INDIA, April 15, 2025 (BBC): For a few hours on a warm April day, jets paused and silence reclaimed the skies above the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The airport’s closure was not due to bad weather or a technical glitch, as one might assume, but to make way for a Hindu…
MALAYSIA, April 17, 2025 (YouTube): Dating back over 100 years, this Hindu temple in Kampung, Kelanang, once hidden among the trees, now comes to life daily thanks to the devotion of a single Chinese family. At Sri Seetharaman Temple in Banting, Selangor, first-time visitors are often taken aback by the sight of 46-year-old Yong Hua Tait performing evening prayers for…
KUCHING, SARAWAK, EAST MALAYSIA, April 14, 2025 (Sarawak Tribune): The Sri Srinivasagar Kaliamman Temple at Jalan Ban Hock was filled with activities today as the Tamil Hindu community celebrated Puthandu, also known as Tamil New Year. The sweet scent of incense permeated the air, creating a spiritual atmosphere that welcomed both young and old to mark the beginning of a…
NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 14, 2025 (Indian Express): Registration for the Amarnath Yatra 2025 has begun. According to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine board, the pilgrimage will be held from July 3 to August 9 this year, and devotees can register online. The Amarnath temple in Jammu and Kashmir is one of the holiest shrines for Hindus, dedicated to Lord Shiva…
UNITED STATES, April 10, 2025 (Religion News Service): On Tuesday (April 8), members of Congress introduced a rare bipartisan piece of immigration reform legislation aimed at clearing a backlog in visas for religious workers. The Religious Workforce Protection Act has substantial support from a variety of religious leaders, including Catholics, evangelical Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Episcopalians. “We would not…
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, April 9, 2025 (India West): The Maha Kumbh, a sacred convergence of faith, tradition, and spirituality, drew millions, including many Indian Americans, to Triveni Sangam—the meeting point of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj, India. For Indian American devotees at Chinmaya Mission Los Angeles, such as Kiran Swamy, Sundari Velayudhan, Rashmi Singh and…
BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA, April 8, 2025 (Mercury News): Learning a new language can sometimes be a hobby or requirement, but for Brian Linebaugh, it became a lifelong pursuit that led him across the world and ultimately inspired a documentary that was recently featured at an international film festival. The film, “Beyond Words — Stories from Tamil Landscapes,” celebrates the rich…
MUMBAI, INDIA, April 2, 2025 (Pop Diaries): The Siddhivinayak Temple located in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, is one of the most revered Hindu temples. Hundreds of thousands of people come there from all over the country to seek blessings from Lord Ganesha. These devotees also offer certain donations to the temples in terms of money. Recently, The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust reported that…
INDIA, April 6, 2025 (India Currents, by Samyukta Shrivatsa): On one fateful Wednesday night in January, I texted a friend words I never thought I would say: “I just decided to go to Maha Kumbh. I’m leaving tomorrow”. As a chronically over-working PhD student, my connection to my Indian Hindu roots was limited to saying a quick prayer and putting…
PUNE, INDIA, April 2, 2025 (Indian Express): Over the past two months, large-scale demonstrations have erupted across India demanding that the control over the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, be handed over to Buddhists. These protests are the latest chapter in a decades-old dispute over who controls one of the holiest sites in Buddhism. Buddhists want the repeal of…
