Dilemmas of today

  'Padmavati', 'Padmavat' and now 'Padmaavat' what ever you decide to call this Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Magnam Opus which was scheduled for a December 1 release, released today amidst police protection outside the cinema halls and incidents of vandalism and protests in Haryana, Rajasthan and many parts of the country. What is the Histo ry?     There is a disagreement within the historians whether 'Rani Padmini' did actually exist. The beauty and the valour of the queen is depicted through a poem by a Sufi saint 'Malik Muhammad Jayasi' in 1540 where he states that Sultan Alauddin Khalji heard of the unmatched beauty of the queen and decided to win her over by fighting against her husband Raja Ratan Sen. The rightful queen committed jauhar i.e self immolation along with the other women in Mewad to protect her dignity. What is the controversy?     Ever since the film was announced, the Rajput Karni Sena protested against the film. T...

   The anticipation of the million eyes ceases today as the Ganesh Utsav completes its glorious 125 years amidst controversy about its inception. The 'Ganpati Bappa Morya ' chants, the aartis are heard all around. The markets are overcrowded and galore with Ganesh idols, the fragrance of the flowers, modaks and decorative items.   This festival finds its roots way back in history when Shivaji Maharaj established the Maratha Empire in the 16th century. Later the Peshwas kept up with the tradition and observed Ganesha as their family deity but the celebrations were only confined to their individual homes. It was in the year 1893 that the idea of public gala was initiated by Lokmanya Tilak. He installed his first Ganpati idol in Vinchurkar Wada at Sadashiv Peth in Pune. In the view to bring people of various stratas of society- educated, non educated, young and old together, to participate in the National Movement against the British. Tilak encouraged the Melas and also...