Category Mythology

When Draupadi invented the first Pani Puri!

Pani puri, known as gol gappe in North India, phuchka in Bengal, gupchup in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, is one of the most savored street foods in the Indian subcontinent. These small, crisp puris are filled with spicy water, tamarind chutney,…

The carved wonders of Unakoti, Tripura

Unakoti, in Tripura’s Unakoti district, is an ancient Shaivite pilgrimage and archaeological marvel, famed for its colossal rock-cut sculptures and intricate bas-reliefs. Bas-reliefs are shallow carvings on a flat surface where figures slightly stand out from the background. The name…

Why devotees offer oil to Shani Deva

The ritual of offering oil to Shani Deva, the deity representing the planet Saturn, has its roots in both mythology and astrological tradition. One of the most popular legends appears in certain retellings of the Ramayana and later folk traditions,…

The scholar who composed the “Suprabhatam”

Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatam is a Sanskrit hymn traditionally recited early in the morning to awaken Lord Venkateswara at the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh. The word Suprabhatam means “auspicious morning,” and the hymn is a poetic invocation seeking divine blessings…