SURPANAKHA ( The Other Mother ) In the ancient epic Ramayana, Surpanakha is a demoness, who falls in love with Rama, an exiled king, and is punished for her desire when Rama’s brother cuts off her nose and disfigures her. Before she was sharp clawed, she was fish eyed. Before the…

A long held dream comes true, but carries an unexpected lesson. I wanted to watch the sunrise on the summer solstice from Stonehenge, ancient druid temple, aligned to the solstice, keeper of mysterious magic yet unknown to us. A picture of Stonehenge had been my desktop screensaver more than 15…

A metaphor for taking care of your inner child, and the futility of trying to force evolution before its time. When you are a little sapling, anyone that asks you to behave like a tree is doing you a disservice. Anyone who tells you that you must be brave and…

HI! WE ARE DECONSTRUCTING ‘NORMAL’ WITH KOKU BHAIYA. CARE TO JOIN? CHAI ON THE HOUSE. When I came into the world, Koku Bhaiya was already in it. He was a fact for me, not an aberration. There was no questioning of why he was different. His different-ness was as natural as the fact that a door is different from a window or a mango tree…

It was not for nothing that the archetype of the Dhongi Baba ( fake saint ) was one of the many archetypes we grew up with. It taught us to be aware that as much as saffron can be a symbol of the power of renunciation, it can also equally…

The Forget-full-ness of Rivers Once upon a time there were two mighty rivers. They were both divine beings , full of love, chatter, joy and grace. Yes, there were rocks, there are always rocks, but the rocks gave the rivers their songs. …