Pitru Paksha: Remembering Ancestors in Hindu Tradition
Kamlesh Tripathi
In this fast-paced world, one hardly gets time to remember one’s ancestors. But God has devised a methodology to find ways and means to bridge this gap. Pitru Paksha is one such occasion and season when we remember our ancestors with reverence. It is a 16-lunar-day period in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the remembrance and reverence of ancestors (pitrs), falling typically in the lunar month of Bhadrapada (September). It commences on the Pratipada, the first day of the dark fortnight, and concludes on Amavasya (the new moon).
This fortnight is deemed inauspicious because of its association with death rituals and culminates with the Shradh ceremony. The ritual includes food offerings to deceased ancestors, believed to bring peace to their souls and ensure blessings for the living.
Pitru Paksha is based on Hindu scriptures and the principles of astronomy. When the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, it symbolically enters the realm of the ancestors, also known as the south celestial sphere. This transition typically coincides with the autumnal equinox, which is why Pitru Paksha falls during this time.
Hindu scripture Garuda Purana emphasises the importance of Shradh. They describe how the offerings reach the ancestors through a cosmic chain. From Varuna (the god of waters) to Vishnu, then to Surya, and finally to the pitrs (ancestors).
A popular tale from the Mahabharata adds a mythological flavour to the observance of Pitru Paksha. After Karna died and reached heaven, he discovered that the food he touched turned into gold. This puzzled him. He asked Indra the reason. He was told that while he donated gold throughout his life, he had never offered food to his ancestors. To atone, Karna was granted a fortnight to return to Earth to perform Shradh and offer food. These 15 days came to be known as Pitru Paksha. It emphasises the necessity of feeding the departed souls for their peace and well-being.
Shradh and Tarpana are the central rituals that involve offering food (pindas made of rice and barley), water (tarpana), and prayers. Shradh is performed on the tithi (lunar date) that corresponds with the ancestor’s date of death. Specific days are designated for those who died in particular ways, such as violent deaths, children, or ascetics. Sarvapitri Amavasya is the most important day for honouring all ancestors, regardless of their specific date of death. It can also make up for missed Shradh rituals. Gaya (in Bihar) is considered the holiest place to perform Shradh, where, during Pitru Paksha, lakhs of pilgrims gather at the banks of the Falgu River for the Pitru Paksha Mela. A symbolic aspect of the shradh is the feeding of crows, believed to be messengers of Yama or the ancestors themselves. If a crow eats the offering, it is taken as a sign that the offering has been accepted.
The Garuda Purana details the journey of the soul after death and the importance of Shradh. Several key verses stand out: “On Amavasya, the airy manes appear at the door of their descendants. If they are not offered, they sigh and curse their descendants.” “Offerings made with faith during Shradh reach the ancestors wherever they may be.” These verses demonstrate that rituals are not merely traditions but acts of spiritual continuity, filial duty, and love that connect generations across life and death.
Pitru Paksha shares striking similarities with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day in Christianity, and with ancient Greek ancestor rituals in the form of funerary customs, highlighting a universal human concern for honouring the dead. All Saints’ Day honours all saints who have reached heaven. All Souls’ Day is dedicated to praying for departed souls in purgatory, helping them attain peace. Practices include Masses, candles, almsgiving, and visiting graves, much like the offerings made during Shradh.
Across cultures and ages, humanity shares this sacred impulse to honour those who came before them and continue to walk with us, unseen but never forgotten. Death is not an end, but a passage.
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If you do not know how to greet, offer a namaste. If words fail you in the introduction, offer a namaste. A wise man once said, for a learned man, no land is alien. Just as with folded hands in a namaste, no person remains a stranger. Namaste softens the rigid edges of ego. It is an invisible arm, gently soothing the pride of another, opening doors to harmony, setting the tone for an amicable meeting. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow with hands pressed together, palms touching each other, and fingers pointing upwards, and thumbs close to the chest.
More than a greeting, it is a gesture of reverence. A silent acknowledgement of dignity, a language beyond speech. It carries a spiritual whisper: “I bow to the divine in you.” Echoing the timeless wisdom of the Rigveda and resonating through the verses of the Mahabharata.
The gesture of folding hands during a namaste is called the Anjali Mudra. In addition to namaste, this mudra is one of the postures found in Indian classical dance, such as Bharatanatyam. It is also found in Hindu temples, mandapams and in yoga practice. In moments of tension, on a crowded street, and in rising anger, a simple namaste can dissolve conflicts, turning discord into friendship. With a gentle bow and folded hands, known as the sacred Anjali Mudra, palms unite, fingers rise, and the heart speaks through silence. Namaste is derived from Sanskrit, namas (bow) and te (to you). It means, simply and profoundly, “I bow to you.” And within that simplicity lies a universe of respect, humility, connection, and peace. In a world searching for understanding, perhaps the answer lies not in words, but in a quiet, graceful namaste. Excavations in the Indus Valley Civilisation sites have found male and female terracotta figures in Anjali Mudra-like postures, doing a namaste.
“The light in me honours the light in you,” says Deepak Chopra, the new age guru. One of the most insightful interpretations of namaste comes from renowned English author Aldous Huxley, who explored Indian spirituality deeply. In works like The Perennial Philosophy, he reflects on the idea that the divine resides within every individual, an idea closely aligned with the spirit of namaste.
According to professor and sociologist Holly Oxhandler, namaste is a Hindu term which means “the sacred in me recognises the sacred in you”. E. M. Forster, in his novel ‘A Passage to India’, captures the subtleties of Indian manners and gestures. While he doesn’t formally analyse namaste, his portrayal of respectful distance, non-contact greetings, and cultural sensitivity reflects the ethos underlying it. Likewise, German Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle speaks of recognising the “presence” or consciousness in others, again, philosophically mirroring the meaning of namaste.
Even historians and Indologists writing in English, such as Stephen H. Phillips, have analysed the word namaste, linguistically and culturally, explaining how it conveys reverence, humility, and a subtle acknowledgement of the divine. So while namaste is rooted in Sanskrit and Indian tradition, its essence has been widely described in English, not always by name, but through ideas of inner divinity, humility, and universal respect.
I bow not to form, nor name, nor face, but to the silent light in your inner space. Thus, namaste speaks what words cannot declare. It is a gratitude to each soul, irrespective of its flair. Namaste is a respectful form of greeting, acknowledging and welcoming a relative, guest or stranger. In some contexts, namaste is used by one person to express gratitude for assistance offered or given, and to thank the other person for their generous kindness.
Since namaste is a non-contact form of greeting, some world leaders adopted the gesture as an alternative to handshaking during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic as a means to prevent the spread of the virus.
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As we grow older, our perspectives and lifestyles evolve. Life, as they say, is never static; the only permanence is impermanence. The way we see the world at twenty is vastly different from how we perceive it at forty, sixty, or eighty. Though it is often claimed that age is just a number, the number subtly yet significantly shapes how we view our remaining time on Mother Earth—and how we choose to live it out. Life expands like Parkinson’s Law, filling the available hundred years of human life.
Ancient Hindu wisdom offers a profound framework through the four ashramas—Brahmacharya (student life), Grihastha (householder life), Vanaprastha (withdrawal), and Sannyasa (renunciation). These stages map a gradual transition from outward engagement to inward realisation. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gently reminds us of life’s impermanence: Just as a person discards worn-out garments and puts on new ones, so does the embodied soul discards worn-out bodies and takes on new ones.
William Shakespeare, in his Sonnet 73, compares old age to late autumn and twilight: “That time of year thou mayst in me behold/ When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang…” Shakespeare’s metaphor of fading daylight beautifully mirrors the idea of life’s sunset.
In his short story White Nights, Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky poignantly captures the anxiety of passing time. Lamenting to Nastenka, a girl whom the narrator meets on the street of Saint Petersburg, says: “And you ask yourself: where are your dreams? And you shake your head and say: How quickly do the years fly by! And again you ask yourself: What have you done with your years? Where have you buried your best days? Did you live or not? Look, you say to yourself, look how cold the world is becoming. More years will pass, followed by gloomy solitude, and then doddering old age will come on a walking stick, to be followed by anguish and despondency. Your fantastic world will grow pale, your dreams will wither, die and scatter like yellow leaves from the trees … Oh, Nastenka! It will be sad, you know, to be left alone, quite alone, and not even have something to regret- nothing, absolutely nothing… because all that I have lost, all this, it was all nothing, a stupid, round zero– it was merely a dream!’
In Sailing to Byzantium, poet W.B. Yeats reflects on ageing and the longing for spiritual permanence: “An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick…” Yeats sees old age not merely as decline, but as a call toward artistic and spiritual transcendence.
In his essay Cato MaiorDe Senectute (On Old Age), Cicero argues that old age can be honourable and productive when guided by wisdom and virtue. He challenges the idea that ageing is merely decline.
Rabindranath Tagore often wrote of life’s evening as a time of serenity and fulfilment. In his collection of poems, Stray Birds, he notes: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” His vision transforms sunset into spiritual illumination.
In Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, fisherman Santiago doesn’t give up in his old age. On the contrary, he kills an 18-foot-long Marlin and a few Sharks that attack the Marlin in the Gulf Stream while alone in his skiff, and returns safely home, only to dream about lions while asleep. The lions represent strength, energy, and the vigour of Santiago’s younger days. Though he is physically old and worn, his spirit still carries the courage and pride of youth. Hemingway gives a tall message in the book: “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
In his later masterpiece, The Glass Bead Game, author Herman Hesse explores withdrawal from worldly ambition and the search for contemplative depth—very much aligned with the Vanaprastha and Sannyasa stages.
American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou spoke of ageing as empowerment rather than diminishment. She once said, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” Her reflections on later life emphasise resilience and dignity.
In Four Quartets, T S Eliot meditates on time, memory, and spiritual stillness: “Old men ought to be explorers…” He views the later years as a journey inward, not a retreat.
Sunset is the golden period of your life. It might become more meaningful and absorbing when you handhold classics and mythology and carve your own path. A smooth and gainful exit from this world is the best trophy.
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Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month (Panchang) of Shravan. It normally falls in August. Raksha Bandhan is also known as Rakhi. It is also referred as Saluno. It is an affectionate festival that celebrates the unbreakable bond between brothers and sisters. It’s a day when sisters tie a sacred thread, called “rakhi,” on the wrists of their brothers, symbolising protection and love. In return, the brothers offer gifts and the promise to protect their sisters.
It is an admired and traditional Hindu ritual and festival celebrated every year. Apart from India, it is also celebrated in other parts of the world influenced by the Hindu culture. On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman or lucky charm called ‘rakhi’ on the wrists of their brothers. The sisters symbolically protect the brothers by doing this. In return, they receive a gift. Its spiritual significance lies in the protection and interconnectedness of the relationship between the brother and the sister. The expression “Raksha Bandhan” comprehensively describes this ritual.
It is traditionally rooted in the curriculum of territorial or village marriages. The bride is married out of her natal village or town, and her parents, by custom, do not visit her in her married home. In rural north India, village marriage is quite prevalent. Married women travel to their parents’ homes every year to celebrate Raksha Bandhan. Their brothers, who usually live with their parents or somewhere close by, at times, travel to their sisters’ married homes to escort them back. Some brides arrive a few weeks earlier at their natal homes and stay there till the ceremony is over. The brothers serve as lifelong intermediaries between their married sisters’ and parental homes, as well as their potential protectors.
In modern India, where families have become increasingly nuclear, the festival has become more symbolic, yet it remains highly popular. The rituals of this festival have spread beyond their traditional regions. They have transformed owing to migration and technology. Factors influencing are movies, social media, and the religious bent of mind. We all remember the famous Bollywood song ‘Bhaiya mere Rakhi ke bandhan ko nibhana’. Even among females and males who are not blood relatives, tying of the rakhi has promoted the tradition of voluntary kin, crossing lines of caste, class, and religion.
So much has been written about Raksha-Bandhan to establish its credentials. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the Hindi word Rakhi derives its origin from the Sanskrit word Rakshika, meaning a protector or guardian. The earliest mention of the word Rakhi in the English language dates back to 1829, in Lieutenant Colonel James Tod’s book, Annals & Antiquities of Rajasthan.
Indian poet Nazeer Akbarabadi (1735–1830) wrote one of the first nazms in the Hindustani language on Rakhi. The august poet imagines that he, despite being a Muslim, would like to dress up as a “Bamhan” (Brahmin priest), with a sacred thread and a mark on the forehead, so that he can tie the threads on the wrists of all the beautiful people around him.
Much has been captured about Rakhi in various treatises, dictionaries, and books. Notable examples include the Dictionary of Hindustani and English, authored by Duncan Forbes in 1857. Raksha Bandhan’s reference in the mythology comes out in chapter 137 of the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purana. Here, Lord Krishna narrates to Yudhishthira the ritual of having a raksha thread tied to his right wrist by the royal priest (rajpurohit) on the day of purnima (full moon day) of the Hindu lunar month of Shravan.
Though traditionally, Raksha-Bandhan is observed in northern India. It also encircles central and western India, Nepal, and some other parts of the country, as well as overseas Hindu communities such as Fiji. It is primarily a Hindu festival. Besides India and Nepal, other countries also celebrate Raksha Bandhan. Pakistan and Mauritius are two other countries where Hindus celebrate this festival. In addition wherever we have Hindu diaspora Raksha Bandhan is celebrated.
Folklorist and American anthropologist Susan Snow Wadley writes: ‘In Savan, greenness abounds as the newly planted crops take root in the wet soil. It is a month of joy and gaiety, with swings hanging from tall trees. Girls and women swing high into the sky, singing their joy. The gaiety is even greater because women, especially the young ones, are expected to return to their natal homes for an annual visit during Savan.’
The brothers serve as lifelong intermediaries between their married sisters’ and parental homes, as well as their potential protectors. That’s the bond of Raksha-Bandhan.
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Imagine a wandering poet in 15th-century India, reciting verses that touched both kings and commoners. That was Kabir Das, a weaver who spun not just threads, but words that would echo through centuries. His dohe (two-line verses) weren’t just poetry. They were life lessons presented in everyday parlance, cutting across the noise of religious divisions and social barriers. Even today, his razor-sharp wisdom hits home, whether you’re puzzling over life’s essential questions or just trying to be a better person.
Kabir is one of the most fascinating personalities in the history of Indian mysticism. Born in or near Benares to Muslim parents, likely around the year 1440, he became a disciple of the renowned Hindu ascetic Ramananda early in life. Ramananda had brought to North India the religious revival that Ramanuja, the great twelfth-century reformer of Brahmanism, initiated in the South.
At a time when the great Persian mystical poets like Attar, Sadi, Jalaluddin Rumi, and Hafiz were exercising a powerful influence on India’s religious thought process, Kabir dreamt of reconciling the intense and personal Muslim mysticism with the traditional theology of Brahmanism. Kabir was a significant religious reformer and the founder of a sect to which millions of north Indian Hindus still belong.
A hater of religious exclusivism, his wonderful dohe (self-contained rhyming couplets) survive to convey the spontaneous expressions of his vision and love for all religions. It is impossible to tell if Kabir was a Brahman, Sufi, Vedantist, or Vaishnavite. He is, as he says himself, “at once the child of Allah and of Ram.”
Kabir’s life is steeped in contradictory legends, none of which can be verified. Some originate from Hindu sources, while others come from Muslim traditions. They depict him as either a Sufi or a Brahmin saint. Nonetheless, his name serves as definitive proof of his Muslim heritage. A credible story portrays him as the biological or adopted child of a Muslim weaver from Benares, where the chief events of his life transpired.
The syncretic tendencies of the Bhakti religion had reached their full potential in the fifteenth century. The Sufis and Brahmins often had disagreements. Kabir, who was born with religious passion, saw in Ramananda his destined teacher. But he knew the chances were slight that a Hindu guru would accept a Muslim as his disciple. Nevertheless, he hid on the steps of the River Ganges, where Ramananda used to frequent to bathe. The guru, while coming down the steps to the water, trod upon his body unexpectedly, and exclaimed in amazement, “Ram! Ram!” … the name of the incarnation that he worshipped. Kabir then announced that he had received the mantra of initiation from Ramananda’s lips and was, by it, admitted to his discipleship. This led to protests by orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. They both were equally annoyed by this contempt, but Kabir persisted with his claim. It appears Ramananda accepted him. Though Muslim legends speak of the famous Sufi Pir, Takki of Jhansi, as Kabir’s guru in his later life, the Hindu saint is the only human teacher to whom, in his dohe, he acknowledges indebtedness.
Kabir, for years, remained the disciple of Ramananda. He participated in the theological debates which his guru held with the Mullahs and Brahmins of the day. He may or may not have submitted to the traditional education of the Hindu or the Sufi ruminative. And he never adopted the life of the professional ascetic. He remained grounded as a householder and weaver.
Kabir can certainly be considered a unifier, especially in the context of religious and spiritual thought processes in medieval India. His fearless critique of both Hinduism and Islam, as well as his rejection of empty ritualism and dogma, was par excellence. It places him among the most important voices of syncretic spirituality in the Indian subcontinent.
He was certainly an isthmus between Hindu and Muslim traditions. Kabir was born at a time (15th century India) when religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims were rampant. Despite this, his poetry flourished from both traditions. He used Hindu concepts like Rama and Karma. He invoked Sufi Islamic ideas such as Allah, soul-union with the divine, and the murshid (spiritual guide). But he was critical of both Brahmanical orthodoxy and Muslim clergy, often mocking the meaningless rituals of both groups. His criticism had an oblique humour which blunted the ill feeling, if any, like the verse below:
“Mo ko kahan dhunro bande/Main toh tere paas mein/Naa main deval naa main masjid/Naa kaabe kailaas mein/Naa mein koune kriya karam mein/Nahi yog vairaag mein/Khoji ho to turate mila-ihe pal bhar ki talaas mein/Kahyen Kabir suno bhaai saadho sab swason ki swans mein.” (O Servant, where are you seeking Me? I am beside you. I am neither in a temple nor a mosque; I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash: Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and renunciation. If you are a true seeker, you shall at once see Me: You shall meet Me in a moment of time. Kabir says, “O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.”)
Kabir’s mysticism was Bhakti in form, but Sufi in essence. He focused on the inner connection with God, a theme shared by both traditions. He believed in the emphasis of inner experience over rituals. He emphasised personal devotion (Bhakti) over temple rituals. Like Sufi mystics, he stressed on love, surrender, and the heart’s experience of the Divine.
Kabir wrote in vernacular Hindi (a mix of Awadhi, Braj, and Bhojpuri), not in Sanskrit or Persian. For example, “Guru Govind dono khade, kaake laagu pai/Balihaari guru aapne, Jin Govind diyo batay. (When Guru and God both are standing before you, whom will you bow to first? I am indebted to the Guru, who has shown me the path to God, hence, I will bow to him first.)
This made his teachings accessible to ordinary people across caste and religious boundaries, uniting them through shared human concerns such as life, death, love, hypocrisy, suffering, and salvation. Kabir is revered among communities such as Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. Several of Kabir’s verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. The Kabir Panthis is a sect that still follows his teachings and promotes interfaith harmony.
Kabir can be seen as a harmoniser. Not because he merged religions into one, but because he rose above sectarian identities and pointed toward a universal spiritual truth that transcended dogmas. His fearless voice called for a unity of hearts, not of institutions. He remains a timeless symbol of spiritual integrity, courage and harmony.
Kabir’s dohas (couplets) and poems are a key part of his fearless critique of religious dogma. He did not spare either Hinduism or Islam in pointing out hypocrisy, meaningless rituals, or spiritual arrogance.
Kabir wasn’t against religion per se, but against the ritualistic, dogmatic, and divisive practices that religions had become associated with. His criticism was not destructive—it was reformative, calling people back to the core spiritual experience, love of God, and inner transformation.
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–“If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here,” said Amir Khusrau, a renowned Indian Sufi poet, about Kashmir. But the Pahalgam perpetrators have made it bloody—
*
In the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam,
On the 22nd of April 2025,
While the tourists were freaking out in the meadows,
Helping themselves to a picnic lunch,
Under the bright sun.
*
The terrorist struck,
With all their brutality,
Killing 26 able-bodied Indians,
In the worst of atrocities.
*
It all happened in the beating heart of the Anantnag district,
Where the Lidder River whispers through the valley,
And the tall mountains stand in majestic grace,
In the Vale of Kashmir.
*
The gruesome carnage was committed,
By AK-47-toting terrorists,
On a day that was meant to be peaceful and joyful,
Which humanity will never forget.
*
They say,
Terrorism doesn’t have a religion,
But the terrorists proved it otherwise,
When unable to recite the Kalma,
They shot those hapless Indians,
In an inhuman style.
*
But the Indians,
Never thought like that,
For they were always united in great style,
1.4 billion to be precise.
*
The terrorists asked the victims to undress,
To prove their religion,
And that proved the point,
That terror has a religion.
*
The victims were mostly young,
They were all bright,
They all had ambitions,
To come up in life.
*
The worst came when they were shot dead,
In front of their wives,
Who wailed for their safety,
But the lethal Pakistani terrorists,
Failed to sigh.
*
Being born a Hindu is no crime,
Being born in any religion is divine,
But perpetrating terrorism,
Is a terrible crime.
*
It’s like Alexander Fleming versus Mikhail Kalashnikov,
One invented penicillin,
And the other AK-47,
One saved a life, the other killed the hapless,
Kalashnikov must be turning in his grave,
Seeing the legacy of his invention.
*
Five Lashkar terrorists,
Brought India to an emotional halt,
But let there be no doubt,
In the minds of the killers and their handlers,
The young India is 65% of 1.4 billion,
That will not forget its revenge.
*
–Terrorism is the worst crime against humanity. Life is only a sojourn on Planet Earth. Live with that in mind—
***
Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi
Author, Poet, & Columnist
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The heinous acts of ‘Thugs’ were called ‘Thuggee.’ They were organised gangs of robbers and murderers. The English word ‘Thug’ originates from the Hindi word Thug which means a ‘swindler’ or a ‘deceiver’.’ ‘Thugee’ entailed an act of murder and robbery of travellers. It was rampant in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Thugs travelled in groups. There are numerous folklore about their origin. One recorded by D.F. McLeod an Anglo-Indian civil servant traced it back to the Muslim tribes originating from those who fled Delhi after murdering a physician. Another traced it to certain renowned Muslim families who fled after murdering a favourite slave of Akbar. These original Muslim thugs cultivated thuggee, amongst various communities and castes of Hindus. According to some other folklore, thugs were Kanjars or descended from those, who worked in Mughal barracks. Others blamed the rise of thugs on the disbanding of armies in the employment of Indian rulers after the British conquest. Thugs operated in gangs as highway robbers, first tricking and later strangling their victims.
To take advantage of the victims, the thugs would join travellers to first gain their confidence. This would facilitate them to surprise and strangle the travellers with a handkerchief or a noose. They would then rob, kill and bury the victims. This gave the thugs the name Phansigar, one who kills with a noose. During the 1830s, the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck and his chief captain, William Henry Sleeman, targeted the elimination of thugs.
In physical appearance, the thugs resembled the travellers. They wore turbans and carried some baggage in person. Their attire would deceive, any traveller.
The idea of ‘Thugee’ was to steal maximum loot without being apprehended. The thugs did not accost travellers until their own numbers were greater than their target. They first flattered the travellers they met, which gave them a chance to gauge how many valuables they were carrying. Thugs avoided committing thuggee close to their native place, so their crimes were difficult to discover. They pretended to be either Hindu or Muslim to fool their victims.
They usually attacked in the evening. A common way was to distract their targets while attempting to strangle them from behind. They carried only a few swords for self-defence to avoid any suspicion. At times they even mutilated the corpses of their victims to avoid detection. The corpse was then hidden or buried.
The leader of the gang was called Jamadar. They used ranks such as jamadar and subedar, to suggest that their organisation had a military construct. They spoke a secret language called ‘Ramasee’ to disguise their real intentions from their targets. Although strangulation was one of their most recognised methods of murder, they also used blades and poison.
Thugs were made up of men, who inherited thuggee as a family vocation, as well as those, who were forced to turn to it because of circumstances. The head of the gang was based on inheritance with family members sometimes serving together in the same band. These thugs were known as aseel. Certain thugs, insisted, that beginners were not taught thuggee, by their own family members but by outsiders who were often more skilled and experienced. They were called gurus. Thugs usually kept their acts secret. There were female thugs too who were called baronee in their secret language Ramasee, while an important male thug was called baroo.
Thugs often avoided, the killing of a victim’s child, instead they would adopt the child. At times they murdered women and children to eliminate witnesses. Some thugs avoided killing of victims they considered proscribed according to their beliefs and let other unscrupulous members commit the murder.
It is on record that during the 14th century, a thousand thugs were captured and hanged on the streets of Delhi. Two-hundred years later Sher Shah Suri organised a cavalry of 1,200 men to keep them at bay. Akbar and his successors launched drives against the thugs, but it was only in the 19th century that Sir W. H. Sleeman succeeded in wiping them out after a relentless operation lasting seven years.
The initial references to the thugs as a fraternity, rather than ordinary thieves, is found in Zia-ud-din Barni’s History of Firoz Shah written around 1356, where he narrated an incident of sultan Jalal-ud-din Khalji, having arrested 1,000 thugs.
Poet Surdas, in his couplets, mentioned, robbers called “thugs.” The Janamsakhis, the legendary biographies of Guru Nanak, used the term thug to refer to a robber who used to lure pilgrims. Jean de Thevenot, a French traveller in his account referred to a band of robbers who used a “certain slip with a running noose” to strangle their victims. John Fryer an English doctor of the Royal Society, mentioned a similar method of strangling used by robbers from Surat whom he saw being given capital punishment by the Mughals in 1675. An edict issued by Aurangzeb in 1672 refers to a similar method and uses the term “Phansigar”.
The garrotte (killing by strangulation) is often depicted as a weapon of the thuggee. Thugs committed their murders with nooses of rope or catgut, but later they adopted the use of a length of cloth that could be used as a sash or scarf, and thus more easily concealed. This cloth is sometimes described as a rumal (head covering or kerchief), translated as “yellow scarf”; “yellow”, in this case, may refer to a natural cream or khaki colour rather than bright yellow.
Thug’s preference for strangulation might have originated from a quirk of the law under the Mughal Empire that ruled most of India from the 1500s. For a murderer to be sentenced to death, he or she must have shed the blood of the victim. Those who murdered but did not shed blood might face imprisonment, hard labour and paying of a penalty—but they would not risk execution.
A poison called Datura, derived from a plant in the Nightshade family, was sometimes used by thugs to induce drowsiness making strangulation easier.
The “River Thugs” killed people which included Hindu pilgrims, travelling through the River Ganga, and were active mostly during the winter. Their vocabulary of Ramasee differed from the one used by the thugs on land. They used boats taken on lease from the boat-builders or a jamadar called Khuruck Baboo. Sleeman states that they tapped three times to give the signal to murder, which they always committed during the day. To avoid detection of a corpse, they broke its back and threw it in the river to be eaten by crocodiles and only looted money or jewels.
By the 1870s, the ‘thug cult’ was largely extinct. However, the history of thuggee contributed to the establishment of the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) of 1871. The CTA was repealed after India gained independence. The Thuggee and Dacoity Department continued to operate until 1904 when it was replaced by the Central Criminal Intelligence Department (CID). Numerous Bollywood movies have been made on ‘Thuggee’, including Gunga Din (1939), Sunghursh (1968), and Thugs of Hindostan.
Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:
NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION
Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)
IFSC code: BKID0006805
*
Publications of Kamlesh Tripathi
BOOK TITLE: GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE
(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in eight prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in the libraries and archives of Canada; the Open Library; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore and the Library of Cancer Aid and Research Foundation, Mumbai. The title also finds a mention in a book titled ‘Enduring Cancer: Life, Death and Diagnosis in Delhi’ by Dwaipayan Banerjee published by the Duke University Press).
BOOK TITLE: ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY
(It is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)
BOOK TITLE: AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES
(This is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is catalogued and included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California; The Peshastin Public Library and The George Public Library near Washington, a Northern Central Washington Libraries branch; the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library in Arizona in the US and the Salina Public Library, Kansas, USA.
BOOK TITLE: REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD
(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).
BOOK TITLE: TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN
(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen but for any reader. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
BOOK TITLE: RHYTHM … IN POEMS
(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems are about our day-to-day life. Poems from this book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times, Bhavan’s Journal and Arunachal Times and Goan net. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
BOOK TITLE: MIRAGE
(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)
BOOK TITLE: AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra
(It is the story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE. Included in the library of Friends of Tibet and Maharashtra Mitra Mandal Library in Bandra, Mumbai.
(POEMS, SHORT STORIES AND ARTICLES OF KAMLESH TRIPATHI PUBLISHED IN JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES)
BHAVANS JOURNAL
Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars, June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. The Nag Mandir 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24; 46. Book review: A Forgotten Chapter 16.5.24; 47. Exploring Ancient Egypt, 1.8.24; 48. The Story of Dhruva, 16.8.24; 49. Two Hundred Years of Tea in Assam 16.9.24; 50. The Cosmic Messenger 16.10.24; 51. Biblioburro: The Four-Legged Library 16.11.24
THE SHILLONG TIMES
Articles & Poems: 1. Poem: Happy New Year 8.1.23; 2.Poem: Spring 12.3.23; 3.Poem: Right and Wrong 20.3.23; 4.The Gush of Emotion—Writing, 26.3.23; 5. The Nag Mandir, 7.5.23; 6. Poem: Mother 7.5.23; 7. Poem: Rain Rain 9.7.23; 8. Poem:You Come Alone You Go Alone 6.8.23; 9. Poem: Rain Rain (Second Time) 10.8.23; 10. Poem: Guru Teacher 1.10.23; 11. Poem: Autumn … The Interim Heaven 15.10.23; 12. Poem: Happy Diwali 12.11.23; 13. Overcoming Blindness: Learn it the John Milton Way 10.12.23; 14. The Happy Prince and The Happy Man’s Shirt 31.12.23; 15. Annus Mirabilis -2024 7.1.24; 16. Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. Poem: Together But Not Made For Each Other, 11.2.24; 18. The Birds Bees and The Spiders of Nicholas Guildford and Jonathan Swift 25.2.24; 19. The Overcoats of Nikolai Gogol and Ruskin Bond 10.3.24; 20. The Ethnic Colours of Holi 24.3.24; 21. A Lesson from Dalai Lama, 21.4.24; 22. Poem: Morning Walk 28.4.24; 23. Trip to Rhine Falls, Switzerland, 19.5.24; 24. Poem: Hurt 2.6.24; 25. Poem: Your Conscience Was My Sign On 16.6.24; 26.Poem: The Eerie Ways of Time 7.7.24; 27.Poem: Celebrating the T20 World Champions 14.7.24;28. Read to Rise above mediocrity, 4.8.24; 29. Poem: Desire vs Reality 11.8.24; 30. Jack Ma’s Pristine Advice to Employers, Employees and the Youth 22.9.24; 31. Tagore and Kipling 3.11.24; 32. Poem: Merry Christmas 22.12.24;
THE ASSAM TRIBUNE
Article: 1. The Magic of Reading 11.12.23; 2. Gandhi to Mahatma 29.1.24; 3. Geography of Solitude 8.4.24; 4. A Lesson From Dalai Lama, 22.4.24; 5. A Source of Inspiration, 29.4.24; 6. The Four-LeggedLibrary, 12.5.24; 7. Age and Achievement, 10.6.24; 8. Read … To Rise Above Mediocrity, 1.7.24; 9. Crusade for a College, 25.8.24; 10. Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory (Panorama) 27.9.24; 11. Short story: Love in the Air, 20.10.24;
THE ARUNACHAL TIMES
Poem: 1. Hope—In The Arc of Twilight, 13.8.23; 2.Poem: Spring 3.3.24; 3.Poem: The Morning Walk 10.3.24;
BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI
Articles & Poems: 1. Poem: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. Poem: Mother, 1.6.23; 3. Poem: Rain Rain, 1.8.23; 4. A Lesson From Dalai Lama, 1.6.24; 5. Read to rise above Mediocrity 1.8.24
THE GOAN NET
Poem: 1. Autumn – The Interim Heaven, 6.10.24; 2. Reader’s Rewind 17.11.84; 3. Reader’s Rewind: The Irony of Tash Moustache or Mooch 5.12.24; 4. The Sunset Point 22.12.24;
ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI
Aritcles: 29.12.2020: Indica by Megasthenes; 14.3.22: About The Dimasa Kingdom Assam; 10.12.22: Grand Trunk Road–Uttarapath; 5.10.23: The Ghost Town of Kuldhara Near Jaisalmer;
(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)
You require reams and reams to describe Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay. By profession, a historian and by occupation, a politician. His lifespan: 25.10.1800-28.12.1859. He was a renowned British historian, a Whig politician, statesman, scholar, poet and essayist. A gold medallist from Cambridge and a law student. He knew German, Dutch and Spanish and was fluent in French. At Cambridge, he twice won the Chancellor’s Medal for English. In 1824, he was made a Fellow of Trinity College, but with the collapse of his father’s business, he was forced to study law. He was called to the bar in 1826 before he started taking interest in politics. Initially, he contributed to Knight’s Quarterly Magazine. Later he began writing essays for The Edinburgh Review.
Before leaving for India Macaulay had written twenty-two essays for The Edinburgh Review. He added three while in India and finished eleven more after returning to England. He contributed five biographies to The Encyclopedia Britannica. His poetry was mostly written in his early career, and most of it is included in his collection of poems titled ‘Lays of Ancient Rome’ (1842). His work ‘The History of England, the first two volumes of which were published in 1849, remained unfinished at the time of his death.
Macaulay remained unmarried though his emotional relationships with his sisters Margaret and Hannah flourished. Margaret died while he was away in India and Hannah accompanied him to India. He decided to move out of Albany, London, where the stairs to his second-floor flat became increasingly difficult for him to negotiate with his ailments while he grew old. To diffuse the situation he bought a house with a garden, within easy walking distance of his brother-in-law. He never remained without a book. Whatever the occasion, Macaulay was rarely without a book in his hand. His reading remained eclectic, including a large number of light and popular novels. ‘Some books which I never should dream of opening at dinner please me at breakfast, and vice versa,’ he cheerfully confessed. Jane Austen remained unrivalled in his literary endearments.
While strolling in his portico, he would memorize in two hours the full 400 lines of Act IV of Merchant of Venice. Another day he would repeat from memory the entire membership of the House of Lords. He kept up his German and Italian and enjoyed burying himself in financial calculations about the stock market and government spending estimates.
A chronic bachelor he breathed his last in his house. He always found solace in books and passed away in his library surrounded by nearly 4,000 books … his biggest love. His global popularity in his own lifetime was rivalled only by Charles Dickens. To kill monotony he often retreated into his voluminous library, where he kept a regular account of his reading.
Thomas Macaulay’s achievements can be classified in three ways: His impact on India, England, and other British colonies. Between 1839 and 1841 he served as the Secretary at War and between 1846 and 1848 as the Paymaster General. He was also a Member of Parliament from the pocket borough of Calne and later M.P. for Leeds. His maiden speech in Parliament advocated the abolition of the civil disabilities of the Jews in the UK. He remained Secretary to the Board of Control under Lord Grey from 1832 until 1833. Later as an aftermath of his father’s dwindling business he accepted a more remunerative office than that of an MP, from which he resigned after the passing of the Government of India Act 1833 to accept an appointment as the first Law Member of the Governor-General’s Council in India between 1834 and 1838. In June 1832, just days after the passing of the Great Reform Act, Britain’s most important constitutional change since the Revolution of 1689, Macaulay was rewarded for his parliamentary eloquence with his first government posting. He was appointed one of the Commissioners of the Board of Control, the quango through which the British Crown managed the affairs of the East India Company. His famous Minute on Indian Education called the ‘Macaulay Minute’ of February 1835 was primarily responsible for the introduction of Western Education in India.
Macaulay spent four years in India, where he devoted his efforts to reforming the Indian criminal code, putting the British and natives on an equal legal footing, establishing an educational system based upon the British model and destroying ancient Indian teaching methods.
A towering intellectual of the 19th century. The high point of his versatile career was the position of colonial administrator in India. He brought the English language and British education to India and by extension to other parts of the world. He even devoted himself to the anti-slavery campaign and believed in good governance. Once he wrote ‘A good government like a good coat is that which fits the body for which it is designed’. He supported the controversial First Opium War against China (1839-1842).
Macaulay recommended English as the official language of secondary education in all schools, and the training of English-speaking Indians as teachers. In his minute, he urged Lord William Bentinck, the then-Governor-General to reform secondary education on practical lines to deliver “useful learning.” Earlier there was no tradition of secondary education in vernacular languages. The institutions supported by the East India Company taught either in Sanskrit or Persian. Hence, he argued, “We have to educate Indians who cannot at present be educated by means of their mother tongue. We must teach them some foreign language.” Macaulay argued that Sanskrit and Persian weren’t more accessible than English to the speakers of the Indian vernacular and the existing Sanskrit and Persian texts were of little use for ‘meaningful learning’. When Macaulay took over as President of the General Committee of Public Instruction its policy was still an uneasy compromise between promoting English education and subsidising the older Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit colleges. So in hindsight had English not been promoted it would have led to the promotion of Arabic, Persian or Sanskrit.
The survival of a pan-Indian judiciary and civil service reforms too would have been impossible without Macaulay’s initiatives. Macaulay’s committee of 1854 gave India her first Civil Service. The act removed the right of patronage to appointments in civil service held by the Court of Directors. The appointment was to be done only by open competition based on merit and was open to all.
He was convinced that India, like medieval Europe, needed to undergo a cultural Renaissance through the infusion of European values, literature, institutions and science, whereas Evangelists saw Western learning as the means to promote Christianity. An obvious way to economise was to send out fewer British officers and rely more on Indians to fill judicial and administrative posts. But that would have meant educating more Indians in English to qualify them for those jobs.
The software revolution in India perhaps wouldn’t have happened had it not been for ‘Macaulay’s minute’ and India might not have been a seamless society had it not been for the famous ‘minute’ either. It was English that allowed the states of South India to successfully neutralise the imposition of Hindi upon them. English thus became the lingua franca of India.
In spite of the countless skills and honours which are not easy to find in a single person, Macaulay had a second nature. He had an anti-Hindu sentiment. He was contemptuous of native Indians, particularly of Hindu customs and religious superstitions. He once wrote ‘I have been persuaded to go to a party at the villa of a very wealthy native who proposes to entertain us with a show of fireworks. As he is a liberal, intelligent man, a friend to education, and in opinions an Englishman, though in morals, I fear, a Hindoo.’ The reference here to morals was to religious affiliation rather than probity of character. And which Indian will ever forget that infamous speech of Macaulay?
In another instance, while visiting a Raja he described Hindu God Ganesha in a very depreciating manner. He said ‘Finally, he was introduced to the household gods and had his first encounter with what was for him the bizarre figure of Ganesh, a fat man with a paunch like Daniel Lambert’s (the fattest man in England), an elephant’s head and trunk, a dozen hands, and a serpent’s tail.
To flatter someone’s evangelical hopes he told him that most Hindus who learned English quickly renounced their own religion for Christianity, unlike Westernized Muslims who held on to their faith. The reason, he explained, was that Hinduism was ‘so extravagantly absurd’ that it was impossible to reconcile with the knowledge of astronomy, geography, or natural history. Islam, on the other hand, belonged to a better family, related as it was to Christianity, and even at its most extreme was rational compared with Hinduism.
But that apart. Despite the anti-Hindu sentiment, Macaulay conceded that Britain as a great trading and manufacturing nation could benefit from India’s wealth and prosperity. Most certainly he liked the wealth but not the Hindus.
Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:
NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION
Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)
IFSC code: BKID0006805
*
Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications
GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE
(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).
ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY
(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)
AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES
(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).
REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD
(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).
TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN
(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
RHYTHM … in poems
(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
MIRAGE
(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)
AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra
(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).
BHAVANS JOURNAL
Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3.Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4.Indica, 15.8.20; 5.The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6.Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9.The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10.Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11.Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12.Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13.Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14.A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15.Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16.Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17.Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18.Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19.Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20.Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25.Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26.The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22; 27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29.Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34.Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35.When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23;
SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION
ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM:MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM:YOU COME ALONE YOUGO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23;
29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;
(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)
Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:
NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION
Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)
IFSC code: BKID0006805
*
Our Publications
GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE
(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US that includes Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada, Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida; India. Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).
ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY
(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; Available for reading in Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)
AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES
(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be the undying characteristics of Lucknow. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California).
REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD
(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)
TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN
(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
RHYTHM … in poems
(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
MIRAGE
(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)
Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1.Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2.Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3.Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20 2020; 4.Indica, 15.8.20; 5.The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6.Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9.The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10.Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11.Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12.Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13.Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14.A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15.Are Animals Better Teachers?, June 16, 2021; 16.Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17.Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18.Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19.Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20.Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25.Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26.The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22; 27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29.Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22;
(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)
