Science versus Miracles: Fire by Mental Power

B Premanand In 1980 a number of yajnas were conducted on behalf of our Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, for her long life. But the yajnas could not save her. She was assassinated in 1984. A yajna was performed at Delhi by one Sadachari Sai Baba, a youth with black beard and long hair. Millions of people witnessed the yajna. The special significance of the yajna was that when he poured two or three spoonfuls of ghee (clarified butter) on the firewood and concentrated on it by mental power,...

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Ganapathi and the Trinity

A N Moorthy Rao Ganapathi ranks between the deities just mentioned and the divine Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara­he is not a force of nature but possesses certain unique characteristics  He is reverred and worshipped more than all the gods mentioned before. Not only this; He is close to us and dear to us; and he stimulates humour. We do not, and cannot, take with other Gods the same degree of liberties as we do with Ganapathi. We have ascribed to Siva and Vishnu exquisite...

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Science versus Miracles: Ash from Coins

B Premanand While on a vijnan yatra in Maharashtrn in 1981, Vilas Baba, a godman from Phelton, challenged us that if we proved that his miracle ia false he would pay us Rupees five lakhs. His challenge was published by many vernacular dailies in Maharashtra. We agreed to investigate his clim and fixed a day for the same. In his reply he informed us that he was going into samadhi from that day up to the end of my tour in Maharashtra and as his soul would be roaming in the Himalayas, the date...

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Rape: Patriarchy and Selective Historiography

Ram Puniyani The spate of horrific rapes in Haryana in particular (Sept 2012) has drawn the national attention to this abominable phenomenon. Various diagnosis and prescriptions have also come forward about the causes and as to how to prevent these rapes is also being suggested by different people. Interestingly the world view of those advising on the issue is shaped their world view as such. While the progressive liberal tendencies and ideologies will link the phenomenon of rape to the prevalent...

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Remembering D. D. Kosambi

Ramkrishna Bhattacharya Progressive circles in India have been late in remembering D. D. Kosambi in 2007, the centennial year. Of course Pune, where Kosambi lived and died, led the way to centenary celebrations. A committee was formed with R. P. Nene and Meera Kosambi, daughter of D. D. Kosambi, to pay homage to the savant extraordinary in a befitting manner. A number of public lectures were organized on and from 31 July 2007, with Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, Prabhat Patnaik, and others as...

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Miracles of Godmen, Psychics and Tantriks

B Premanand Once while in Bombay, a youth approached me to help him. His mother, a widow, was not able to get her daughter married without dowry and was approaching many godmen to bless her. At that time, a particular godman was visiting their home to conduct -prayers. The youth needed my help to expose him. After prayers the Baba asked the daughter to bring a little mud, which he wrapped in a paper. After chanting some mantras, he gave it to the girl to open. Surprisingly, the mud had been transformed...

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Faith versus Sanitation: Jairam Ramesh’s Remarks on Temple, Toilets

Ram Puniyani The Union Rural development Minister’s remark that “toilets are more important than temples” (October 2012) was met with diverse responses. Ramesh was speaking at a launch of campaign to sensitize people about the ill effects of open defecation, a practice very common in rural areas and city slums, where sanitation facilities are poor or non-existent. Ramesh said that open defecation was the main reason for the hygiene related problems and that there are more temples than toilets...

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D. D. Kosambi and the Sociology of Literature: A Critique

Ramkrishna Bhattacharya D. D. Kosambi (1907-66) was trained as a mathematician and used to teach and research in mathematics till 1941. Then he wrote an ‘exasperating essay’ on the Sanskrit epigrams attributed to Bhartrihari. This essay, Kosambi says, ‘caused every godfearing Sanskritist to shudder’ and consequently ‘I fell into Indology, as it were, through the roof’.1 The essay ‘upset’, among others, V. S. Sukthankar, the celebrated general editor of the critical edition of the Mahabharata.2 He was...

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