Showing 50 articles
In conversation with the Water Warrior – Ayyappa Masagi
Author: Anand Baskaran and Nikhil VashishthaNovember 10, 2018
On a visit to a permaculture-based organic farm in Andhra Pradesh, we learnt about Ayyappa Masagi, who had helped the farm in one of the most rain-deficient areas in South India, become water-sufficient. A man-made lake abounding with blooming lilies and lotuses, and the tender green leaves amidst the surrounding dry soil stood testimony to [...]
The Art of Devotion
Author: Kanika MehraJuly 29, 2018
In the wee hours of the morning, Emperor Akbar awoke to the sweet melodious singing of Haridas, guru of the celebrated singer of his court, Tansen. Haridas had been singing a dawn raga. Overwhelmed, Akbar inquired why Tansen was not able to sing like his guru Haridas. Tansen replied that there was one big difference [...]
Empowering Real Change: Philosophy & Art Panel Discussion on World Philosophy Day 2017
Author: Compiled by Harianto H MehtaJanuary 21, 2018
For New Acropolis members across the globe, every day in a way, is World Philosophy Day. Through history, classical traditions have employed philosophy as the central axis of education, recognizing the pivotal role of wisdom and ethics, in the formation of human civilization. Therefore, we mark the special opportunity of UNESCO’s annual endorsement of World [...]
Daring to Dream of a New and Better World -Q&A with Yaron Barzilay
Author: Manjula NanavatiJanuary 21, 2018
Tall, trim and relaxed in any environment, Yaron Barzilay smiles easily, but weighs his words very carefully. Understated and well-read, he punctuates his conversations unexpectedly, with an incisive colloquial humor that betrays his acute sense of the current socio-economic and political climate, and his capacious grasp of India’s history and mythology. Professionally, Yaron Barzilay is [...]
Classical Dance: A Stairway to Spirituality
Author: Purbasha GhoshAugust 27, 2017
In our perpetual pursuit of the perceived definition of success, our minds and bodies are incessantly engaged in surface level occupations; being ‘busy’ appears to be a natural choice to satiate our voracious material and intellectual needs. Nevertheless, somewhere a higher center within us remains starved and an intense yearning to unite with something larger [...]
The Constitution of the Human Being in the Eastern Tradition
Author: Agostino DominiciMay 1, 2017
In a previous article, I introduced the topic of the esoteric constitution of man and I looked at the Western tradition. In this article, I will look at the same topic but from the perspective of the Eastern tradition. I will introduce some of the Sufi, Hindu and Taoist classifications of man’s spiritual constituents. Before [...]
Sacred Dance and Classical Indian Dance
Author: Miti DesaiFebruary 7, 2017
All dance started with the yearning of the human spirit to move, but with the development of consciousness, expressed in civilisation, an additional element emerged: the idea that the purpose of human life is to grow, to evolve the consciousness, to transcend. But the makers of Indian civilisation realised that it is very difficult to [...]
Indian Classical Music – A Bridge to The Divine
Author: Dipti SanzgiriFebruary 7, 2017
Om. The first sound of creation as per the Hindu tradition. That sound with which all ancient vedic prayers start and end, as if emulating the sacred process of creation through sound. The classical tradition of music in India therefore, has traditionally been treated as a sacred means to interact with the creative principle of [...]
Down the Rabbit Hole: Tasneem Zakaria Mehta on Preservation of Heritage
Author: Manjula NanavatiSeptember 24, 2016
In five years Tasneem Zakaria Mehta revitalized a decayed and dying museum, transforming it into a vital and accessible cultural focal point for Mumbai. As vice-chairman of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Honorary Director of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) Museum, Tasneem spearheaded the exhaustive research and the [...]
Saying it Right – Doing it Right
Author: Michael LassmanJuly 30, 2016
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” was a little ditty chanted in the school playgrounds of the 1960s as a retort from one child to another after being teased or taunted. In truth, it should have been “…but words will really hurt me” – why? Because they can [...]
Re-examining Corporate India’s Social Responsibility: In Conversation with Padma Shri Anu Aga
Author: Manjula NanavatiMay 26, 2016
Mrs. Anu Aga emanates the serenity of one who has successfully steered her life out of turbulence and is at peace with the cards that life dealt her, and the choices she has made along the way. Her petite frame however, is monumentally deceptive for she is a colossal force to reckon with. She is [...]
Against All Odds: Q&A with Hans Dalal
Author: Manjula NanavatiMarch 24, 2016
Hans Dalal wears many hats: Wild Life Conservationist, Tiger Tracker, Forest Guard, Poacher Community Rehabilitator, Trekker, Sound Engineer…and he was born with cerebral palsy, a fact that he refers to easily and casually. His speech, though effort-full, is extremely articulate and expressive; his voice strong and passionate even as his tongue hesitates and elongates a [...]