PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA, January 31, 2025 (The Draft World, by G. Khergamker): The tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj has, predictably, become a global headline. While no one disputes the gravity of the incident, the international media’s response once again reveals a deep-seated bias—where calamities at Indian religious gatherings are framed as a consequence of mismanagement and chaos,…
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, January 29, 2025 (India West): Amid the devastating fires that tore through Pacific Palisades in the Los Angeles area, remarkable stories of courage, divine intervention, and community support have emerged. One such story is how the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine — a 10-acre sacred site established in 1950 by renowned Indian spiritual guru Paramahansa Yogananda and revered…
PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA, January 30, 2025 (Indian Express): It’s after 9 pm – a day of chaos since daybreak, marked by panic and grief, is winding down. Outside the morgue of the Motilal Nehru Medical College in Prayagraj, there are relatives still looking for their loved ones who have gone missing but this is now a thinning crowd. Compared to the…
HOUSTON, TEXAS, January 27, 2025 (India West): NASA astronaut Don Pettit, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), has shared mesmerizing photos of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, from a vantage point 248 miles above Earth. The images, posted by Pettit on X, highlight the illuminated tent city near the Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers converge. “2025…
JAKARTA, INDONESIA, January 24, 2025 (VIVA): The Jakarta Murugan Temple, also known as Shri Sanathana Dharma Aalayam, has been inaugurated as the first temple in the city dedicated to Lord Murugan. This monumental establishment symbolizes Indonesia’s cultural diversity and spiritual unity. The temple’s grand inauguration ceremony, known as the Maha Kumbhabhishekam, is set to take place on Sunday, February 2,…
NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 27, 2025 (India West Journal): Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to China from January 26 to 27 marked a significant step forward in India-China relations, with several key developments underscoring the two countries’ commitment to strengthening ties. One of the major highlights was the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which is set to take place…
PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA, January 25, 2025 (The Hindu, by Ishita Mishra): On a cloudy day in January, millions of saffron-clad people stand on the banks of the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. They wait patiently to immerse themselves in the icy waters. The pilgrims believe that taking…
PRAYAG, INDIA, January 24, 2025 (Hindustan Times): Over 2,500 drones depicted the Samudra Manthan, churning of the ocean, in the sky over the Kumbh Mela site today. It the scene above, Lord Siva is drinking the poison unexpectedly released during the churning which ultimately released amrita, the nectar of immortality. The drones displayed many other things, such as “Happy Uttar…
INDIA, January 20, 2025 (The Hindu): Marking the conclusion of a pilgrimage season that witnessed an unprecedented influx of devotees, the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala closed its portals on Monday after a Pandalam Palace representative visited the temple and offered prayers here in the morning. The temple was opened in the morning at 5am and a Ganapati homam was performed.…
PRAYAG, INDIA, January 24, 2025 (nrsc.gov.in): See spectacular satellite photos of the Sangam area here. Pull down the blue dot at top to compare the photos from September, 2023, and December 29, 2024: https://www.nrsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Swipe_Kumbhmela2025/slider_kumbh_mela.html
