By Jai Rustgi (CHAKRA) Jhatka meat is unheard of by majority of the Hindu/Sikh population in the western world. When an individual is heard asking, “Is your meat jhatka?” at a restaurant, house gathering or any other public setting, he/she is met with a blank stare followed by a question, “What is that?” Jhatka meat […]

(CHAKRA) Sufism is contrasted with more intolerant strains of Islam, notably that advocating jihad, proscribing of dancing and music, intolerance towards the kuffar, and strict interpretation of sharia. Unlike the stern teachings found within Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia or the Shia strain in Iran , Sufi Islam holds a more mystical approach in which the […]

(CHAKRA) In 1993 Christopher Hitchens exposed the myth of Mother Teresa as a caring old woman helping India ’s poor with Christian charity. Yet the myth persists that her disease infested incarceration centres are in the forefront of Christianity’s civilising mission in Hindu-majority India . Switch onto any American fundamentalist Christian programme such as the […]

(CHAKRA) How can one define “Hinduism” one may ask. Is it a religion?  A philosophy?  A collection of myths?  A way of life? Lets look at the term Hinduism first: the fact is that the name “Hindu” was given to the inhabitants of the Indus Valley by foreign invaders. From there the term Hinduism was given to the amalgam of the […]

By Sarvesh K Tiwari You can read Origins of Yoga – PART 1 here We have seen in the previous part how the identity of pata~njali, about which Hindus have never had doubts, is maliciously obliterated by the western commentators of yoga. Having obfuscated yoga-sUtra and having reduced its author to obscurity, next our western scholars […]

Click here to Read Hindus and Monotheism PART 1  Vedic Monotheism? 2. Discovering monotheism underneath polytheism Christian and post-Christian scholars have often attempted to recast other religions in the monotheistic mould. This endeavour was usually motivated by one of two contradictory motives, both of them presupposing a superiority for monotheism. Either its intention was sympathetic, in […]

  (CHAKRA) The enticing advertisements by the Department of Tourism by the administration of the Indian state of Kerala entice visitors with seductive images of natural beauty in the tropics, capping it all with the slogan “God’s Own Country”. However it is becoming increasingly apparent that this begs the question, exactly whose ‘god’ does this […]

(CHAKRA) It has been often alleged that rituals are nothing but superstitions practiced by illiterates and blind followers of faith. It is even claimed that no rational person will indulge himself in meaningless practices. Most of the rituals as such have died down. Most people don’t even perform the “Nitya Karmas” suggested in the Dharmashastras. […]

By Sarvesh K Tiwari (CHAKRA) On Pata~njali And His Works || namaH bhagavate pata~njalaye || “…we know little about the yoga author Patanjali. We know of Patanjali the grammarian and have good reason to date him to the 2nd century BC. Apart from the name, we have no solid reason for assuming that he was […]

(CHAKRA) The Chakra team got a chance to speak with the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and discussed some of their campaigns, challenges and what they plan to achieve. Below is an interview with Sheetal Shah from HAF. 1. You are heavily involved in religious and spiritual activities within the USA. Please explain what your goal is? […]