History Vignettes from India

Eksar Viragals: A Forgotten Heritage Swallowed by Urbanisation

7 min read

The Viragals (Hero Stones) at Eksar in Borivali represent a fragment of Bharatavarsha's glorious naval heritage left behind by Bhoja Raja, Kadambas and Shilaharas. They are now in a compound of the po ...

Ghar-Wapsi in the Vijayanagara and Maratha Empire and Gandhi’s Betrayal of Hindus

Sandeep Balakrishna

4 min read

Read these little-known episodes of Ghar-Wapsi in the Vijayanagara and the Maratha Empire, and the Arya Samaj's role in reconverting Hindus

Ghar-Wapsi: Meos, Malkana Rajputs and a Saga of Missed Opportunities

Sandeep Balakrishna

5 min read

Ghar-Wapsi of converted Hindus was a continuous process until it suddenly stopped due to the depleted vigour of the Hindu society

Illustration of a Vrātya-stōma Ceremony

Vrātya-stōma: Schopenhauer, Emerson, Elst and Frawley

Sandeep Balakrishna

4 min read

The Vrātya-stōma was the typical ceremony performed for admitting foreigners into the Sanatana society during the pre-Islamic period. It is still valid for foreigners who formally want to become Hindu ...

Illustration of a Shuddhi Ceremony in the 8th century

Some Gleanings from the Dēvala-Smriti

Sandeep Balakrishna

6 min read

The Dēvala-Smriti is an exemplar of the practical application of Āpad'dharma — the Dharma of Exigency. It is particularly noteworthy for its humane and compassionate treatment of welcoming forcibly co ...

The Devala-Smriti: A Brief Introduction

Sandeep Balakrishna

5 min read

A brief introduction to the Devala-Smriti, a very ancient Dharmasastra treatise. In the 10th century, a chapter titled Mlēccita-Śud'dhih was added to it, dealing with the reconversion of Hindus back t ...

The Origins of Parāvartana or Ghar-Wapsi

Sandeep Balakrishna

5 min read

The original term of Ghar-Wapsi is Paravartana. It dates back to the tenth century, before Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of India.

Hindu Cultural Conquest of Alien Lands: The Story of Jvalaji Temple in Baku

Sandeep Balakrishna

5 min read

The Ateshgah Fire Temple in Baku, Azerbaijan, was originally the Hindu temple named Jvalaji built in 1745

Reclaiming Sanatana Spaces: A Profound Lesson from the Mandsaur Silk-Weavers Guild

Sandeep Balakrishna

7 min read

This is the story of a silk-weavers guild from Mandsaur who restored a magnificent Surya Mandir in 473 CE

The Splendid Lineage of Inscription-Writers and Engravers

Sandeep Balakrishna

4 min read

This episode lists and narrates the story of several lineages of inscription-writers and engravers and the immortal service they have rendered to our history

Illustration of an engraver of Inscription

The Little-Known History of Inscription-Writers and Engravers

Sandeep Balakrishna

4 min read

An understudied chapter of our history is the role of and function played by inscription-writers and engravers

Terror and the Normalising of Bad News: How M.N. Roy Founded the Communist Party of India

Team Dharma Dispatch

4 min read

From 1924 - 26, M.N. Roy used a variety of terror tactics and propaganda as the forerunners to establishing the Communist Party of India (CPI)

The Dark Dossier of M.N. Roy: India’s First Political Terrorist

Team Dharma Dispatch

4 min read

In 1933, the Home Department of the colonial British Government brought out a brief dossier on M.N. Roy, India's first Communist terrorist

An Ancient Greek Artist Engraves Bharata-Mata on a Silver Dish in Lampsacos

Sandeep Balakrishna

6 min read

A thrilling story narrating the little-known history of how a Greek artist of the 2nd Century CE had engraved an image of Bharata Mata on a silver dish in Lampsacos, Turkey

A Wedding that was Finalised in a Pot of Boiling Ghee

Sandeep Balakrishna

4 min read

An inscription dated 1580 CE narrates a rather delightful, real-life story of how a potter's wedding was finalised in a pot of boiling ghee

History Vignettes