KEDARNATH, INDIA, October 23, 2025 (The Economic Times): The doors of the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand were closed for the winter season on Thursday. The doors of Kedarnath, the abode of Lord Shiva and the eleventh Jyotirlinga, located in Rudraprayag district, were closed at 8:30 am. Despite the cold, nearly 10,000 devotees were present at the…
LONDON, UK, October 30, 2025 (Republic World): Displaying resplendent cultural harmony, Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla paid a royal visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London on Wednesday. The temple, commonly known as the Neasden Temple, celebrated its 30th anniversary on October 29, and the monarchs’ presence added luster to the temple’s celebrations. The event was…
NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 27, 2025 (AP News): Hindu devotees are gathering at rivers, bays and lakes across India to pray to the Sun God, Lord Surya, as part of the Chhath Festival this week. Chhath Puja is a four-day Hindu festival honoring the Sun God, Surya, involving rituals centered on water bodies. The celebration includes elaborate fasting, with devotees…
JAKARTA, INDONESIA, October 24, 2025 (RRI Voice of Indonesia): The Ministry of Culture has officially inaugurated Series II No. 19, one of the accompanying temples at the Plaosan Temple Site in Central Java. Minister of Culture Fadli Zon described Plaosan Temple as a prime example of a complete cultural landscape. The inauguration followed the completion of restoration work by the…
DELHI, INDIA, October 22, 2025 (Organiser): Every Diwali, a familiar narrative dominates with headlines that fireworks are to blame for the choking smog which blankets northern India. Television debates and social media campaigns routinely turn the festival of lights into a festival of blame. This time Government and Environmental data present a more complex truth that India’s air pollution crisis…
MALAYSIA, October 19, 2025 (YouTube): When Deepavali arrives in Kampung Chetti, Melaka, it’s a unique celebration that lights up a 500-year-old Peranakan heritage. The Chettis–meaning traders–are a unique Indian Peranakan community descended from Tamil merchants who settled in Melaka centuries ago. Though many no longer speak the Tamil language, they have incorporated Malay and Chinese influences, while preserving their Hindu…
CENTALLO, ITALY, October 20, 2025 (La Stampa, translated from Italian): “Jai Shri Krishna,” is a Sanskrit expression that translates to “Glory to Krishna,” one of the main Deities of Hinduism. The phrase is displayed at the temple’s entrance on a colorful banner, flanked by Ganesha, the elephant-headed God revered for His wisdom, intelligence and ability to remove obstacles, and Hanuman,…
AYODHYA, INDIA, October 19, 2025 (Gulf News): Ayodhya once again dazzled the world with a record-breaking Deepotsav celebration, illuminating the banks of the Saryu River with more than 2.6 million oil lamps on Sunday — the largest display of diyas ever recorded. According to officials, 2.617 million diyas were lit simultaneously at Ram Ki Paidi and 56 ghats, while 2,128…
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 2, 2025 (pewresearch.org): Over the past decade, the share of people affiliated with a religion has fallen by at least five percentage points in 35 countries, including drops of 17 points in Australia and Chile, and 13 points in the United States. The article explains this pattern by drawing on a recent study published in Nature Communications,…
CEUTA, SPAIN, October 16, 2025 (El Faro De Ceuta, translated from Spanish): Ceuta was once again filled with light and color for Diwali, the great Hindu festival. This Thursday afternoon witnessed the official lighting of the lights, announcing the beginning of one of the most anticipated celebrations for this community. Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, represents the…
