September 24, 2025
Meeting the Arayar Sami of Srivilliputhur
During my fieldwork in Srivilliputhur this weekend, I had the rare privilege of meeting the Arayar, a hereditary temple artist-priest and custodian of a centuries-old tradition…
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Notes from my journey
September 9, 2025
Why I like small airports of India
Coimbatore, or Kovai, is a Tier 2 city in the state of Tamil Nadu. The district butts into Kerala at the Walayar border, becoming almost like…
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September 5, 2025
Ranipur Jharial: The End of the Beginning
One thing I’ve realized about field research is that it takes time. Time to understand the setting, the people, and the community. Time to build relationships…
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August 28, 2025
Luck with a Tantric Stonehenge
I had planned to take it slow today. But the morning had other ideas. By 8:00 a.m., I was ready, and the driver and I sat…
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August 26, 2025
A Return to the Weavers’ Village
This day began with a quiet insistence. I wanted to find the weavers’ village I had visited a couple of years ago. Memory and instinct led…
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August 23, 2025
Field Notes from Ranipur Jharial – Journeying Closer to Yoginis
Traveling from Raipur to Kantabanji on the Vande Bharat was unexpectedly smooth and serene. A short two-hour ride, nearly empty compartments, and a quiet cabin made…
Read moreAugust 21, 2025
Ranipur Jharial Diaries – Day One: Transits, Textures, and a Soft Landing
This journey began with transitions: a domestic pilgrimage of sorts from Coimbatore to Chennai, and then to Raipur. Lately, I’ve been deeply appreciating India’s smaller airports.…
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August 19, 2025
Āṇḍāḷ’s Birthday and the Diplomacy of Devotion: A Solo Journey to Srivilliputhur
My next journey to Srivilliputhur was a solo adventure in the Joey car. I drove myself from Madampatti, weaving through the early morning light all the…
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August 16, 2025
When the Goddess Rewrites the Itinerary: Srivilliputhur, July 2025
My next visit to Srivilliputhur and the temple town of Āṇḍāḷ took place from July 4th through 8th, 2025. I had planned everything well in advance,…
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August 15, 2025
Why Bharat Matters: A book Review
Why Bharat Matters, by India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was published by Rupa Publications in 2024. The very choice of publisher is telling: Jaishankar could…
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August 14, 2025
Independence Day Book Review: The Indic Quotient by Kaninika Mishra
While she originally intended to focus solely on the world of yoga, over the course of her investigations, Kaninika Mishra ended up bringing out the importance…
Read moreAugust 12, 2025
Bhakti Without Borders: My Middle Journey Between Srivilliputhur Visits
Between my second and third trips to Srivilliputhur, something shifted. I found myself in the in-between: physical stationed in Kovai, and immersed in the stories, voices,…
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