|
|
From the Editor's Desk
Namaste,
In June, high
school seniors end their K-12 career with a graduation
ceremony. In the summer, some of these graduates bring closure
to another major part of their lives - Bharatnatyam. I caught
up with one such student who will be performing at her
arangetram - the graduation performance that concludes
years of training - in just a matter of hours.
Anusha Gangapuram just graduated
from California High School in San Ramon, CA. Today, she will
graduate from just over 12 years of Bharatnatyam training. The
last decade of Saturdays have been preparing her for this
moment. But Anusha isn't nervous; her emotional pendulum
remains static as she describes the big day. That's the most
prominent quality that Bharatnatyam has inculcated in her -
confidence before an audience. Now she loves being on stage.
She explains that her dances tell stories about God, "dance is
a means of expressing my passion for my Hindu heritage."
When asked if she will continue dancing, Anusha
explains that she may not have the opportunity while she's
away for college. Anusha is an incoming freshman at the
University of California, Riverside, majoring in Biology.
Good luck Anusha!
On another note, check
out the article at the very bottom titled "Dear Abby." Do you
have a similar story to share? Or perhaps you have a few
things to say to "Happy Hindu" yourself? Write to tattva...@hinduyuva.org
with your remarks...
Gladly with you on this journey,
Tattva Team Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya: A Forgotten
Hindu Emperor (Part 1 of 2)
 His
achievements notwithstanding, he is not a household name in
India. His name does not ring any bells in the collective
memory of Hindus. I am not even sure if any physical memorial
of this Hindu Hero exists. Anecdotally, Prithvi Raj Chauhan is
considered as the last Hindu ruler of Delhi. Even I had made
the same assertion in one of my previous articles in Tattva
[1]; and it took me a while to realize my error! It is
incorrect to think that Hindus made no efforts to liberate
Delhi in medieval India. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya – the
Hero of our story – made one such effort that succeeded
Reflections of a Graduate, by Sanchay
Jain
Nowhere
is assimilation more prominent than in the American high
school. I would not consider myself particularly successful at
maintaining my traditions and customs. At the same time, I
never fit in, and perhaps most importantly, I never found a
balance between both extremes. I will cross the stage of my
graduation ceremony (the day I wrote this) cognizant of the
fact that I am not a normal American, and I am also not a
normal Hindu.
Hinduism Q&A, by Dr. SK
Balasubramanian
Young Hindu:
I do agree that Krishna and Rama are avatars of God. But
where is that God? Sitting somewhere in heaven or another
loka?
Read
the rest of this entry »
Indo-Greco-Coptic Nexus (Part 3 of 3),
by Vrndavan Parker
(This is the second of a series of three articles. Please
read the first article of the series here
and the second here)
 We
also have Goddesses such as Hecate. She is practically a
replicate of Durga or Kali. She has the same significance as
Mother Kali or Durga as well. Hecate was known as Kurotrophos
(Nurse of the Children and Protectress of mankind) This
is Durga as Shashti, The Protector of Children. Also Note the
word Kuro which is most likely related to the Sanskrt word
Kuru. This may indeed be more evidence verifying that some of
India’s Kurus did indeed migrate to Greece. Like Durga’s
Navratri Festival, which starts the day after the New Moon,
Hecate was also worshipped on the New Moon. Like Kali Mata,
Dogs are sacred to Goddess Hecate and they are both worshipped
on new moon nights as well. The Serpents are also an obvious
similarity between Hecate and Kali Mata. Chandi is Durga as a
Moon Goddess and Hecate is also connected to the Moon as seen
in the carving below. Even the items held in Hecate’s hands,
Fire, Weapons, Elephant Goad, Water pot and Discus, replicate
those held by the Vedic Durga.
Read
the rest of this entry »
Orissa in the Crossfire - Kandhamal Burning, by
Vrndavan Parker  Orissa in the Crossfire-Kandhamal
Burning provides many vital details related to the
Hindu-Christian violence that has swept Orissa’s Kandhamal
district. The book also highlights the history of Orissa and
its tribes. While many have familiarized themselves with the
propaganda that has fictionalized the events surrounding the
Kandhamal crisis, few have had access to the facts. The true
history of Kandhamal and the struggles of its people deserve a
fair hearing in the court of public opinion. Is the Kandha
religion sinister or sacred? Are they bloodthirsty savages or
a people of a noble and ancient heritage? Can the tribes
people of Kandhamal rise up out of their undeserved shame and
be seen for who they really are? Long labeled as ‘a cruel
human sacrificing tribe of ruthless savages’ it is time the
truth be revealed. It is time for the world to learn about the
Kandha ‘God of Light’ and their Culture of Life.
Read
the rest of this entry »
Chinmayananda Jayanti, by Gopalakrishnan
Nair
 Chinmayananda
Jayanti was celebrated on May 8 this year in over 250 Chinmaya
Mission centers in India and almost 50 centers outside India.
This day marked the birthday of Swami Chinmayananda, one of
the foremost preachers of spiritual knowledge in recent times.
Chinmaya Mission was established by the devotees of Swami
Chinmayananda in1953 and is rendering valuable service in
inculcating spiritual, cultural and social values among
children and adults all over the world. Swamiji dedicated four
decades of his life for the service of humanity by
establishing ashrams, schools, hospitals, nursing homes
and clinics throughout the world.
Read
the rest of this entry »
Dear Abby
“Dear
Abby, I a m a Hindu woman living in the ‘Bible
Belt.’ Many of my friends and acquaintances are Christians,
and they are all wonderful except for one thing. Some try in
small, subtle ways to convert me to their faith. With
Christmas approaching, I know what’s coming: boxes of baked
goodies with little brochures and pamphlets tucked inside all
about Jesus and the Christian faith. I wish you would remind
people that all of us in this diverse nation should respect
the faiths of others. To try to convert someone to your faith
implies that you consider your religious beliefs superior, and
this is just plain wrong. I know these gestures are well
meant, but I wouldn’t dream of sending Hindu brochures with my
holiday goodies. Abby, what is a tactful, but firm, way of
dealing with this?” Signed, Happy Hindu In The Bible
Belt.
Abby’s response:
“Dear Happy Hindu, much as you would like, you are not
going to change people who feel its part of their religious
commitment to ‘save’ you. Ignore the brochures and enjoy the
goodies.”
Based on a 12/21/02 Chicago Tribune feature under the
head-line “American Advice Columnist Responds to a Hindu’s
Concern.”
Mahavidhyas Sketch (1 of 10), by Deepak
Saagar
View
the full-size drawing here.
Maha Kali, the first of the ten Mahavidhyas, is
perhaps one of the best known goddesses of Hinduism. She is
the very force behind the movement of time, our very life and
the order that maintains it. Fearful though she appears, she
is capable of granting the ashta siddhis to her Upasakas. She
is portrayed as dark blue in colour, her eyes wide open, her
tongue rolling wildly, dressed with severed human heads and
hands and wearing garlands of skulls with various arms bearing
different weapons. She is often shown straddling over a corpse
(which is in the form of Shiva) amidst a blood spattered
battle field or a cremation ground. She represents death and
beyond, thus standing for all eternity as the only ultimate
truth. |
