Review of URDHVA: The Lost Axis by Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar

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Rating: 5/5

When I picked up URDHVA: The Lost Axis I was expecting a thoughtful book, but what I found was more like a map for seeing India in a new light. The book uses the image of the Urdhvamūlavṛkṣa, the upward rooted tree, and that image stayed with me long after I closed the cover. It is not just a book of ideas, it feels like an invitation to rethink how we understand our cultural roots and inner life.

What the book is about

In simple terms, the author asks us to look at Bharat as a civilization whose centre is not just political history but consciousness itself. He weaves together symbols, philosophy, and cultural practices to show how a vertical idea of rootedness gives the civilisation its strength. The writing brings in Vedic motifs, spiritual science, and a civilizational imagination that asks readers to reconnect with what the author calls Bharatagni, the civilisational fire. The core idea—seeing India as a consciousness driven civilisation—is presented clearly and with passion.

About the author and why it matters to this book

Knowing who wrote this helped me trust the book. Dr Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar has a background in physics and academia and he brings that disciplined, curious mind to questions of philosophy and culture. His scientific training gives the book an unusual balance where metaphysical ideas are treated carefully rather than tossed about loosely. That mix of science and spiritual inquiry felt honest and grounded to me.

What resonated with me the most

The strongest part for me was the way the book treated symbols as living things. The Urdhvamūlavṛkṣa is used not as a mere metaphor but as a way to read art, polity, and daily practice. I liked how the book does not simply ask for a nostalgic return to the past. Instead it invites a living recovery, a way to bring old insights into present life. The chapters that explore aesthetics and polity through this lens made me pause and re-evaluate familiar ideas.

Style and readability

The voice of the book felt both learned and approachable. The author writes with clarity and a steady pace. Complex ideas are unpacked without being dumbed down, and there are moments of sharp, memorable phrasing that make the book easy to carry in the mind. I found it easy to follow, and many times I had to stop and think because a single paragraph opened up a whole new angle for me.

Why I would recommend it

I would recommend URDHVA to anyone who wants more than a history book. If you are someone who enjoys thinking about culture, symbolism, and inner life, this book will give you a fresh framework to hold those thoughts. It felt like a thoughtful companion for someone trying to understand India beyond headlines and timelines. I also appreciated that the book is available widely, so it is easy to get a copy and read it at your own pace.

Final note from me

Reading this book felt like being handed a compass. It does not tell you exactly where to go, but it helps you see where north might be. For me the experience was renewing and quietly powerful. If you care about ideas that shape how a people see themselves, URDHVA is a book I think you will want to spend time with.

Review of Hindutva: Origin, Evolution and Future by Aravindan Neelakandan

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Rating: 5/5

I do not hesitate for a second to say that this book tells the truth it sets out to tell. From the very first pages I felt the author was not holding back and was honest about his central claim. He insists that Hindutva is not just a short political slogan or a party line but a long civilizational process that needs to be understood on its own terms. This is the spine of the whole book and I embrace it completely.

What the book claims, in simple words

The author lays out a big idea: Hindutva is a historical and civilizational stream, not merely a modern political ideology. He traces how cultural, ritual, psychological and social threads over a very long time together form what people call Hindutva today. He does not limit the conversation to a few leaders or a century of politics. He reaches back and shows how this identity grows and changes across ages. I found that claim honest and necessary.

How the author makes his case

The method is not shallow. The book brings history, cultural thinking and even ideas about human evolution and religious psychology into the discussion. It explains why certain practices and symbols mattered and how they shaped group identity. The argument is built carefully, step by step, and that steady reasoning convinced me rather than leaving me with just slogans. 

The scale and depth of the work

This is not a short pamphlet. It is a large, thoroughly researched book of nearly eight hundred pages, full of detail, references and cross connections. That size matters because the subject itself is huge. You cannot treat Hindutva as a tiny topic and expect to do it justice. I appreciated that the author gave the subject the space it deserves.

What moved me most

I loved the way the book ties ideas to lived culture. It does not leave Hindutva as an abstract label. The author shows how beliefs, rituals, language and public memory shape a people’s sense of themselves. Reading those parts felt like watching a long story being laid out with reasons and evidence. The writing kept me engaged, and the seriousness of the research made every claim feel weighty and believable.

Who should read this book

If you care about understanding India from the inside, if you want to go beyond headlines and soundbites, this is the book to read. It is for people who want a deep view, not a quick opinion. I think anyone who wants to know why Hindutva matters in our time will find this book essential reading. No soft answers, only hard thinking.

My closing thought

I finished the book feeling clearer and firmer about what Hindutva actually is. The author does not shy away from bold statements, and I do not shy away from saying I fully agree with the book’s fundamental claim. For me this is the kind of work that shifts how you look at a complex subject, and I am grateful for that clarity.