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Is India Free?

To everyone who asked today, "Is India really free?" Yes, she is. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been here shouting out your opinions. Nobody would hear them. Yes, she is. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been fighting about the Constitution, rights, equality and feminism. You wouldn't have been receiving enough to expand your horizons and be opinionated. The answer is simple. The 15th of August marks the day India was free from its British invaders. We became an identity. To protect that identity and its freedom is a different battle. But that is not the point of this day. Neither the significance. We hoist the tricolour with pride because we are not controlled by the Britishers anymore. Our own people can be different, or opinions can vary; our entitlement to our own opinion, too, is a freedom to celebrate. We are not invaded. This day is for those thousands of named and unnamed martyrs who laid down their lives to see you free, individually opinionated and living wit...

Spirituality: A Personal Account

  INTRODUCTION: “What Limits God? His name.” – Hazrat Inayat Khan Let me start by saying this is not a religious post. It is my understanding of a certain way of life. It is the perspective with which I see the world and what I feel about it. You can definitely see the world differently from me. I am not here to judge or challenge your faith or beliefs. They are perhaps stronger than mine. I was born a Hindu, I worship Shiva in my heart, people in history like Jahanara Begum and Maharana Pratap inspire me, I muse on Love, and I am still looking for my personal religion in between all of these, like a wanderer seeking Home. Religion, according to me, is personal for everyone, just like feelings. Apart from the worldly aspects of rituals and religions, which are very scientific and healthy for our troubled body, heart and mind, one must also seek deeper into their souls for spiritual growth. Spirituality helps us grow our souls into a more tolerant, liberal understanding of others as...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested, and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon t...

Jauhar: All You Need To Know

 We have no Knowledge of the beginning and end of the world, the first and last of this ancient book has fallen out ~  Abu Talib Karim. Rightly said by the poet laureate of Emperor Shah Jahan above, we do not actually know the beginning and end of anything in the universe, be it the traditions, culture or human race, or the world. What we know are fragments of the past we extract from evidence. It is in vain to try to determine the first and last of something. For the past few months, owing to some media hype on Jauhar, many of you have asked me questions. I tried to answer most of them. However, a lot remained unsaid and unwritten. Mostly because some things are impossible to put into words. But here I try my best. Today is a very significant day in history. On the 23rd of February 1568, the world saw the last “Jauhar” of Chittorgarh, recorded in the medieval history of India. Akbar had invaded Mewar, and the four-month siege of four months ended in the Saka. There was no bet...