Articles by Brishti Guha
Prakrit poetry for posterity
The Gatha Saptashati, an anthology of 700 poems on everything from nature and love to the general experiences of ordinary people, still enthrals
Published on Mar 07, 2025 11:01 AM IST
Chronicles in the language of ghosts, birds and beasts
On translating a story dating back to the Satavahana era that still appeals to the modern reader.
Updated on Jan 16, 2025 05:08 AM IST
Futuristic technology from the ancient past
On the Vaimanika Shastra, a Sanskrit manual that surfaced in the early 20th century, that described ancient aircraft that seem akin to UFOs
Published on Dec 03, 2024 09:14 PM IST
Back to the future: Marriage and live-in relationships in ancient India
From the Mahabharata to the Arthashastra, what our literary texts can tell us about how ancient Indian society treated unions of all kinds
Updated on Apr 03, 2024 08:33 PM IST
Brishti Guha
Dating the Mahabharata war – A tale of eclipses, archaeology, and genealogies
Using a combination of data from ancient texts, contemporary astronomy and radiocarbon dating of tsunamis, the author of this essay calculates that the Mahabharata war was fought this fortnight 2922 years ago
Published on Oct 28, 2022 05:34 PM IST
Brishti Guha
How an ancient astrological book points to the historical date for King Rama
A study of the Yuga Purana alongside expert sources and astronomical evidence about eclipses suggests a likely date
Updated on Oct 20, 2022 03:09 PM IST
Brishti Guha and Indrani Guha
Science fiction meets science fact: The robots of ancient India
Ancient India had a rich literature featuring stories about robots that was originally written in Sanskrit and then translated into Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Tocharian, and Pali
Updated on Jul 01, 2022 04:22 PM IST
Brishti Guha
Essay: Yoga and the healthy mind in a healthy body
On the International Day of Yoga, a look at the yogic arts of ancient India and their modern applications
Updated on Jun 21, 2022 03:11 PM IST
Brishti Guha
Essay: Fun facts about board games in ancient India
In time for International Tabletop Day on June 4, Brishti Guha writes about the ancient Indian obsession with board games evident not only in archaeological finds but also in myth, literature and folklore
Updated on Jun 03, 2022 04:03 PM IST
Brishti Guha