ABU DHABI, March 9, 2026 (Tribune India): The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Temple in Abu Dhabi said it will remain closed until further notice, as the Iran-Israel conflict has escalated into a major direct war involving the United States. On March 2, the temple said that the priests there continued to pray for the safety of the people.…
DEHRADUN/GAIRSAIN, INDIA, March 11, 2026 (News 9 Live): A major religious decision has been taken in Uttarakhand ahead of the Char Dham Yatra 2026 pilgrimage. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has passed a resolution prohibiting the entry of non-Hindus into 47 temples under its jurisdiction, including the sacred shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath. The resolution was passed during the BKTC’s…
INDIA, March 9, 2026 (Swarajyamag): Is the Indian judiciary inadvertently supporting crypto-Christianity, where a convert to Christianity remains Hindu on paper in order to benefit from the various affirmative action programs of the government? A recent judgement of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court ruled that the mere presence of a Jesus statue or the symbol of the…
NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 3, 2026 (India West): As India prepared for Holi, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change turned the spotlight on nature-based colors, urging communities to celebrate without compromising health or the environment. The ministry conducted hands-on workshops across Eco Clubs nationwide, teaching students how to prepare natural Holi colors from everyday ingredients. In classrooms transformed…
INDIA, March 4, 2026 (RNS): Today is Holi, the prominent Hindu holiday recognized for its colorful celebrations. Across South Asia and its diaspora, revelers gather in large groups to throw colored powder at one another, dance to Bollywood hits and wash the pigment away with water guns and balloons. For many, Holi simply marks a farewell of winter and the…
INDIA, February, 2026 (tithayatra.org): Uttarakhand authorities have announced new health measures ahead of Char Dham Yatra 2026, including the establishment of 50-bed hospitals at Badrinath and Kedarnath. Health Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat said the facilities, equipped with oxygen systems, emergency wards and critical care units, are expected to be operational before the pilgrimage begins in April, aiming to better…
CALIFORNIA, USA, February 28, 2026 (RasaBees Kids): At source below is the just released animated video “Holi Colors Everywhere with RasaBees.” Celebrate Holi with music, colors and joyful springtime magic in this bright animated song. Watch children gather in the sunshine, throw colorful powders, dance to festive beats and see flowers bloom across the park as we celebrate the Indian…
INDIA, February 26, 2026 (The Guardian): Aloud cheer and sounds of clapping reverberated around Bansilalpet, a neighborhood in Hyderabad, when the first trickle of clean water dribbled out of the ground. After an 18-month effort to clear out 3,000 tons of rubbish and restore the stone walls and adjacent area, the 17th-century Bansilalpet stepwell had become a source of clean…
UNITED STATES, February 23, 2026 (RNS): With more than 20 South Asian cultural and religious organizations on the campus of University of Illinois, where 25% of the student population is Asian, Connecticut native Rishabh Bhandari felt spoiled for choice as an eager freshman. Yet despite the widespread popularity of large-scale Diwali and Holi events, Bhandari said he felt there was…
INDIA, February 24, 2026 (Indian Express): Fewer than 8% of India’s 22,446 elephants – spread across six states – are responsible for nearly half of all human-elephant conflict casualties nationwide. Most belong to nomadic herds displaced from shrinking forest habitats and forced into croplands. In fact, four of the new elephant areas, located across central India – south Bengal, Chhattisgarh,…
