Why does a week have seven days and how are they ordered?
A week is an artificial unit of time. It has seven days because there were seven geocentric planets. It is however not at all obvious how the names of…
What are Rahu and Ketu?
Rahu and Ketu are two astro-mythological terms of Vedic vintage which underwent change and expansion of meaning in 6th century CE. Contrary to many statements in print and on the…
Why do Indians shake their head from side to side even when they seem to be saying yes?
There are two obvious movements of the head: up and down, and side-ways. The up-and-down movement is universally understood to denote agreement. The side-to- side movement of the head…
Why is bastard such a serious abuse in India unlike in England where it is a term of endearment?
In English-speaking cultures, bastard can be interpreted as a person whose parents out of laziness or otherwise could not get married in time. In Hindi/ Urdu, the word for bastard…
Why do Americans address one another by their first name?
One plausible explanation is this. Early American colonies tended to define themselves using England as a negative bench mark. England was a very hierarchical society which placed great value on…
Why is a restaurant called hotel in Hindi?
It is obviously not possible to give a precise answer to the question. One can only speculate. Traditionally, Indians took their meals at home, their own or somebody elses. Sancks…
Panjab University: The heroic days
Rajesh Kochhar (An abridged version was published in The Tribune Chandigarh (op-ed) on 1 October 2007 ( 60th anniversary of the University) under the title “60 Years of Panjab University…