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Books For All Ages

To make BluOne Ink the thought leader in the Indian nationalist and dharmic space by creating a robust and dynamic community of Indic and dharmic thinkers, writers, critics and artists.

Hindutva

Hindutva: Origin, Evolution and Future studies Hindutva in both critical and holistic terms—an approach that is oft found missing in most studies on Hindutva, where a lot of critical knowledge has been left out either intentionally or out of ignorance. This omission has led to characterize Hindutva as a dangerous exclusivist majoritarian supremacist ideology. Hindutva is often studied like other extreme right-wing ideologies. However, the thesis presented in this book is built on the strong foundation that Hindutva is not an ideology but a historical-civilizational process. As such, it does not fit the expectations of any ideological framework.

Veda Made Simple

Veda Made Simple is an important book. In a strikingly clear, lucid and straightforward manner, the author reveals the rich and complex philosophy and symbolism of the Veda for anyone who is open in mind and heart to receive the wisdom of humanity’s oldest spiritual scripture. That the author does this in the light of Sri Aurobindo—inarguably among the very few who realized and lived the deepest and highest Vedic truths in their beings—makes it even more significant. This book comes at the right time too, as Indians globally begin to reawaken to their timeless Vedic and Sanatan heritage.

Integral Education — Beyond Schooling

Integral Education—Beyond Schooling explores a new paradigm of education, taking learning and teaching beyond conventional schooling, towards what may be called evolutionary education and the growth of consciousness.

 

 The book is premised on the idea that we humans are still evolving in consciousness and have reached an evolutionary tipping point where we need a radically new way of learning and growing, a radically new way of perceiving, understanding and organizing our world and living our day to day lives in it, more in harmony, oneness and peace.

 

This book is a must-read for all who are interested and involved in the development of human future, immediate and long term.

This Is Sanatan Dharma

We speak often of the Hindu religion, of the Sanatan Dharma, but few of us really know what that religion is…This is the Dharma that for the salvation of humanity was cherished in the seclusion of this peninsula from of old. It is to give this religion that India is rising. She does not rise as other countries do, for self or when she is strong, to trample on the weak. She is rising to shed the eternal light entrusted to her over the world. India has always existed for humanity and not for herself and it is for humanity and not for herself that she must be great. 

 

These are the words of Maharishi Sri Aurobindo. But what is this Sanatan Dharma? Is it just the religion and rituals that Hindus follow or is it really the secret of life and consciousness that is embedded in the very fabric of our cosmic existence? This book reveals, layer by layer, the subtler spiritual dimensions of Sanatan Dharma, and its timeless relevance to human existence and civilization.

Hindus in Hindu Rashtra

To those who claim we are now living in a totalitarian, fascist, Hindu Rashtra, one must ask: What kind of a Hindu Rashtra is this where a billion-strong Hindus have been, through our parliament, through our courts, our education system, and our constitution, reduced to not just second-class but, rather, eighth-class citizens? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Durga pooja processions, and even Garba celebrations, are attacked and stoned with impunity? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where a sitting Prime minister says minorities have the first right to resources? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Hindus are forced to be refugees in their own land, where one can settle 40,000 Rohingya Muslims but not 700,000 Kashmiri Hindus, the land’s original inhabitants; where the judiciary says it is too late to prosecute those who raped, murdered, and ethnically cleansed lacs of Hindus? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Hindu temples are exclusively controlled by the State, where Hindus must beg for Waqf land to celebrate their festival while the government usurps hundreds of thousands of acres of temple land and is responsible for more than 100,000 temples losing lakhs of crores in rental income? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where the Right to Education Act discriminates only against Hindus and their schools, forcing tens of thousands of them to shut down? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where monsters like Aurangzeb and Tipu who perpetrated large-scale Hindu genocides are eulogised through State sponsored publications, naming of roads and cities, and organising of festivals? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where a law was about to be enacted through with only the Hindus would have been held guilty in a communal riot even if they were in a minority for example in Kashmir? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where court judgments like the Sabarimala and legislative enactments like the Hindu Code Bill purport to reform only Hindu religious practices but dare not touch practices of other religions, and if they do, the decisions are promptly reversed like in the Shah Bano case? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where The Places of Worship Act continues to deny the Hindus their legitimate right to correct historical injustices and reclaim thousands of demolished temples? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where the Waqf Act gives overarching powers to Muslims to declare a 1500-year-old Hindu temple to be on Islamic land when Islam is only 1300 years old? If this is how a Hindu is rewarded in a Hindu Rashtra, he’d much rather be in a Muslim Rashtra because then at least there’d be no pretence of equality – a Kafir will get what he deserves. In this searing commentary penned with clinical precision, the author shreds to smithereens once and for all the guilt-tripping, self-loathing fake narrative that Hindus have been duped with since Independence. There is no pretence, no political correctness, only unvarnished truth – that the Hindus are living under State-sanctioned Apartheid.

HINDUS IN HINDU RASHTRA (Marathi Edition)

To those who claim we are now living in a totalitarian, fascist, Hindu Rashtra, one must ask: What kind of a Hindu Rashtra is this where a billion-strong Hindus have been, through our parliament, through our courts, our education system, and our constitution, reduced to not just second-class but, rather, eighth-class citizens? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Durga pooja processions, and even Garba celebrations, are attacked and stoned with impunity? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where a sitting Prime minister says minorities have the first right to resources? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Hindus are forced to be refugees in their own land, where one can settle 40,000 Rohingya Muslims but not 700,000 Kashmiri Hindus, the land’s original inhabitants; where the judiciary says it is too late to prosecute those who raped, murdered, and ethnically cleansed lacs of Hindus? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Hindu temples are exclusively controlled by the State, where Hindus must beg for Waqf land to celebrate their festival while the government usurps hundreds of thousands of acres of temple land and is responsible for more than 100,000 temples losing lacs of crores in rental income? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where Right to Education Act discriminates only against Hindus and their schools, forcing tens of thousands of them to shut down? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where monsters like Aurangzeb and Tipu who perpetrated large-scale Hindu genocides are eulogised through State sponsored publications, naming of roads and cities, and organising of festivals? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where a law was about to be enacted through with only the Hindus would have been held guilty in a communal riot even if they were in a minority for example in Kashmir? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where court judgments like the Sabarimala and legislative enactments like the Hindu Code Bill purport to reform only Hindu religious practices but dare not touch practices of other religions, and if they do, the decisions are promptly reversed like in the Shah Bano case? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where The Places of Worship Act continues to deny the Hindus their legitimate right to correct historical injustices and reclaim thousands of demolished temples? What kind of Hindu Rashtra is this where the Waqf Act gives overarching powers to Muslims to declare a 1500-year-old Hindu temple to be on Islamic land when Islam is only 1300 years old? If this is how a Hindu is rewarded in a Hindu Rashtra, he’d much rather be in a Muslim Rashtra because then at least there’d be no pretence of equality – a Kafir will get what he deserves. In this searing commentary penned with clinical precision, the author shreds to smithereens once and for all the guilt-tripping, self-loathing fake narrative that Hindus have been duped with since Independence. There is no pretence, no political correctness, only unvarnished truth – that the Hindus are living under State-sanctioned Apartheid.

हिन्दू राष्ट्र: हिन्दुओं की रामकहानी

जो यह दावा करते हैं कि हम एक अधिनायकवादी हिंदू राष्ट्र में रह रहे हैं उनसे यह पूछा जाना चाहिए कि यह किस प्रकार का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहां एक अरब शक्तिशाली हिंदू यहाँ की संसद, अदालतों, शिक्षा व्यवस्था और हमारे संविधान द्वारा न सिर्फ दोयम दर्जे के नागरिक करार दिए गए हैं बल्कि उससे भी नीचे धकेल दिए गए? यह कैसा हिंदू राष्ट्र है जिसमें दुर्गा पूजा और गरबा के आयोजनों पर बेरोकटोक पत्थरबाजी की जाती है और प्रधानमंत्री की कुर्सी पर बैठा एक शख्स कहता है कि इस देश के संसाधनों पर पहला हक अल्पसंख्यकों का है? यह कैसा हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहाँ हिंदुओं को अपनी ही धरती पर शरणार्थियों की तरह रहना पड़ता है और जहाँ कोई 40 हजार रोहिंग्या मुसलमानों को तो बसा सकता है लेकिन इसी देश के धरतीपुत्र 7 लाख कश्मीरी पंडितों को नहीं और जहाँ अदालतों का कहना हैं कि हिंदुओं की हत्या, बलात्कार और जातीय संहार करने वालों पर मुकदमा चलाने के लिए अब बहुत देर हो चुकी है? यह किस तरह का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहाँ हिंदुओं के मंदिर सरकारों के कब्जे में हैं और अपने त्यौहार मनाने के लिए हिंदुओं को वक्फ बोर्ड के सामने जमीन के लिए हाथ फैलाने पड़ते हैं? यह किस तरह का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहाँ शिक्षा का अधिकार अधिनियम में केवल हिंदुओं के स्कूलों के साथ भेदभाव किया जाता है और उन्हें ताला लगाने को मजबूर कर दिया जाता है? यह किस तरह का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहां औरंगज़ेब और टीपू जैसे बर्बर शासकों को लेकर सरकारी खर्चे पर प्रकाशन किए जाते हैं, सड़कों के नाम रखे जाते हैं और त्योहारों का आयोजन होता है? यह किस तरह का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहाँ एक ऐसा कानून बिल्कुल बन ही जाने ही वाला था जिसमें केवल हिंदुओं को, जबकि वे अल्पसंख्यक थे, सांप्रदायिक दंगों के लिए दोषी ठहराया जाता जैसा कि कश्मीर में देखा गया? यह किस तरह का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहाँ सबरीमाला प्रकरण में अदालतों के फैसले और विधायी कानून केवल हिंदुओं के धर्माचारों में सुधार के लिए किए जाएँ लेकिन दूसरे धर्म को छुआ तक न जाए और अगर ऐसा कोई करे भी, तो वहाँ शाहबानो के मामले की तरह फैसले को पलट दिया जाए? यह किस तरह का हिंदू राष्ट्र है जहाँ हिंदू पूजा स्थल अधिनियम आज भी हिंदुओं को उनके प्रति हुए ऐतिहासिक अन्यायों को दुरुस्त करने के उनके विधिसम्मत अधिकार पर रोक लगता है जबकि वक्फ एक्ट मुसलमानों को एक 1500 वर्ष पुराने हिंदू मंदिर को इस्लामी संपदा घोषित करने की अनियंत्रित शक्ति दे देता है, गो कि इस्लाम अपने आप में महज 1300 वर्ष पुराना है? अगर एक हिंदू राष्ट्र में हिंदू को इस तरह नवाजा जा रहा हो तो इससे अच्छा है कि वह एक मुस्लिम राष्ट्र में रहे क्योंकि वहाँ कम से कम बराबरी का ढोंग तो नहीं होगा, एक काफिर को वही मिलेगा जो उसे मिलना चाहिए। अपनी इस कड़वे बयान में आनंद रंगनाथन आजादी के बाद से हिंदुओं के साथ धोखेबाज़ी करने वाली ग्लानि भरी झूठी कहानी और आत्मदोषानुभूति पर एक निर्णायक प्रहार करते हुए उसे चकनाचूर कर देते हैं। यहाँ कोई स्वांग या राजनीतिक शुचिता नहीं है, अगर है तो केवल राज्य प्रायोजित नस्ल भेद की वह ठोस सच्चाई जिसके साथ हिंदू जी रहे हैं।

Completing Vyasa’s Mahabharata

Embedded within the primary narrative of the Mahabharata lie numerous sub-tales known as upakhyaanas or upakathas. These lesser known stories play a vital role in completing the grand tapestry of the Mahabharata, thus giving this book its apt title. Unlike verse translations found in unabridged versions, the 67 upakathas presented here serve a different purpose. While they may appear as diversions, these narratives serve as vital threads, connecting the text and offering answers to lingering questions that readers may have. For instance, why did Ambaa, the princess of Kaashi, become the catalyst for Bheeshma’s demise in a later life? The Ambaa upakhyaana holds the answers. Similarly, the stories of Sage Parashuraama reveal why a brahmana like him possessed warrior-like qualities. Two upakhyaanas shed light on this enigma. Additionally, the Yayaati upakhyaana elucidates the reasons behind the Kurus descending from Puru, Yayaati’s youngest son, rather than the eldest. Moreover, the intriguing dialogue between Duryodhana and Shalya, where Duryodhana persuades Shalya to become Karna’s charioteer, is also explored in these Upakathas.

Gods Dancing Among Men

Theyyam, an ancient tradition of North Malabar, is a captivating blend of folk art, religious ritual, and profound spirituality. Gods Dancing Among Men: The Mystical World of Theyyams of North Malabar delves deep into the rich history of theyyam, exploring its roots and relevance in contemporary belief and worship. This book sheds light on both the luminous and shadowy facets of this tradition as well as the enigmatic grey areas that define it.

 

Every aspect of the theyyam cult, from the vibrant and intricate costumes to the wild and transcendent dances, is fascinating. The practitioners of theyyam display astonishing abilities, including clairvoyance, prophecy, and the power to fulfil wishes. The pantheon of theyyam includes Shaivite and Vaishnavite manifestations alongside a diverse array of Bhagvathy theyyams. Popular deities such as Muthappan, Muchilot Bhagavathi, Thee Chamundi, Gulikan, Kuttichathan, and Pottan Deiyvam hold a special place in the hearts of the people. Additionally, the theyyam tradition incorporates animals into its repertoire with performances featuring monkeys, tigers, buffaloes, crocodiles, bees, and snakes. One of the most astonishing aspects of theyyam is the fearless interaction with fire. Performers nonchalantly walk on embers and even hurl themselves onto immense mounds of fire, known as meleri, repeatedly. Despite the influence of Aryanization, the sanitizing impact of British colonial rule, the teachings of social reformers, the remarkable literacy rates, and the prevalent communist ideology in the region, the sanctity of the theyyam tradition remains unblemished. Theyyams are living gods, cherished and revered by the people of North Malabar, and their blessings hold immense significance.

मोदी का बनारस

मोदी का बनारस -यह सिर्फ़ पुस्तक नहीं यात्रा है। गंगा यहाँ की जीवनरेखा है। गंगा, बाबा विश्वनाथ के बिना इस नगरी की कल्पना अधूरी है। नरेन्द्र मोदी का बनारस से चुनाव लड़ना राजनीति की असाधारण घटना है। बनारस का सामर्थ्य, कर्तव्य को पूरी दुनिया ने देखा है। अगर सोच लिया जाए, ठान लिया जाए, तो कुछ भी असंभव नहीं है। नरेन्द्र मोदी ने बनारस में अपने तप से चुनाव तो जीता ही, साथ ही बनारस में अपने ख़िलाफ़ की जाने वाले दूसरी पार्टी नेताओं की साज़िशो को भी विफल कर दिया। देखते ही देखते मोदी ने अपने जीत का परचम बिहार, झारखंड, बंगाल तक फहरा दिया। मोदी की जीत एवं बनारस को लेकर लिए गए फ़ैसलों की कहानी है यह पुस्तक, जिसे हमेशा याद रखा जाएगा। यह पुस्तक आपको यह भी बताएगी कि बनारस से जीत की पटकथा कैसे लिखी गई, उसकी रूपरेखा किसने तैयार की थी। अमित शाह ने वर्ष 2010 में बनारस में क्या संकल्प लिया था। जिसे पूरा करने के लिए उन्होंने ना दिन देखा ना रात। यूपी और बनारस का चुनाव जीतने के लिए अमित शाह ने राजनाथ सिंह से ऐसा क्या वचन लिया था, जिसे लेकर सबके बीच में उन्होंने कह दिया कि मैं होता तो यह वचन कभी नहीं देता। नरेंद्र मोदी ने कोविड काल के समय को ही बाबा विश्वनाथ मंदिर के कायाकल्प के लिए क्यों चुना। क्या आप को पता है कि बाबा विश्वनाथ मंदिर के लिए जमीन एकत्र करने के क्रम में जमीनों की सभी रजिस्ट्री एक विशेष समय में की गई थी। आखिर क्यों? क्या आप यह जानते हैं कि बनारस के विश्वनाथ मंदिर में कितना सोना लगा है? एक आश्रम का तिलिस्म जिसकी जमीन को खाली करवाने में एक साल लग गया। आखिर कैसे खाली हुई वह जमीन। कैसे पीएम मोदी ने आर्किटेक्ट के पहले बने नक्शे को खारिज कर दिया था। क्योटो में ऐसा क्या है जो उसे बनारस से जोड़ देता है। मोदी ने जापान के शहर क्योटो को ही क्यों चुना? बनारस का ऐसा घाट जहां पर आप हेलीकॉप्टर से पहुंच सकते हैं। फ़्रांस के राष्ट्रपति ने बनारस में ऐसा क्या पूछ लिया, जिसकी पूरी दुनिया में चर्चा होने लगी। इन सब सवालों और जिज्ञासाओं का उत्तर आप को इस पुस्तक मोदी के बनारस में ही मिलेगा।

Featured Author

Vijaya Viswanathan

” Mechanical engineer and follower of Vedanta.”

Vijaya Viswanathan

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Adideva

Shiva kathas are strewn like bright gems across the antiquated treasure chests of the Vedas, Itihasas, Maha Puranas, Sthala Puranas, and folklore. Adideva: 25 Legends behind His 25 Names is a collection of twentyfive enchanting legends about Shiva retold in opulent detail keeping true to the original texts and temple lore. Each tale is supplemented by captivating verses of many saint-poets and photos of intricate sculptures and art, illuminating the adoration of our ancestors for each of the divine manifestations of Adideva. From the well-known stories of Neelakantha, Uma Maheshwara, and Rameshwara, the riveting narratives of Tripurantaka, Sharabeshwara, and Kirata, the poignant accounts of Grishneshwara, Mrtyunjaya, and Matrubhuteshwara to the profound contemplations of Dakshinamurti and Arunachala, the chosen stories are filled with navarasas, and evoke wonder and adoration for Mahadeva. Embedded within these narratives are subtle teachings of dharma and adhyatma—inspiring a journey towards selfdiscovery. Most importantly, they are the easiest and sweetest ways to cultivate Shiva bhakti, which is the immediate cure for samsara.

Whispers of the Unseen

Whispers of the Unseen: The Quest for Sixty-Four Yoginis redefines spirituality beyond conventional religious norms, rituals and practices. It attempts to forge a connection with the essence of life forms and take the reader through a spiritual exploration of the dynamic interplay and union of masculine and feminine energies. Through her paintings, the artistauthor revisits the cultural significance, richness and symbolism of the sixty-four yoginis. The narrative delves deep into the realm of feminine power, drawing out the most pivotal manifestation of its expressive roles in our lives and integrating the practices of spirituality into our everyday existence. It prods the reader to relish life’s simple moments and to cherish the intersectionality of quotidian life. This will, according to her, allow them access to ancient spiritual practices in contemporary time, leading to increased awareness and mindfulness in daily life. It encourages readers to embrace connecting with the divine, tapping into a higher power and uncovering the creative force within.

Modi’s Governance Triumph

Meticulously research and analysed, Modi’s Governance Triumph: Reshaping India’s Path to Prosperity delves into the Modi government’s key initiatives, reforms and innovations that have left an indelible imprint on India’s socioeconomic and political fabric. From the ambitious ‘Make in India’ campaign to sweeping changes in the taxation system with the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST), each chapter unpacks the narrative of a leader who has redefined governance in the world’s largest democracy.

 

The book not only examines the achievements but also critically evaluates the challenges and controversies that have marked Modi’s tenure, providing a wellrounded perspective on his leadership. It is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding changes taking place in India and the role Prime Minister Narendra Modi plays in reshaping the nation’s future.

Snakes in the Ganga

Snakes in the Ganga unveils uncomfortable truths concerning India’s vulnerabilities:

  • Intense warfare against India’s integrity is the work of a wellorchestrated global machinery driven by a new ideology.
  • Marxism has been reincarnated as critical race theory in US academia and serves as the framework to address America’s racism. This has been recklessly mapped on to India: Caste is equated with Race. Marginalized communities of India are considered as Blacks and Brahmins as the Whites of India. Groups claiming grievances (like Muslims and LGBTQ+) are artificially clubbed together.
  • Popularly called the woke movement, the mission is to dismantle Indian civilization and heritage by waging an uncompromising war against India’s government, educational institutions, culture, industry, and society.
  • Harvard University is ground zero of these social theories developed in collaboration with Indian scholars, activists, journalists, and artists. This represents a clear and present danger to India’s sovereignty and national security.
  • Several Indian elites are hoisting Harvard as the vishwa guru with their money and family names. Some private universities within India are importing wokeism that has serious repercussions for India’s stability.
  • Indian corporates are bringing the latest Western rubric of environmental, social, and governance ratings into their workplaces. This is aligned with the global social justice movement.
  • China has exploited this latest infrastructure as a passage to India.
  • Wokeism has penetrated some of the Indian government’s policies. For instance, the National Education Policy 2020 is propagating Harvard’s liberal arts.
  • An entire ecosystem of ideologies, institutions, and young leaders is emerging for the recolonization of India.

 

Is India for sale?

 

In this paperback edition, the back matter has been trimmed to shed some weight in the interest of portability. Readers can, however, still access it by scanning the QR code printed after the last chapter.

Bharat Rising

India became politically independent in 1947, but for economic freedom it had to wait for another four decades until P.V. Narasimha Rao, in tandem with Dr Manmohan Singh, chaperoned the country’s liberalization process in the summer of 1991. In 2014, another seismic revolution unravelled, the contours of which are still being drawn. For the first time, a ‘new India’ had not just seen an alternative model of governance that is truly divorced from the Nehruvian ethos but also initiated a process of democratization and decolonization of the largely ‘elitist, insular and compromised’ Lutyens’ world.

 

Argumentative and deeply researched, Bharat Rising combines the narrative style of journalism and the rigour and discipline of academia. It is as much about the resetting of Lutyens’ world as it is about a new India shedding its traditional distrust, if not distaste, for the country’s civilizational and cultural past.

Ram Janmabhoomi

A civilization that forgets its struggles is condemned to repeat its mistakes and spiral into a self-destructive cycle. The battles for freedom and the resistance against occupation and atrocities all too often recede from collective memory, overshadowed by the weight of oppression and systematically orchestrated efforts, to erase the Hindu identity through manipulated narratives. The sacred geography of Bharat, the cradle of Hindu dharma and the ancestral home of the Hindu people, has borne witness to relentless invasions, leaving scars on the collective psyche.

 

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement stands as a poignant testament to the devastation inflicted upon the roots of Hindu civilization and the arduous battle to reclaim it. In an era dominated by weaponized narratives, where the perpetrators of atrocities are romanticized as victims and the victims are crowned as oppressors, this book reminds of the facts and the inconvenient truths—of the blood, sweat and tears that many Hindus shed in fighting the good fight. It is a call to ensure that every Hindu born in an age, removed from those trials and tribulations, never forgets the sacrifices made by those who went before them. For if we forget, we are complicit in normalizing the obliteration of our great civilization.

Waiting for Shiva

Few places in the world carry the heavy burden of history as effortlessly as Kashi, or Varanasi, has. The holy city embodies the very soul of our civilization and personifies the resilience that we have displayed over centuries in the face of numerous adversities and fatal attacks.

 

Waiting for Shiva: Unearthing the Truth of Kashi’s Gyan Vapi recreates the history, antiquity and sanctity of Kashi as the abode of Bhagwan Shiva in the form of Vishweshwara, or Vishwanath. Shiva himself assured his devotees of salvation if they leave their mortal coils in the city. The book delves into the history of this self-manifested swayambhu jyotirlinga shrine of Vishweshwara, which for centuries has been both a refuge for the devout and a target of the bloodiest waves of iconoclasm. However, each time an attempt was made to obliterate the temple by demolishing it, it managed to rise and prosper. Every iconoclastic storm was followed by an episode of persistence, tenacity and stubborn resolve. Shrines fell and shrines rose, but the Hindus of Kashi never gave up—not even once.

 

Waiting for Shiva documents these cataclysmic events in the temple’s history. The final death blow was dealt in 1669 by the Mughal despot Aurangzeb, who demolished the temple and erected few domes on the partially destroyed western wall to call it a mosque. The temple complex was desecrated and left strewn with ruins as a grim reminder of the humiliation and insult that Hindus had to face as a consequence of their holiest shrine being torn down to smithereens. The area that is now called the Gyan Vapi mosque and the surrounding land that lies adjacent to the new temple of Vishwanath, which came up towards the end of the 18th Century, has always been one of intense contestation. Bloody riots overran Varanasi over this issue multiple times in the past. During the colonial era, the doors of the British courts were knocked at to settle the occupancy issue, and they adjudicated the matter several times. Post-Independence, too, the desire to ‘liberate’ the complex has been seething in the Hindu imagination. A new suit filed in 2021 before the Varanasi civil court reopened a long-festering historical wound. Despite several appeals right up to the Supreme Court to dismiss the plaint, a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was ordered, which would lay bare the truth in its findings by the end of 2023.

 

Vikram Sampath’s latest offering retraces the long history of this bitterly disputed site and the dramatic twists and turns in the checkered past of this hoary shrine. Piecing together numerous documents and accounts—Vedic and Puranic texts, Sanskrit literary sources, Agama shastras, Jataka tales, Persian accounts, travelogues of foreigners, archival records and copious legal documents detailing the contestation from the British era to modern Indian courts—the book recreates, for the first time with facts and cogent arguments, this stormy history right up to the present times. The long-suppressed secrets that lay hidden in Gyan Vapi finally finds a voice through this book.

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