Renuka Narayanan is an Indian author, columnist, and cultural commentator known for her writings on Hindu traditions and philosophy. Through books, essays, and newspaper columns, she has worked to make classical Indian wisdom accessible to contemporary readers, particularly through retellings that connect scriptural narratives with everyday ethical and emotional questions.
Over the course of her writing career, she has authored more than a dozen books spanning religious stories, philosophy, devotion, prayer, and memoir. Her work draws from a wide range of Indic sources, including the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Jataka tales, and the lives and teachings of spiritual figures.
Renuka Narayanan has held significant editorial positions in Indian journalism, including serving as Arts Editor at The Indian Express, where she also wrote on religion and culture for the editorial pages. She later served as Editor, Religion & Culture, at Hindustan Times, where her long-running Sunday columns explored themes of faith, ritual, philosophy, and contemporary spiritual life.
Beyond journalism, she was the founding Director of the Indian Cultural Centre at the Embassy of India in Bangkok, contributing to the promotion of Indian arts and culture in an international setting.
Her work across journalism and publishing reflects a sustained engagement with how traditional narratives continue to shape cultural memory and personal belief in modern India.
Narayanan’s writing is marked by an interpretive and reader-oriented approach to Hindu literature. Rather than treating scriptural material as distant or purely theological, her books focus on how these narratives continue to offer insight into grief, devotion, morality, resilience, and spiritual practice.
Her major works include Hindu Fables: From the Vedas to Vivekananda, The Path of Light, Learning from Loss: Lessons from our Gurus, What Our Gurus Taught Us, Faith: Filling the God-sized Hole, The Book of Prayer, The Little Book of Indian Wisdom, and Mahadev. She has also written the memoir A Madrasi Memoir.
Published by houses including Penguin, Viking, Juggernaut, and Academic Foundation, her books have contributed to a wider contemporary readership for Indic traditions and devotional literature.
🔸 Arts Editor, The Indian Express 🔸 Editor, Religion & Culture, Hindustan Times 🔸 Founding Director, Indian Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Bangkok
Her work has also featured in literary festivals, public conversations, podcasts, and discussions on religion and Indian philosophy, extending her engagement beyond print readership.
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