Source PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA, January 25, 2021 (The Sun Daily): Kavadi carriers will not accompany the chariot for this year’s Thaipusam procession in a scaled-back celebration on January 28 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The colorful annual festival usually involves thousands of people carrying their offerings to Lord Murugan as an act of penance and sacrifice. Devotee Sukumar Krishnan, a…
Source INDIA, January 28, 2021 (Times Of India by Sudarshan Ramabadran, above photo from Batu Caves, Malaysia in a normal year): India’s culture has been a vital aspect of the civilizational state’s public diplomacy orientation. The diversity of India’s culture is discernible in over 640 districts in the country. But what has astounded people, observers and analysts is that India’s…
Source Of all the scriptures in the world, it is the Vedas alone that declare that even the study of the Vedas is secondary. The real study is “that by which we realize the Unchangeable.” And that is neither reading, nor believing, nor reasoning, but superconscious perception, or samadhi.— Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
Source DUBAI, UAE, January 25, 2021 (Live Mint): A majestic new Hindu temple with a distinct Arabian look is expected to open its doors for worshippers in Dubai by October next year during Diwali, according to media reports here. The new temple is being constructed by the BAPS Swaminarayan organization adjacent to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali, making…
Source INDIA, January 25, 2021 (Swarajyamag): Renowned archaeologist Professor Braj Basi Lal, who led an excavation team at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan – India’s second highest civilian honor. Professor B.B. Lal had in his book “Rama, His Historicity, Mandir and Setu” said that there is a presence of a temple-like structure beneath the now-demolished…
Source Victory is not won by the lance, but by the king’s scepter, provided it is not crooked.— Tirukkural
Source MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, January 25, 2021 (ABC): After US$4 million of renovations, the Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple in The Basin is having its status as a holy site restored with the return of sacred statues. As part of Hindu tradition, the temple is renovated, refurbished and reconsecrated every 12 years. The new centerpiece of the temple this time around is…
Source DEHRADUN, INDIA, January 18, 2021 (Times of India): Walking on the roadside of Haridwar is a completely different experience these days. On the lines of Prayagrag Kumbha Mela of 2019, the walls of Haridwar city, too, have been brightened with murals, which largely depict Hindu mythology, culture and traditions of Uttarakhand. The breathtaking murals are a cynosure of all…
Source All the world looks to the rain cloud for sustenance. All the people look to the king’s scepter for protection.— Tirukkural