'Modern Mythmaking'List of Related Articles with Summaries |
 |
 |
|
Published in Corporate Dossier, Economic Times, Oct 31, 2008
The water from a river that flowed on the eastern edge of the kingdom was not reaching a farm. So the farmer went to the king and the king said, Build a wider canal. This was done, but still the water did not reach the farm. If [...]
Published in Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 20 April 2008
What is the purpose of life? What happens after death? Ask these questions to a young person and he is as clueless as an old person. When it comes to such profound questions the youth today are no different from their ancestors. Yes, they have cell phones, and [...]
Part of this article was published in Consumer Edge, Times of India, 2 Feb 2008
Usually advertising tends to steer clear from controversial social realities like caste and religion. So it is refreshing to see an television ad that addresses it head-on: the now famous ‘What an idea, Sirji!’ ad of Idea cellular. It draws attention [...]
First City, Delhi, Mythos, September 2007
July this year saw the thirteenth day of the month falling on a Friday. Deemed unlucky, people avoided all kinds of purchase and transactions on this day. Friday the 13 is considered so unlucky that there is even a word ‘Paraskevidekatriaphobia’ to describe fear of Friday 13. It has inspired [...]
Published in Times of India, Consumer Edge, Mumbai, 30 Dec, 2006
After palace intrigues forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and go into the forest, his father, Dasharatha, lay in bed a broken man, wailing, “Rama is gone. I will die soon. O, what will happen to Ayodhya?” Kaushalya replied, “Don’t worry. It will survive. We [...]
Published in Times of India, Consumer Edge, Mumbai, December 2006
Gods in India love food. Rituals such as yagna and homa are all about providing spoonfuls of butter to a chosen deity. No puja is complete without bhoga and prasadam. Gods in India are also rather fickle about what they are served: Ganesha wants modakas, [...]
Times of India (Mumbai), Consumer Edge, 18 November 2006
Long ago, Yagnavalkya, the greatest sage of the Upanishadic era, was asked, “Is the world governed by fate or free will?” He replied, “Both. They are like the two wheels on either side of the chariot. If you depend on one too much you go around in [...]
Printed in Times of India, consumer edge, mumbai edition, 23 Sept 2006
In India, everybody is either married or on the way to getting married. The unmarried man arouses curiosity, the unmarried woman pity.
Traditionally, no one asks if you want to marry. The spouse is simply chosen for you. Just as you don’t get to [...]
By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik and Rajan Krishnan (Times of India, Mumbai, Consumer Edge, 9 Sept 2006)
Where does the small Indian investor put money: in lower-risk debt instruments or higher-risk equity instruments? Twenty years ago, the preference for the salaried class was the former. Fixed Deposits, Provident Fund, Public Provident Fund, Insurance Policies and Postal Certificates. [...]
Published in Times of India 'Consumer Edge' Delving Deeper on 17 December 2006 Privacy is a luxury in India. You are never alone. Crowds every where. At home. At work. In trains. You are expected to share everything. Your room. Your car. Your toilet. We can blame the population. Our obsession with marriage and children. [...]
