All stories by Arundhuti Dasgupta
On Ravana's Trail
Rediff.com4 days agoThere is definitely much more to the mythical king than his ten heads and his abduction of Sita.
India's New Silk Route
Rediff.com9 Oct 2023The enduring legacy of trade routes lies in shared stories and religious diversity. Can the India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor harness this legacy to empower nations, asks Arundhuti Dasgupta.
On the Goddess trail in Mumbai
Rediff.com13 Feb 2021Arundhuti Dasgupta maps a trail from the southernmost tip to its suburbs.
2020: Have the Gods Absconded?
Rediff.com27 Jun 2020Instead of its once haloed existence as the year of lofty goals and vision statements, it is now staring at an epitaph that may well read: The year when death ran amok and the gods went missing, notes Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Taking care of the elderly in COVID-19 times
Rediff.com26 Apr 2020Arundhuti Dasgupta on the anxiety and logistical challenges of caring for elderly parents during lockdown, especially if they are ailing and live away from you.
Healers and the world
Rediff.com24 Apr 2020'With doctors going up against a seemingly invincible enemy, often at immense risk to their lives, the myths reveal an interesting relationship between the men of medicine and the rest of humankind,' notes Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Lockdown: Mumbai's spirit seems firmly bottled in
Rediff.com28 Mar 2020In this lockdown, no matter how many similarities the memory dredges up from past events and associations, there is one thing that has no precedent: The isolation that it has imposed on people, reports Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Aide and abet: From Manthara to Shakuni
Rediff.com19 Mar 2020'Manthara wants Kaikeyi to make her son Bharat king of Ayodhya, instead of Rama.' 'She fuels hate and mistrust in her queen, much like what many modern-day viziers are doing, whipping up venom and frenzy among an entire nation,' notes Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Finding Radha on Women's Day
Rediff.com7 Mar 2020'She exists alongside Sita, the archetype of the ideal woman,' notes Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Why the cosmos fascinates us
Rediff.com12 Sep 2019The fascination for the skies and what lies beyond has fathered an expansive stockpile of astronomical myths and legends and in India, also an elaborate astrological system, notes Arundhuti Dasgupta.
What our leaders need to learn from the epics
Rediff.com18 May 2019'Gods are deceitful too and villains can be upright upholders of the law.' 'Perhaps political leaders of all shades would benefit from these lessons instead of declaring themselves upholders of a dharma that means different things to different people,' points out Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Was Ravana the world's first aviator?
Rediff.com2 Feb 2019'Even among scientists and technology mavens -- typically communities that tend to view the world through the lens of logos or reason and not mythos, there is a shiny-eyed enthusiasm for the mythical world,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Shashi Kapoor's lasting legacy: Prithvi@40
Rediff.com10 Dec 2018A year has passed since Shashi Kapoor passed into the ages. His movies live on on television, but Shashiji's greatest legacy must remain Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre, where people came to be entertained, informed and, perhaps, also enlightened.
In the name of Rama
Rediff.com25 Nov 2018'Politicians have long appropriated the hero turned god as their totem, but never before with the ferocious intensity of the present regime,' notes Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Durga, Shakti and #MeToo
Rediff.com27 Oct 2018'This year, it may be pertinent to look at some of the myths that invoke her warrior form, where she manifests herself as Shakti, the underlying strength in all humanity,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Have you travelled to the navel of the earth?
Rediff.com24 Oct 2018Arundhuti Dasgupta finds herself surrounded by Greek legends and fables in the mythical centre of the world.
Anger is the enemy within us
Rediff.com30 Jul 2018'Fear of the Other stalks our lives as it did in ancient times and the mobs are just as easy to incite as it was then,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
The political power of a fast
Rediff.com6 May 2018As politicians fast to score brownie points, they should know that not every fast has a desirable ending, says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Is there hope yet for young classical performers?
Rediff.com31 Mar 2018Stories about the harrowing experiences of young artistes are common lore.
The colour of inclusion
Rediff.com2 Mar 2018Inclusion has never been a straight road and stories from ancient cultures show it has always been a struggle to accord equal status to all genders and species, says Arundhuti Dasgupta.