Source INDIA, June 23, 2020 (Vice): The annual seven-day Rath Yatra festival typically sees millions of devotees gathering at the Jagannath temple in Puri, in the eastern state of Odisha, to worship statues representing Lord Jagannath and his family. Traditionally the statues are then transported via hand-drawn chariots to other temples across the state. Last week the Chief Justice of…
Source That which we call the Hindu religion is really the Eternal religion because it embraces all others.— Sri Aurobindo (1879-1950), philosopher and mystic
Source INDIA, June 18, 2020 (Atlas Obscura): The permanent residents of the Shri Jagannath Temple, in the Indian coastal town of Puri in Odisha, usually have busy schedules. Every year, three murthis, representing the holy siblings Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra see and bless millions of Hindu pilgrims. But every June, the murthis go on sick leave, a fortnight of…
Source The syllable gu means shadows. The syllable ru, he who disperses them. Because of the power to disperse darkness, the guru is thus named.— Advayataraka Upanishad
Source CHINA, June 17, 2020 (Bitter Winter by M. Introvigne): This is how the CCP propaganda mouthpiece Global Times introduced an article on Indian “cults” operating in China published on June 15: “If you see a man wearing a maroon waistcloth and bead necklace sitting next to a yoga mat in a secluded meditation room in China, chances are he…
Source KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, June 16, 2020 (New Strait Times): Religious associations and temple managements say there is no rush in reopening places of worship as they wish to avoid any potential Covid-19 clusters. For Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS) president Datuk R.K. Mohan Shan, the demand to reopen was dependent on the devotees who had not been able to fulfill…
Source To associate with a sadhu is like sitting near a seller of perfumes. You may not be able to own any of the wonders he holds, but what emanates from them will envelop you.— Saint Kabir (1440-1518), Indian saint revered by Hindus and Muslims
Source LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, June 16, 2020 (LA Times): When Swami Vivekananda brought yoga across the Atlantic to the United States in 1893, he made a pivotal articulation of the practice — one which has had severe implications in how we consume yoga today. At the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, Vivekananda advocated for a kind of spiritual…
Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, June 15, 2020 (New Indian Express): In the wake of depleting revenue amid lockdown restrictions, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple — which sits on over US$13 billion wealth — has slipped into a deep financial crisis, prompting the management to take some extraordinary steps. It plans to approach the trust controlled by the Travancore royal family for aid…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, June 12, 2020 (Reuters): India has turned down a travel request for members of a U.S. government panel seeking to review its religious freedom, saying such foreign agencies had no standing to assess the constitutional rights of citizens. Since taking power in 2014, the Indian government has faced criticism for attacks on Muslims and the panel…