Volume: 3 Issue: 4 (July - August 2026)
| Sr No. | Paper Information |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Author(s):
Priskili Nampui.
Country:
India
Research Area:
History
Page No:
1-7 |
Language, Education and Identity: The Assamese Renaissance under Baptist MissionaryAbstractThe paper looks at the crucial transformation of the language and education of Assam during the wake of the Assam renaissance. The nineteenth century is marked to have kindled a deep sense of emancipation and played a pivotal role in evaluation of the cultural and intellectual history of Assam. The American Baptist Missionary played an important role in the history of Assam and bringing in the renaissance during the nineteenth century. The paper underlines how the British missionaries carried out the momentous changes of the region in the field of education, print, press and language leading to the creation of its distinct linguistic identity. Since no corroborative indigenous data regarding the activities of the missionaries in Assam is found, thus the study is based on the earliest church records of Rev. Miles Bronson and other secondary sources. With the establishment of vernacular schools, translation of religious and secular works and the introduction of printing press helped expand literacy in Assam. This encouraged the use of Assamese language in formal learning, while the publication of Orunadoi further created a new intellectual sphere fostering literary growth and linguistic consciousness forming its own identity to the Assamese people. The developments brought by the Baptist missionary collectively stimulated a broader cultural awakening which laid the foundation of modern Assamese literature and identity formation. This study examines how the Baptist missionary role in the education and linguistic initiative contributed to the Assamese renaissance and argues that the missionary’s intervention despite its colonial and religious framework, became a catalyst in the shaping of modern Assamese society. | |
| 2 |
Author(s):
Divyaraj Singh.
Country:
India
Research Area:
Philosophy
Page No:
8-15 |
The Five Sheaths of the Self: Understanding the PanchkoshAbstractThe very concept of Panchkosh or five-sheaths first articulated in the Brahmananda Valli of the Taittiriya Upaniṣhad which offers one of the oldest and most carefully structured maps of human existence in any wisdom tradition. It pictures the individual as a layered being whose innermost reality, the Atman, is progressively veiled by five concentric layers: Annamaya, the sheath of food or the gross physical body, Pranamaya, the sheath of vital energy, Manomaya, the sheath of mind and emotions, Vigyanamaya, the sheath of intellect and discernment, and Anandamaya, the bliss sheath. This paper revisits the doctrine in its original scriptural setting and reads it alongside the Maṇḍukya Upanishad's analysis of the three bodies and the four states of consciousness, the Chandogya Upanishad's teaching on the Infinite and the space within the heart, the Kaṭha Upanishad's graded hierarchy of senses, mind and intellect, the Bhagavad Geeta's account of the three gunas and the imperishable Self, and the Yoga Vashishtha's insistence that the mind alone binds and liberates. It further proposes a reasoned correspondence between the five sheaths and the seven chakras of the tantric tradition, and shows how the framework, through the paired categories of Adhi (mental affliction) and Vyadhi (bodily disease), continues to inform yoga therapy, Ayurveda and modern holistic models of health. The aim throughout is to recover the Panchkosh as a living instrument of self-knowledge and most importantly to make the concept easily understandable to students of all age groups across diverse backgrounds. | |
| 3 |
Author(s):
Sarita Simeen Bandala, Dr. Manisha Singh.
Country:
India
Research Area:
History
Page No:
16-36 |
Christian Historical Heritage of Telangana: An Exploratory StudyAbstractThe Christian historical heritage of Telangana is a valuable yet insufficiently examined dimension of the region’s archival past. This exploratory study investigates the archaeological and archival evidence associated with the presence and development of Christianity in Telangana from the early modern period onwards exploratory study investigates the archaeological and archival evidence associated with the presence and development of Christianity in Telangana from the early modern period onward. This study is also based upon church inscriptions, burial sites, architectural remains, missionary correspondences, and diocesan archives to reconstruct patterns of Christian settlement and institutional growth. Four main churches, in Telengana have been chosen to make this study appropriately interesting. The analysis is based on the spatial distribution of churches, schools, and mission establishments, as well as the adaptation of Christian architectural forms within Telengana building traditions. The findings suggest that Christian heritage in Telangana is embedded within the region’s physical landscape and documentary record reflect on processes based on cultural negotiation and not on cultural replacement as such. This study contributes to a more detailed and evidence-based understanding of Telangana religious history and highlights the urgent need for systematic documentation and preservation of Christian archaeological heritage in South India.Keywords: Christian heritage, Telangana, church architecture, missionary history, Deccan region, heritage preservation | |
| 4 |
Author(s):
Dr. R. N. Tripathi, Dr. Snehil Misra.
Country:
India
Research Area:
Sociology
Page No:
37-46 |
Beyond Microfinance: A Sociological Study of Women’s Economic Empowerment and Social Transformation through Self-Help Groups in Rural VaranasiAbstractWomen’s empowerment has emerged as a significant area of sociological inquiry, particularly in the context of rural development, gender equality, and inclusive growth. The present study, titled “Beyond Microfinance: A Sociological Study of Women’s Economic Empowerment and Social Transformation through Self-Help Groups in Rural Varanasi,” examines the role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as institutions that facilitate not only economic improvement but also broader processes of social transformation among rural women. The study moves beyond the conventional understanding of SHGs as financial mechanisms and analyses them as social spaces where women develop agency, collective identity, social networks, and greater participation in household and community life.The study adopts a mixed-method research approach, combining quantitative and qualitative perspectives to understand both measurable outcomes and lived experiences of SHG members. It explores the influence of SHG participation on women’s economic conditions, including access to savings, credit facilities, livelihood opportunities, and financial autonomy. Along with economic dimensions, the study examines changes in women’s decision-making capacity, self-confidence, social awareness, mobility, and participation in collective activities. It also analyses how socio-cultural factors such as caste, class, education, family structure, and patriarchal norms shape women’s experiences of empowerment.The findings suggest that SHGs contribute significantly to enhancing women’s economic participation and financial awareness by providing opportunities for savings, entrepreneurship, and livelihood generation. Participation in SHGs also strengthens women’s social capital through collective interaction, mutual support, and community engagement. However, the study highlights that empowerment is a complex and gradual process, as existing social inequalities and gender norms continue to influence women’s autonomy and access to resources. Economic participation alone does not completely transform gender relations; rather, SHGs create spaces where women negotiate traditional roles and gradually redefine their social identities.The study draws upon sociological perspectives, including Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, Bourdieu’s concept of capital, and feminist approaches to empowerment, to understand SHGs as institutions of capability expansion and social change. The paper argues that SHGs should be viewed beyond microfinance initiatives and recognized as important instruments of gender transformation, collective agency, and rural social change. In the context of rural Varanasi, SHGs represent an evolving platform through which women participate in processes of economic development, social empowerment, and transformation of gender relations. | |
| 5 |
Author(s):
Anupriya Tanwar.
Country:
India
Research Area:
Law
Page No:
47-54 |
Revisiting the Sabarimala Debate: A Socio-Legal Evaluation of Justice Indu Malhotra’s DissentAbstractThe Sabarimala judgment sparked a controversial debate in Indian constitutional jurisprudence. In a country like India, where religious faith is deeply rooted in people's lives, this case highlighted the complex relationship between religious freedom, gender equality, and constitutional morality. In Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018), the Supreme Court, by a majority of 4:1, held that the exclusion of women between the ages of 10 and 50 from the Sabarimala Temple was unconstitutional. It allowed women of all age groups to enter the temple. Activists celebrated the judgment as a hallmark step towards equality. However, the followers of Lord Ayyappa, including many women, were disappointed, as they viewed it as a direct intervention in their right to religious autonomy and faith. Justice Indu Malhotra's dissenting opinion was particularly relevant in a country like India. She presented a contrasting vision of judicial restraint, religious autonomy, and the rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. This paper critically examines Justice Malhotra's dissent and evaluates its contribution to the discourse on religious liberty and constitutional adjudication. The paper analyses the dissent and questions the extent of judicial intervention in matters of faith and the importance of respecting sincerely held religious beliefs. Further, it explains the history of the temple, the celibate nature of Lord Ayyappa, and the right of a religious denomination to preserve its essential practices. It examines whether a practice that does not violate public order, morality, or health should be subjected to judicial intervention at the instance of activists who have no association with the temple or its faith. The paper concludes that Justice Indu Malhotra's dissent offers an important constitutional perspective on religious autonomy and judicial restraint, emphasizing that sincerely held religious beliefs and denominational practices deserve constitutional protection unless they violate the constitutional limitations of public order, morality, or health. | |
| 6 |
Author(s):
Nazakat Hussain, Mohd. Saleem.
Country:
India
Research Area:
History
Page No:
55-60 |
Making Ancient Inks: Lampblack, Plant Saps, and the Technology of Long-Lasting Writing on Palm Leaves in Early India (c. 5th Century BCE – 12th Century CE)AbstractThis paper examines the ancient Indian technology of ink production for palm-leaf manuscripts, focusing on the chemical composition, traditional synthesis methods, and remarkable archival permanence of carbon-based inks made from lampblack (soot) and natural plant saps or gums. Long before the introduction of paper, early Indian scribes—primarily in South and eastern regions—developed a sophisticated system using finely divided carbon particles collected from the controlled incomplete combustion of vegetable oils (such as sesame or mustard) and resins, bound with mucilages and saps from plants like wood apple (Aegle marmelos), acacia, or bean/berry juices. These inks were specifically formulated for the unique incised writing technique on treated palm leaves (Borassus flabellifer or Corypha umbraculifera), where a metal stylus carved letters and the ink mixture was applied and wiped to fill the grooves permanently. Modern scientific analyses of surviving manuscripts confirm the predominance of pure lampblack with minimal metallic impurities, explaining the exceptional longevity of these records in tropical climates. The study argues that this technology reflects advanced empirical knowledge of colloid chemistry, adhesion, and material stability, optimized for knowledge preservation in pre-modern India. It fills a gap in Indian historiography of science by highlighting indigenous innovation in writing materials, distinct from later paper-based traditions or iron-gall inks of Europe and the Islamic world. The paper draws on textual references, ethnographic accounts, codicological evidence, and heritage-science studies to reconstruct the process and assess its contribution to the survival of ancient Indian knowledge systems. | |