Tattva

Namaste,

Tattva is the first magazine of its kind contributed by Hindu youth across the globe. Tattva was started on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi in September 2006 by a few youth based in Seattle, Washington. Since then it has grown each month and today it has readers from 6 continents and has been downloaded more than 4,500 times. The Tattva team has focused on publishing high-quality articles covering a wide range of topics.  Since its first issue 12 months back, Tattva received an overwhelming positive response every month. This has motivated the team to put together an even better issue each time. We hope to maintain high standards in the forthcoming year.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2007/09/ to read the September 2007 edition of Tattva.

The origin of all Indian classical performing art forms, holds Hinduism at its heart. In this article, let us take a brief look at the history of our dance culture to explore how it is inseparable from our religion and our parampara, or traditions.

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 Arthashastra, written by Kautilya (also known as Chanakya), is an ancient treatise dealing with the governance of a country. Chanakya was a very learned scholar at the Takshashila University (an ancient Hindu university, located in present-day Pakistan) and the acharya of Chandragupta Maurya. He had mastery over political science, economics, accounting, and governance, and was the driving force behind the creation of the Maurya dynasty. Apart from Arthashastra, Kautilya wrote several other books such as Chanakya-Sutras (Rules of Science) and Chanakya-Rajanitisastra (Science of Government Policies).

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The years of Indian slavery to the British brought forth some of the finest blood our country had to offer to the world. One such giant, shining like a sun amongst that kingly constellation of super-heroes, is Vinayak Damodar Savarkar—Veer Savarkar, as he is better known. Born in 1883 and fondly known as the crown prince of the Indian revolutionary movement, Savarkar was a prodigy. At the tender age of fourteen, he shut himself in his room and swore before the image of his family deity that he would never rest in peace until he had won India’s independence back from the oppressive British rule. Instead of playing games with his classmates, he preferred discussions with his uncles about the swords inherited from his family’s service with Peshwa rulers of Maharashtra. Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting facts about Hinduism and Bharat 

Angkor Wat

Maha Kumbh Mela

Takshashila and Nalanda

Indonesian currency

Brihadeswar

World’s Tallest Murugan Statue

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This article was written in response to a biased and incorrect “letter” that attempted to distort the efforts of Hindu activists around the world. The anti-Hindu “letter” was entitled “A Letter to a Young American Hindu”.

Over the centuries the United States of America has been the new home for many old world immigrants.  Many of these immigrants were fleeing atrophied systems and rigid societies. In many cases the very nature of these societies suffocated the natural growth of its member communities.  Any time efforts or movements developed as a challenge to the status quo, the response was generally negative.  Many of these efforts and movements could not blossom until they were transplanted to America.  Yet, unfortunately, representatives of the status quo challenged this blossoming and growth.  These attacks threatened not only the targeted groups but also the very essence of the American ideals of freedom, fair-play, and equality. A brief overview of the current Indian-American condition reveals a perfect example of Old World suffocation of
New World dedication and inspiration. Read the rest of this entry »

 The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable about Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny, by Robin Sharma 

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Swami Vivekananda was one of Bharat’s most influential spiritual leaders and thankfully for us a prolific writer. In his book Raja Yoga he gives a very rational and inspiring explanation of what is also known as Ashtanga Yoga. Below is an excerpt from his book where he explains the concept of Prana, which is central to what separates Yoga from contortionism.  Read the rest of this entry »

This article is an excerpt from the ‘International Journal of Integrative Medicine - September/October 1999’. It is written by Dr. Vimal Patel and is reproduced here with his permission. 

For the last three to four decades, there has been growing concern about the appropriateness of the technology-driven modern healthcare model for dealing with chronic disease. There is widespread recognition of the need for a less fragmented, more participative, and humane healthcare approach to address the growing financial, social, and personal costs of chronic disease management. This shift in attitude is reflected by the increasing use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) modalities in the United States and around the world.

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Since our childhood, most of us have been hearing various mantras and shlokas. Ever noticed most of them have “AUM” in them? Although AUM symbolizes the profound concepts of religious belief, it is used daily. The Hindus begin their day or any work or a journey by uttering AUM. The symbol is often found at the head of letters, and at the beginning of examination papers. Many Hindus, as an expression of faith and belief, wear the sign of AUM as a pendant. What makes this word and its invocation so important? Read the rest of this entry »