What would it take to reimagine the Indic literary ecosystem - not merely as a publishing industry, but as a living civilizational organism? For centuries, Bharata nurtured an extraordinary ecology of storytellers, poets, commentators, philosophers, translators, patrons, performers, and seekers. Literature was embedded within a larger cultural network that sustained memory, meaning, and imagination across generations. It was beyond isolated act of authorship. Today, we find ourselves at an interesting threshold. While interest in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), civilizational narratives, and native intellectual traditions is growing, the ecosystem that can nurture, refine, disseminate, and sustain such literary production remains fragmented. Writers seek readers. Readers seek guidance. Institutions seek direction. Publishers seek viable pathways. The question before us is larger than any single book or author. The proposed MetaRetreat on the Indic Literary Ecosystem invites participants into a rare space of reflection and co-creation. Drawing upon the spirit of Samvada in Indian Tradition, it seeks to bring together practitioners, thinkers, scholars, publishers, translators, and cultural leaders to collectively examine the present condition of Indic literary culture and imagine its future. The broader objective is beyond diagnosis - the generation of frameworks, possibilities, and pathways for renewal. Civilizations endure through the stories they tell, preserve, reinterpret, and pass on - beyond political and economic power. The future of Indic thought may well depend on the future of its literary ecosystem. For the registration/invitation page, see: INDICA Invitation to Participate in a MetaRetreat on Indic Literary Ecosystem indica.in/invitation-to-part… @Sai_swaroopa @IndicaOrg

Was every marginalized community in India historically oppressed by Brahmins? The historical record tells a far more complex story. From the Meenas and Koch Rajbongshis to the Nishads and Kaivartas, many communities had kingdoms, military power, regional sovereignty, and distinct historical trajectories. So how did the idea emerge that Brahminism alone explains their present condition? In this episode of Pinpoint, @infinitchy examines history, memory, colonialism, political power and the making of modern caste narratives. Watch now: youtu.be/Jynw0GU2JKQ?si=X_ki…

Guaranteed to look good on your bookshelf

This is my tenth book `History and Heritage of India - An Introduction’. The book has more than 80 articles, more than 200 photographs and three sections – dynasties of India; general topics; and monuments. A basic introduction to our history and heritage

We need to protect our own people from idiots like this. Given that folks on fence fall for such silly nonsense, I recommend reading following books for youngsters which discuss such ritual vs rationality in depth. 1. "What does it mean to be 'Indian'?" By S.N. Balagangadhara 2. "The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present" by Byung-Chul Han

On the limits of reason and logic to understand the highest Reality. Sri Aurobindo in the brilliant essay, Reason, Science and Yoga. A must read. incarnateword.in/sabcl/22/re…

Historian Romila Thapar recently stated that Buddhists and Jains were called ‘mleccha’ in Brāhmaṇical sources. This is incorrect. Brāhmaṇical, Buddhist and Jain sources used the word ‘mleccha’ for foreigners, barbarians or speakers of non-Indo-Aryan languages. Watch for more.

British rule was so good for India.

The word Sanatana is often poorly translated as "ancient." Its true Sanskrit definition is Nitya (नित्य - Timeless/Eternal) & Apaurusheya (अपौरुषेय - Not authored by any man). Sanatana Dharma is not a religion founded in a specific century by a specific human prophet. It is simply the underlying operating system of reality. If a cataclysmic event happens tonight & wipes out every library, every computer & every memory on Earth: Every man-made ideology, political party & dogmatic religion will vanish forever, because there is no living prophet to re-author them. However, within a few centuries, scientists & meditators will independently rediscover gravity, the laws of thermodynamics, the properties of sound frequencies & the architecture of the human mind. That which will inevitably be rediscovered because it is woven into the fabric of nature is Sanatana. It is the default setting of the cosmos. Haters often attack religions because they find rules hypocritical/contradictory. Sanatana eliminates this entirely through the concept of Adhikara (अधिकार - Individual Qualification/Aptitude). Sanatana does not force a uniform, mass-produced blueprint onto 8 billion unique human minds. It recognizes that humanity is an ecosystem of varying intellectual, emotional & psychological frequencies. If we are highly intellectual & demand logic, Sanatana offers us Jnana Yoga (The path of pure philosophy & inquiry). If we are deeply emotional & experiential, it offers us Bhakti Yoga (The path of devotion). If we are a pragmatist who believes only in action & work, it gives us Karma Yoga. It does not even mandate a belief in God. The Nasadiya Sukta in the Rigveda explicitly wonders if the Creator even knows how the universe began, openly embracing cosmic agnosticism. We cannot hate Sanatana because the moment we reject 1 aspect of it, it smiles & says, "That is fine, here is an alternative path designed exactly for your current psychological state." It is not a cage; it is a mirror. The absolute core reason why critics melt when they understand Sanatana is that it structurally lacks the concept of The Infidel/The Heathen. In binary, man-made theological systems, the world is divided into Us vs. Them, Believers vs. Disbelievers, Saved vs. Damned. The ultimate goal is conversion/domination. Sanatana operates on the non-dual baseline of Aham Brahmasmi (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि - I am the Cosmos) & Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि - You are also That). When a critic stands up to attack a self-aware follower of Dharma, the Dharmic mindset does not view that critic as an evil sinner destined for hellfire. It views the critic as an expressions of the same unified, cosmic consciousness (Brahman), currently acting under the temporary evolutionary fog of Avidya (ignorance). We can hate a book, we can hate a temple, we can hate a historical figure & we can hate a political decree. But we cannot hate a civilization that looks us in the eye & says: "Your skepticism is valid. Your doubt is an expression of your intelligence. Search for the truth on your own terms, because whatever path you take to reach the ultimate reality, you are still moving within Me."

The race that wiped out millions out of hatred because Churchill believed Indians bred like rabbits and didn’t need grain in famine. 3 million died. The race that thought it had the burden to destroy indigenous cultures across the globe in the garb of ‘civilising’ them. But yes! Least racist! Race or religious superiority was never the motivation. Just pure business, I believe.

Dear Telugus, I highly, highly recommend watching 4mins of this video (from 8:00 to 12:00). తెలుగు వారు, చరిత్ర పట్ల ఆసక్తి ఉన్నవారు: కచ్ఛితంగా విని తెల్సుకోదగిన విషయాలు ఇలాంటివి. youtu.be/OSLHh4z2BU0