DARK SECRETS: 3 - The Real Truth

Why Shiva Became Tripurari? The Secret Begins With Ganesha

How did Lord Shiva come to be known asTripurari, the destroyer of Tripurasura? The answer begins with a story that connects an unexpected character to one of Shiva’s most famous forms: Lord Ganesha. At the centre of this tale is Sage Grutsamad, a painful family secret, a powerful curse and…

MyLifeXP · Sep 11

Why Is One Member Missing From Shiva’s Family Statues?

At first glance, Shiva’s family may look like one of the most unusual families in Hindu tradition. Shiva has a snake around his neck, while Kartikeya rides a peacock, traditionally seen as the snake’s natural enemy. Ganesha has a mouse as his vehicle, while Nandi is always by Shiva’s side.…

MyLifeXP · Sep 11

Kalinjar Fort in Bundelkhand: The Hill Fortress That Outlasted Every Siege in Medieval India

The hill that refused to fallSher Shah Suri, the man who had driven the Mughal emperor Humayun out of Hindustan and built the Grand Trunk Road across the subcontinent, died at Kalinjar in 1545 from a gunpowder explosion inside his own siege camp. He had taken nearly every fort he…

Times Life · Sep 11

Why Bihari Women Fast for 24 Hours During Hartalika Teej?

If you have grown up in Bihar, you may have seen women preparing for Teej days in advance. New sarees are bought, mehendi is applied and puja items are kept ready. On the day of Hartalika Teej, many women take their fast very seriously. Some even stay without drinking water…

MyLifeXP · Sep 5

Akka Mahadevi Gave Up Everything and Her Reason Still Unsettles Anyone Who Thinks They Have Freedom

The Woman Who Made Comfort Look Like a CageShe was married to a regional chieftain named Kausika under duress, the vachanas tell us, and she left. Not quietly. She walked out of the palace, shed the last of her clothing, and let her long hair cover her body instead. In…

Times Life · Sep 5

What the Samudra Manthan Really Teaches About Suffering, Consciousness, and Transformation

The Ocean Was Never the PointYou have heard the story. The devas and asuras wrap Vasuki, the great serpent, around Mount Mandara and use it as a churning rod. They pull from opposite ends, plunging the mountain into the cosmic ocean, and they churn. What rises from that ocean is…

Times Life · Sep 2

Floods in Nepal-Tibet disrupt pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred mountain with centuries of evolving tradition

Hundreds of pilgrims traveling to Mount Kailash were among those affected by devastating floods that struck the Nepal–Tibet border on Aug. 26, 2026. The floods destroyed the border crossing most commonly used to reach what is arguably the most revered holy mountain in the world, which sits in the Tibet…

The Conversation · Aug 31

What Each Month's Purnima Encodes: The Specific Energy of Every Full Moon Night in India

The calendar that was never about datesThe Hindu lunar calendar was built on one observation: the moon does not repeat itself. Each Purnima, the Sanskrit word for full moon, derived from purna, meaning complete, arrives in a different nakshatra, a different ritu, a different quality of light. The Puranas and…

Times Life · Aug 31

What Did Ravana Really Ask Lord Shiva For? The Truth

Imagine owning a golden kingdom, immense wealth, unmatched knowledge and extraordinary power. What more could you possibly want? Yet, in the famous Shiva Tandava Stotram traditionally attributed to Ravana, there is a verse that reveals a surprisingly different desire. Instead of asking Shiva for another kingdom, greater power or victory…

MyLifeXP · Aug 30

Why Does Maa Parvati Reside in Hanuman Ji’s Tail?

Ravan thought he had found the perfect way to humiliate Hanuman Ji. He ordered his soldiers to wrap cloth around the Vanar’s tail, soak it in oil and set it on fire. But there was one thing Ravan did not understand. The tail he wanted to use as a weapon…

MyLifeXP · Aug 30