At home in the world

For those who have been tracking the great Indian boom story, this will come as no surprise: Indian tourists have been hitting foreign shores with a vengeance. And now, with the rupee gaining against the dollar and a surge in budget flight options and attractive travel packages, the number of Indian travellers holidaying abroad is expected to double, by the year 2011. In short, the Indian outbound travel industry has never had it so good. However, as more and more Indian families head overseas for vacationing, what are the highs and lows that they face?

Click here to read about the issues faced by Indian tourists abroad.

The Power of Myths

The power of myths is immense. Myths can inspire art, establish empires, spark revolutions and motivate leaders. Religions have been founded on faith, and based on myths. Myths also create belief, which leads to faith. From myths come customs; from customs comes culture, and from culture societies. Myths therfore have the power to influence societies. Is that a dangerous thing, since the word 'myth' literally means falsehood ? Not necessarily, since myth is also a form of truth - a truth that is subjective, intuitive, cultural and grounded in faith.

Click here to read about the power of myths.

Click here to read why history still considers Ram a myth.

When your past is key to your present

Past Life regression is a fascinating subject. Going into your past life, it is said, helps you understand your present in a better manner. The whole idea of past life regression therapy, therefore, is to understand one’s karma. When one’s past karma is understood by going to the root cause of a problem, it is believed that the cause and its effect are neutralized. The following story describes a past life regression workshop that I recently attended.

Click here to read the story.

Silent secrets of the sea

India has a 7500 km long coastline and a maritime heritage that is over 5000 years old. Most of the country’s waters are almost unexplored and have the potential of containing rich archaeological treasures that can help solve many mysteries of the past. No wonder then, that archaeologists believe that there are perhaps more historical secrets lying underwater than on the ground.

Click here to know about the secrets that the sea hides.