Renaissance
The Emerging Dharmic Renaissance
This section is currently under construction and will contain editorials, articles and online books in the future documenting the rise and impact of the new Dharmic Renaissance on India and the world.
The term ‘Renaissance’ often is tinged with a Euro-centric bias. Many of us were required to learn European history during our formative years and are familiar with the dramatic impact the rediscovery of the Greek Classics had in bringing Europe out of its dark ages.
Likewise, India today is slowly arising from its own dark ages. The period from the 11th century until the 17th century saw the destruction of much of Dharmic culture under a succession of Islamic invasions. This also lead to a stagnation of the economy and a reduction in the population. This period was followed by a series of European colonial interventions which led to the formal colonization of India by the British in 1857. This 1000+ year span can rightly be called the Indian Dark Ages because the original culture of India (Dharmic) was suppressed during this period.
Today India is left with an intelligentsia that has been educated in systems set up by the British, the most prominent religious structures in most cities are Islamic, the primary international symbol of India – The Taj Mahal, is Islamic (it is actually neither Taj (‘Crown’) nor Mahal (‘Palace’), but rather a mausoleum (Dargah) for Emperor Shah Jahan’s wife (Mumtaz Mahal) ), the most spoken language, Hindi is permeated with Urdu words, and a true education in Sanathana Dharma and Sanskrit is almost unavailable.
Clearly, there is a need for India to rediscover itself – to take a hard look at its past, its scriptures, its literature and bring these out into the modern light. Many are beginning to realize that this will be the catalyst for a Dharmic Renaissance – a movement that will reshape the world we live in and provide a new vision for the future.