UNBELIEVABLE: 2 - Caught on Camera

If Gods Do Everything, What Are the Goddesses Doing?

We often talk about discipline, ambition, productivity and motivation as the keys to success. But what happens when doing more is no longer the answer? Hindu philosophy offers another way to look at this balance through the relationship between the divine masculine and feminine. Brahma creates, Vishnu sustains and Shiva…

MyLifeXP · Sep 24

Did Surya’s Curse Lead to Ganesha’s Beheading

Why would Lord Shiva, the father of Ganesha, raise his weapon against his own son? The familiar story says that Shiva returned while Goddess Parvati was bathing and found a young boy guarding the entrance. Ganesha refused to let Shiva pass because he was following his mother's command. Angered by…

MyLifeXP · Sep 23

Why Is Ravana Worshipped in Madhya Pradesh? The Hidden Story

What if the person you call a villain is someone else's son-in-law? In Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur, a local tradition gives Ravana a completely different identity. Instead of being remembered only as the antagonist of the Ramayana, he is honoured as a jamai, or son-in-law, because of the local belief that…

MyLifeXP · Sep 23

Why Was Hanuman Born From Shiva’s Divine Power?

Lord Ram had to face a difficult journey in the Ramayana, but one of his greatest sources of strength came in a form that many devotees know as Hanuman. According to several Hindu traditions, Hanuman is regarded as an incarnation or manifestation of Shiva’s divine power, sent to support Ram’s…

MyLifeXP · Sep 20

Unakoti and Neermahal Are the Two Tripura Sites That Justify the Flight and the Slow Travel

The flight no one booksAgartala's airport is small enough that you can see your bag come off the belt from where you're standing at the carousel. There is no duty-free corridor, no moving walkway, no ambient retail hum. You walk out into Tripura and the air is different, not in…

Times Life · Sep 20

Why Shiva Saved Markandeya From His Written Fate

We often hear that everything in life is already written. Your birth, your struggles, your success and even the length of your life are believed to be decided by destiny. But the story of Markandeya offers a fascinating question: what happens when unwavering devotion meets a fate that seems impossible…

MyLifeXP · Sep 19

What “Bajra” and “Dhwaja” Really Mean in Hanuman Chalisa

The Hanuman Chalisa is often recited from memory, but some of its most familiar lines carry details that are easy to overlook. The verses “Hath Bajra Aur Dhwaja Biraje, Kandhe Moonj Janeu Saje” describe the divine form and symbols associated with Hanuman, while “Shankar Suvan Kesari Nandan, Tej Pratap Maha…

MyLifeXP · Sep 19

Why Hanuman Loves Simple Devotion More Than Rituals

When people hear the word Bhole, they usually think of Lord Shiva. But there is another beloved deity whose nature is often described as simple, compassionate and easily pleased by sincere devotion: Hanuman Ji. You do not always need elaborate offerings or complicated rituals to remember him. What matters is…

MyLifeXP · Sep 18

Who Received the First Puja? Shiva-Parvati Wedding Mystery

There is a fascinating question hidden inside the story of Shiva and Parvati's marriage. If Ganesha was born as their son later, how could Ganesha be worshipped before their marriage? Was someone else being worshipped, or is there a deeper meaning behind the names Ganapati and Ganesha? Hindu traditions offer…

MyLifeXP · Sep 18

From Udupi to Karwar: The Coastal Karnataka Road That Moves Like a Temple and a Ferry

The road begins before you leaveYou have not started driving yet and already the air has changed. Udupi does this, it pulls the salt in before you reach the sea. The Krishna Matha sits at the town's centre the way a full stop sits at the end of a sentence:…

Times Life · Sep 18