, that pulls foreign travellers back again and again even if they have seen it before, it is the Golden Fort at Jaisalmer. I know the feeling.

Dreamland of Hindu art treasures just a short drive from Bengaluru

I had no idea that just an hour and 15 minutes from my parents’ home in Bengaluru, in a place near Nelamangala, there was a dreamland full of Hindu art treasures with a close link to Amar Chitra Katha, my favourite comic series.

Ahichhatra: Journey to the land of my ancestors

I often heard my mother saying that our ancestors had migrated to Karnataka in southern India from Ahichhatra. When I asked where Ahichhatra was, she said it was in Punjab or Kashmir. It always excited me that my people had made such a long journey in the past to start in their life in a new place.

A Massive Conglomeration of Gurukulas

What a day it has been...what a day! I arrived in Ujjain after 25 hours of changing several flights and lugging suitcases in St Petersburg, Moscow, Delhi and Indore. I just wanted to sleep till eternity. But I forced myself to get up after 2 hours of sleep and reminded myself of my whole purpose of coming to Ujjain. The Virat Gurukul Sammelan has turned out to be an extraordinary electrifying experience

Engaging with the Pakistani Hindu refugees of Rajasthan — Part 1

In December 2019, I got the chance to re-visit the beautiful cities of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in the state of Rajasthan. This time however, my visit was different — I was on a mission to see how the global Indian diaspora could help the Hindu refugees from Pakistan fleeing to India since 1971; people whose existence I had no idea of, until recently.

A Traditional Home in Srirangapattana

It is one thing to visit a place as a tourist and quite another to spend time with local residents who have preserved their traditional homes.

The hair-raising gondola ride

What a day it has been...what a day! I arrived in Ujjain after 25 hours of changing several flights and lugging suitcases in St Petersburg, Moscow, Delhi and Indore. I just wanted to sleep till eternity. But I forced myself to get up after 2 hours of sleep and reminded myself of my whole purpose of coming to Ujjain. The Virat Gurukul Sammelan has turned out to be an extraordinary electrifying experience

The Divine Feminine — The Journey to meet our Kuldevi

A few years ago, the word Kuldevi would not have meant anything special to me. Of course, I knew that Kula means family or lineage, and Devi is the Divine Feminine which we Hindus worship in various forms. So, I thought the Kuldevi was just another Devi form that some people chose to worship.

The Yogmaya Mandir of Mehrauli

I noticed that none of the people coming in the temple belonged to the highly educated strata of society. They looked like they would have studied in government schools and struggled with English. I bowed to them silently in gratitude for keeping Sanatana traditions alive.

Ashapura Mata's Temple in Bengaluru

My Karnataka and Rajasthan connections came together in a beautiful manner today. Some of you might remember my journey to find my husband’s Kuldevi.

The Bhasmaarti

I have lost count of the people who asked me to attend the Bhasmarti at Mahakaleshwar Temple. So, on the very next day after the Gurukul Sammelan ended in Ujjain, I woke up at 2:30 am barely 3 hours after I had gone to bed, just to make it on time for the aarti which starts at 4. This was the very first time in my life, I had woken up on my own just to witness an aarti. It felt surreal.

The Temple Where Mars Was Born

It was my friend Manish Joshi in Singapore who first told me about the Mangalnath Mandir being the place from where Mars got separated from the Earth. It made no sense to me but I am sure that like everything else in Sanatana Dharma, there is a symbolic meaning to this.

A Temple Designed by a Movie Art Director

Narasimha roopa of Vishnu is very dear to me. Often, I think of his roar when he emerged from the pillar to reassure Prahlada that evil will not go unpunished. But there are very few Narasimha temples I have visited in my life. In my Telangana trip this time, the first place my friend took me to was Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta.

Mallikarjuna of Gokarna

Surrounded by heavy monsoon rain all around in the coastal city of Gokarna and sitting in the shade of the Mallikarjuna (Shiva) temple, it was an unforgettable experience. Everything felt right with the world for that brief time.

Bus stop shrine in Singapore

I got down at the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange and looked for the little shrine in the corner that I would visit before going on my errands when I lived in Singapore. Ganesha gleamed black and shiny as always.

Oldest shrine in Tokyo

A beautiful memory of my 2018 visit to Senso-ji shrine, the oldest in Tokyo. The air shimmered with the fragrance of burning incense emanating from a bronze cauldron.

All eyes are on Ayodhya but Delhi just got a grand Ram Temple!

What many people do not know is that the same Sompura family which built the much-awaited temple at Ayodhya has almost completed a near-replica of that temple in Delhi!

Shivaratri Tour in Singapore

What was first planned as a few cars going from temple to temple turned into a 45-seater bus. Nine temples were selected in Singapore, none of which I had visited in 13 years of my stay!

Vidurashwatha Temple: Where Vidura, Serpents and the Indian Independence Movement Come Together

In the Chikkaballapur District of Karnataka, there is a quaint temple associated with Vidura, the great wise man of Mahabharata, whose counsel was ignored by King Dhritrashtra and which ultimately led to the terrible war between the Kauravas and Pandavas.

Lepakshi: Where Sculptors Breathed Life Into Rocks

I am back from the beautiful Veerabhadra Swami Temple in Lepakshi in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Built by brothers Virupanna and Veeranna during the period of the Karnataka Empire (called Vijayanagara Empire by some historians), the temple complex contains some outstanding rock carvings.

A Teacher Who Reigned in Students’ Hearts

When my grandfather Shri G.K. Timmanacharya retired in Bengaluru in the year 1949 after amassing much respect and love for his work as an educator, little did he know that the most exciting phase of his life was about to begin.

I walked again with my father today

If there’s one thing that makes me feel that my world is still intact with love and beauty, it is going on a morning walk with Appa. Memories of my girlhood, adolescence and even post-partum period come in waves upon me to create a magical feeling when I walk with my father.

Pain is better than numbness

Recently, my father went through a triple surgery (prostate, bladder neck and herniaplasty). He sent many messages to the extended family before he left for the hospital, and everyone waited eagerly for the end of his ordeal.

A Father’s Pride

Some moments are so emotional. Appa’s brain has taken a terrible knock. It’s slowly healing and no one can tell how long it will take or how much it will heal.

My Incorrigible Father

My incorrigible, 85-year-old father has started driving again. He was waiting for me to return to the US. I had been the last line of resistance.

She’s almost 90 but follows traditions

I went to meet my 88-year-old aunt again. I've written about her before. Throughout my growing-up years, we paid a customary visit to this aunt's house each time we visited Bengaluru and I would be glad when it was time to go back. There was not much to do in her sparsely furnished house - no games to play, no books to read. But I always thought she was nice.

How Colours, Seasons And Love Made My Cancer Treatment Memorable

I was numb. It seemed as if my life as I knew it was over. Surely, my Karma from some previous birth was catching up with me.

My Mother’s 80th Birthday

When I asked Amma how she wanted to celebrate the occasion of her turning 80, she said she did not want any big event but just a quiet time of togetherness.

My Nephew’s Bloodwork

Reports from home say that my nephew hated the process of giving his blood sample for a medical test so much that he tried to persuade the nurse to do an X-ray instead

COVID took my mother-in-law but not her memories

Five days ago, COVID claimed my mother-in-law. My father-in-law called my husband to say that she was having difficulty in breathing, and all panic broke loose.

How I got my daughter to love India and stay rooted

“You have been away from India for so long; how is your daughter so attached to the place? My children hate to travel to India; even if they do, they can’t wait to leave! They hate to fall sick there, and they cannot fit in with their cousins, uncles, and aunts.”

My mother says she learned from me

I learned an interesting thing about myself recently. My mother said she became a better cook and paid more attention to recipes because of me!

Surprise from Husband

I landed at Bengaluru and dragged my suitcases slowly to the taxi stand outside. To my surprise, a lady driver helped me to load the luggage in the car. Just as I was about to sit, a man tapped me on my shoulder - it was my husband!

My girl got her Master's

When she was a kid at DPS Singapore, she would rejoice that her friend had topped the class. She was a fun-loving child who did well in studies but had no concept of competition!

My daughter's Professor

In May, I found myself yet again at Cornell University, addressing a gathering of professors, faculty members, students and parents at the Guru Vandana 2025 event organized by Hindu YUVA.

The Brilliance of Rajaji

My uncle was a budding engineer from the National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysore and waiting outside the room where Rajaji was meeting people.

My Ajji, the quintessential Pativrata

I always like to remember my grandfather GK Timmanacharya because he was the brilliant one, the twinkly-eyed sweetheart with whom I could imagine having deep conversations about literature, history and mind sciences. My grandmother Sundaramma Ajji didn’t inspire me all that much.

A Quick Stop In My Grandmother's Town

I always like to remember my grandfather GK Timmanacharya because he was the brilliant one, the twinkly-eyed sweetheart with whom I could imagine having deep conversations about literature, history and mind sciences. My grandmother Sundaramma Ajji didn’t inspire me all that much.

Chiquita

I just finished watching the short film Chiquita on Amazon Prime, and found it quietly powerful and deeply intriguing. We often hear of Western seekers who, with no prior knowledge of India or Hinduism, awaken to a spiritual calling, sometimes through a dream, sometimes through an inexplicable experience and eventually go on a quest for a Guru in India. This film tells the story of one such unlikely seeker: a rugged biker in the barren landscapes of Texas, who is jolted out of his routine existence into the awareness of a mystical realm.

OMG 2

Never did I think I would get to see a movie scene straight out of my mind’s visualization! Two people are arguing. A tilak-wearing Hindu with tradition written all over his face and a modern woman with modernity written all over her face. The traditional Hindu father Kanti Sharan Mudgal played by Pankaj Tripathi is arguing for including knowledge from Kamashastra in modern education while the modern woman — a lawyer played by the beautiful Yami Gautam — is shouting that it is indecent to include sex-education in schools and to discuss topics like masturbation.

Srikanth

Finally watched the movie Srikanth and loved it. The dialogues were very well written and messages driven home beautifully. There were some rough edges like the background music at places and I am not sure why the score of "Papa kehte hai bada naam karega" had to play the whole time instead of some new theme music composed specially for the movie.

The Kashmir Files

I had to close my eyes while watching the first scene of the cold-blooded murder of a Kashmiri Hindu man & the brutalizing of his wife. I was glad my daughter was holding my hand. When Sharda was pleading for her husband's life to be spared in #TheKashmirFiles it's weird how I was hoping against hope that the terrorists would somehow listen to her pleas even though I knew exactly what happened in real life!

Manikarnika

As a policy, I do not see movies in a theatre unless I want to encourage the filmmakers or vote for the theme with my ticket. The Hindu-hating movie makers do not get my money anymore. Thus, I landed up to see Manikarnika in the theatre last night.

Adolescence

I just finished watching the mini-series that everyone is talking about — Adolescence. By now, the story of a young boy Jamie murdering a girl Katie from his school in an atmosphere of misogyny spread by social media influencers like Andrew Tate is being discussed on various platforms.

The Man Who Knew Infinity

Hey Bhagwan! Got blown away by "An equation for me has no meaning unless it expresses a thought of God".

The delightful Prof Bharat Gupt

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Samhita Shastri from Nepal

This scholar of Veda Samhita travelled all the way from Nepal to Orlando to speak at WAVES 2024. Dressed in the characteristic Nepali headgear, the 80-year old Samhita Shastri named Arjun Prasad Bastola ji was hugely interested in all the sessions.

A Meeting with Dr Ved Prakash Vatuk

In four volumes, Vatuk ji has first described every little detail about growing up in a UP village mainly filled with Arya Samajis, then going to London to study while working at different menial jobs including dishwashing and farming, meeting the woman he eventually married and then moving to Boston, studying at Harvard, teaching at University of Chicago and finally Berkeley.

A life dedicated to Sanskrit and Sanskrit

Dr Vivek Desai who got his doctorate from Princeton has dedicated his life to imparting Sanskriti-based education to children. He works full time with Sharada Prabha, a school in Valsad, Gujarat which is embedded in Shanti Mandir, a beautiful Ashram with Gaushala, a Hasta Kala centre, Ayurvedic treatment centre and many other elements that once were an integral part of Indian education.

Weekend with Wisdom

A Retreat with Dr Meenakshi Jain by Indic Academy: Imagine getting to spend almost 3 days with a subject matter expert like Dr Meenakshi Jain along with a bunch of other authors and history buffs in a beautiful resort.

The Fun of Giving A Ride to A Stranger in India

I had resigned myself to the horrible pothole-ridden road until Sirsi when we started from Gokarna to return to Bengaluru.

A Chance Lunch With Buddhist Monk

Cautiously I asked one question about Buddhism wondering if I was taking too many liberties and when it was answered by a few monks, I got bolder and asked more, all whilst delicious courses were being served one after another by liveried waiters.

A Cab Driver Who is a Role Model

This Mega Cabs driver Rama Krishn Prasad who ferried me from Delhi airport to home turned out to be of the wisest persons I had ever met. He comes from a village in Jharkand but has mostly worked in Delhi as a driver for various ministers.

An Erudite Gentleman

When I went to meet Dr Ashok Ghosh the Chairman of Bihar State Pollution Control Board at his office in Patna last week, I was not expecting such an erudite, dignified gentleman. Nor did I expect such a well-appointed office in a nice building

Meeting the great Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

“Whatever you’ve heard me playing on my flute - it is 100% what I’ve learned from my Guru Annapoorna Devi,” said Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia to me in the memorable dialogue I had with him.

My Nepali flight mate

My journey back to the US lightened up because of this Nepali grandmother sitting next to me. She spoke only Nepali but I could make sense from the similarity with Hindi.

Meeting DV again

Finally, the stars aligned and my husband and I were able to meet Sridharan DV at the senior care facility where he now resides in Chennai.

A Dharmic Family

When Vinod Guhaprasad Ji came to know from a newspaper advertisement that I was coming to speak at the ‘Arise Awake Assert’ event in Coimbatore, he messaged and asked if i remembered him.

The girl who lives on the sidewalk

I pass by these folks almost every day when I walk to Jayanagar on some errand. The little girl would be doing her homework while this lady (who I thought was the mother) ironed clothes on the roadside.

My broken jewellery

Last month, my favorite neck piece from Myanmar got broken. I was upset but kept the beads carefully.

Sitting in between a Yatri and a Student

During my travels in India in the past 2 months, I have had many spontaneous conversations with people that warm my heart even now as I remember them. One such memorable instance was on a flight from Varanasi to Bengaluru when I found myself sitting on a middle seat between a yaatri and a student.

Rajasthan must not lose its momentum in water management

The Indian state of Rajasthan has always been known for its exquisite history and culture. But it is also known for its management of limited water resources with 60% of its land classified as desert. A visit to any of the villages in the deserts of Rajasthan will give insights into the reducing, reusing, and recycling measures for managing water resources that have been a part of the culture long before the 3Rs were coined.

“I would like to offer America the best of ancient India — ethical milk, Vedic education and wellness”

In ancient India, indigenous cows were the centre of the economy; they were wealth; and in fact, they even played an important part in maintaining the educational system.

Invasive Fish Have Caused an Ecological Disaster at Mansar Lake

Once upon a time, the Mansar was full of small, indigenous fish which were considered sacred by the Hindus of Jammu. Feeding the fish was also regarded as a sacred ritual and people often threw food into the water. Turtles existed in the lake but they were shy and rarely came to the shore. The turtles ate the small fish and lived happily.

Gopalbhai Sutariya

Come see what one man from a diamond merchant’s family is doing with cow-based agriculture and Gurukula education. To see in action what you’ve only heard about is something!

Training farmers to maximize yields with cow-based products

“The farmer must know that if he takes good care of his cows, the cows will give huge benefit to the farmer,” says Gopalbhai Sutaria.

A Gurukula where students specialize in farming

Spent some wonderful hours at Gotirth Vidyapeeth at Karnavati after the IKSHA Sangama conference.

How water bodies were eliminated under British rule

Finished reading Mahesh Gogate's book “The Sacred Waters of Varanasi - The Colonial Draining and Heritage Ecology” some days back. He took the trouble to send me the book in Bengaluru. Dr Gogate is affiliated with Kyoto University and he actually converted his PhD thesis into this book. I am impressed with his painstaking research!

How My Message Changed from “Save Water Resources” to “Become a True Hindu first”

As World Water Day approaches on March 22, I reflect on my journey of writing vociferously on water issues for almost two decades and ultimately realizing that the solutions to the global water crisis lay in imbibing the principles of Sanatana Dharma.

Far Away From India, a Vedic Ecosystem Arises in Texas Gaushala

Spent some wonderful hours at Gotirth Vidyapeeth at Karnavati after the IKSHA Sangama conference.

India's Real Independence Day

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Kanyadaana

Long before I got married, my mother had told me a few things about Kanyadana, which stayed with me. She said it was the highest level of daana.