Indonesia’s Office of Religious Affairs Plans to Serve All Religions

DENPASAR, INDONESIA, March 3, 2024 (nusabali.com) Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali responded positively to the Ministry of Religion’s (Kemenag) plan to make the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama- KUA) a service center for all religions. As is well known, so far the KUA only performs services for Muslims, while other people use services at other institutions such…

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Hindus in Yogyakarta and Central Java Celebrate Galungan at Prambanan Temple

YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA, February 29, 2024 (Tempo.co, Google translated from Indonesian): Hundreds of Hindus from the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) and Central Java took part in the Galungan procession in the Prambanan Temple area, Yogyakarta, Wednesday, February 28, 2024. This Galungan moment was held to commemorate the creation of the universe and to give thanks for what has been given…

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Forget Chicken or Pasta. Order the Hindu Meal on a Flight.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, November 30, 2023 (News India Times, by David Farley): Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, an Iberia flight attendant hovered over me holding a tray of food. He looked at me – a middle-aged white man – then at the aluminum-foil-wrapped food he was holding, then at me again: “Uh, did you order the, um . .…

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Trinidad Judge Rules Banning Open-Air Cremations During COVID-19 Were Unconstitutional

TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, February 28, 2024 (Stabroek News): A short-lived policy banning open-air cremations for COVID-19 victims during the pandemic has been deemed unconstitutional. High Court Judge Avason Quinlan-Williams issued the declaration when she upheld a constitutional lawsuit brought by Cindy-Ann Ramsaroop-Persad in late July, last year. However, Justice Quinlan-Williams only yesterday issued a written judgment, in which she detailed the reasons…

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Digital Tools Set to Save Kashmiri Script From Disuse

SRINAGAR, INDIA,, January 6, 2024 (The Hindu): For centuries, the Kashmiri language has survived only through oral traditions; by 2013, those who could write the script fell to just five percent. This year, two technological giants, Microsoft and Google, will infuse a new lease of life into the language, whose rich literature continues to remain accessible to only a small…

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Matchmakers Preeti and Heena’s Quest for Happily Ever After

AUSTRALIA, February 1, 2024 ( The Indian Sun): For years, Preeti Kothari and Heena Kajaria have dedicated themselves to fostering connections as matchmakers among Indians in Australia and beyond. Now, their journey takes a spotlight turn as they make their debut in the upcoming series, “The Matchmakers,” exclusively airing on SBS and SBS On Demand starting 14 February. If you’ve…

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Queues Are Exhausting, Temples Should Design Better Pilgrim Experiences to Manage Crowds

INDIA, January 23, 2024 (Swarajya): Just a day after the inauguration of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, more than 500,000 devotees thronged the temple premises, hoping to have a glimpse of Ramlalla. The following day, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath expressed his desire to implement comprehensive crowd management methods at the temple. On the third day, the…

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Ayodhya: Ram Rajya or Ramanomics

INDIA, February 26, 2024 (The Organiser): In the early 16th century Bharat contributed 25.1 percent of the total world GDP. With subsequent aggressions and finally with British colonization, Bharat’s GDP contributing to the world GDP fell to a mere 1.2 per cent in 1947 when Bharat got its Independence. Today, Bharat contributes only 3.88 percent of the World’s GDP. With…

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BAPS Temple Kemps Creek: NSW Premier Visits Site

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, November 13, 2024 (Indian Link): Like many in Sydney’s Indian community this festive season, the NSW Premier visited a Hindu temple to wish revelers a Happy Diwali. The difference though was that his visit was to see the progress at a construction site – that of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) coming up in Kemps Creek in the…

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