Goutham Avarthi's Viewfinder

  Introduction Among the countless sacred texts I have encountered throughout my spiritual journey, few have resonated as profoundly as the Kalama Sutta—a discourse delivered by the Buddha to the Kalama people in the ancient town of Kesaputta, nestled within the kingdom of Kosala. This text stands as a beacon of intellectual freedom and rational inquiry, challenging us to question authority and trust our own discernment. Yet its significance extends far beyond its historical context; it speaks directly to the confusion and uncertainty we face in our modern world, where competing ideologies, beliefs, and worldviews constantly demand our allegiance.  The Problem: A World of Conflicting Doctrines The Kalama People's Dilemma Imagine standing in a marketplace of ideas, unsure which merchant is selling truth and which is peddling falsehood. This was precisely the predicament faced by the Kalama people when they approached the Buddha. The Kalama people were troubled. Different ...

  Sanmargi Dharmapala: Voice of the Pali Revival Dr. Goutham Avarthi | September 17, 2025 Anagarika Dharmapala (17 September 1864 – 29 April 1933) is remembered as one of the foremost reformers of Sinhala Buddhism and a key figure in Sri Lanka’s freedom struggle against British colonial rule. Born on 17 September, his birth anniversary is observed worldwide as “Pali Language Day.” This year marks the 161st Jayanti of Anagarika Dharmapala, a moment to reflect upon his life, legacy, and sacrifices. The Beginning of a Dharmic Journey Dharmapala was born as Don David Hewavitarne on 17 September 1864 into a wealthy Buddhist family in Sri Lanka. His father, Don Carolis Hewavitarne, was a well-known entrepreneur, while his mother Mallika Gunawardene deeply inspired her son’s religious inclinations. From childhood, young David displayed a keen interest in Buddhist teachings. At 16, he came in contact with Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky of the Theosophical Society. At the t...

Introduction      The Devadasi system, which flourished in Tamil Nadu and Orissa, has no substantial evidence of ever existing in Kerala. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar emphasizes that there are no indigenous families or records claiming such a tradition in Kerala’s temples. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai speculated that women might have been employed in Kerala’s temples as Devadasis, basing his arguments on inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu temples such as Suchindram, Cholapuram, and Kanchipuram. Yet, as Panikkar notes, these claims remain conjectural and are strongly challenged by other historians who argue that the absence of any lingering Devadasi families in Kerala undermines such theories (Pillai 1978: 278–281). Koothachi and the Artistic Communities      Confusion often arises due to the term koothachi, mistakenly equated with Devadasi. In Kerala, koothachi referred to women performers of the Chakyar 1 community, whose art—Koothu—was a respected theatrical tra...

The study of totems in India, unlike in many other anthropological traditions, has long been neglected. This neglect owes much to a dominant perspective advanced by colonial administrators, notably the Census Commissioner, who insisted that the fundamental unit of Hindu social organization was the sub-caste, bound by endogamy. Yet, as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar sharply pointed out, nothing could be further from the truth. For him, the real unit of Hindu society was not the sub-caste but the family, governed not by endogamy but by exogamy. In this sense, the Hindu family is essentially tribal in its organization. In northern India especially, marriage rules are shaped by kula and gotra, which operate as equivalents of the totemic system in so-called “primitive” societies. Caste and sub-caste, Ambedkar argued, were superimposed later, as secondary layers of social order. Beneath them lay the older tribal system, still visible in the exogamous rules that structured kinship and family life. Tribes...

The history of India’s struggle for freedom is inextricably tied to the peasant uprisings against colonialism and feudal exploitation. As we journey back to the late 19th century, the misty highlands of Chhota Nagpur—today’s Jharkhand, formerly part of Bihar—come alive with the legacy of the Munda people, a fiercely independent tribal community led by a remarkable young leader: Birsa Munda. The Chhota Nagpur plateau, stretching across the southern districts of the Bihar province, was a storm center for peasant rebellions throughout the 19th century. The Munda people, primarily engaged in agriculture, had a unique folk tradition and a history of anti-imperialist resistance. Despite their contributions to the fighting heritage of India, they continued to suffer under the heavy yoke of landlords and moneylenders who held over 70 percent of the land, wielding absolute economic and political power. Beneath the surface of their everyday lives, a quiet tension simmered. The Birsa Munda Uprisi...

Intriguing Geographic Range: The Pancorius genus, a fascinating group of Asian jumping spiders, predominantly inhabits southeast Asia. Previously confined to the eastern and northeastern parts of India, a groundbreaking discovery revealed a new species in the southern region, expanding our understanding of their habitat. Image courtesy: The Hindu - Pancorius sebastiani, named after the late spider taxonomist P.A. Sebastian Distinctive Appearance: Both male and female Pancorius sebastiani spiders boast eye-catching features. They sport reddish-brown carapaces and yellowish abdomens adorned with striking black patches and chevron-shaped markings posteromedially, making them a visually captivating species. Limited Distribution Mystery: Researchers have uncovered a puzzling aspect about these spiders' distribution. Their presence seems to be sporadic and disjointed, prompting questions about the factors restricting them to specific regions. This enigma adds an element of i...