Lord Rama
The Original Existential Hero
Arshia Sattar
We stay with Rama-the-human because of his resemblance to us
How Did Indian History Become Myth?
Rama’s memory lives on because of his extraordinary life and persona
The Epic Epiphany
The abiding attraction of the Ramayana to Indian society, and to the Indian mind, lies in the innumerable idealised social relations that abound in the epic. Its importance as a template for social bonds is what is often missed in the textual discussions that preoccupy scholars
Where Did the Temples Go?
Justice has been meted out for a historical wrong. Hindus waited for this moment for five centuries and have taken it with dignified restraint. A majority of Muslims too have understood that they were misled by vested interests and it was wrong to destroy and appropriate the places of worship of others
Ram’s Ghar Wapsi
Go to any museum or temple in India. Not one murti or figure from premodern India survives without disfiguration. If there is one, then the only explanation will be that it somehow escaped Muslim marauders
The Spirit of New India
When the grand Ram temple is finally built on the site reclaimed from an invading army, the restoration of national sovereignty—the essence of the struggle for independence—would have been completed
Magazine
Subscribe today and save up to 85% off the cover price
