Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, October 21, 2024 (serioustimes.org, by Dr. James Emery White, a Christian pastor): If you aren’t familiar with it, Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, symbolizing the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.” It is marked with home decorations, shopping, fireworks, gifts, feasting, family gatherings, and more. This year,…
TIRUMALA, INDIA, October 8, 2024 (The Hindu): The abode of Lord Venkateswara turned into a sea of humanity on the occasion of Garuda Seva on the fifth day of the annual Brahmotsavams at Tirumala temple on October 8 (Tuesday). The temple town wore a festive look with the gathering of hundreds of thousands of devotees from various parts of the…
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, October 12, 2024 (Public Radio Tulsa): As many parents know, the line between passing along cultural traditions and mortifying your children in public can be perilously thin. For one mother, that dilemma arose this year ahead of Navaratri, a Hindu festival celebrating female strength that culminates today. One of the festival’s key components is garba, an intricate folk…
DHAKA, BANGLADESH, October 14, 2024 (Religion News): Schoolteacher Supriya Sarker is glad to celebrate Bangladesh’s largest Hindu festival of Durga Puja but feels the festivities would be more jubilant without the fear and violence that overshadow this year’s event. The weeklong celebration that ends in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh on Sunday with immersions of the Hindu Goddess has strained the Hindu…
DHAKA, BANGLADESH, October 14, 2024 (The Hindu): In Muslim-majority Bangladesh, vast crowds celebrate the biggest Hindu festival of the year under tight security, after a spate of attacks against the minority following the ouster of the autocratic premier. Whirling dancers jump to ear-popping loud music for Durga Puja on Sunday, a joyful culmination of a week of prayer and party…
INDIA, October 9, 2024 (Newsweek): Indian authorities have issued a safety warning to travelers hoping to visit the highest Shiva temple in the world after monsoon season made the site unsafe. The Tungnath Temple, located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand in North India, has been structurally damaged by extensive exposure to water, accelerated by monsoons throughout the country, according…
UNITED STATES, October 9, 2024 (HSCI): The Hindu Spiritual Care Institute is now accepting applications for its seventh transformative Counselor of Hindu Tradition program cohort. This innovative course offers individuals a unique opportunity to discover their path to making a difference, fulfilling their purpose, and leaving a meaningful legacy. HSCI’s groundbreaking program, the first to establish a pathway to Hindu…
NEW JERSEY, U.S., October 4, 2024 (RNS): Three years ago, as she scrolled through an Instagram feed saturated with viral child psychologists and so-called Christian momfluencers, Niki Patel came across the account of “Dr. Becky,” the psychologist and Instagram-famous “conscious parenting” coach with nearly 3 million followers who preaches the importance of mindfulness, gratitude and affirmations within parent-child relationships. “I’m…
INDIA, October 7, 2024 (India Currents): Barbie unveiled its first-ever Barbie Diwali doll collaboration with globally recognized Indian fashion designer Anita Dongre. She is the first designer to create a Diwali doll for Barbie Signature. Her work, including this look for Barbie, beautifully blends modern aesthetics with traditional craftsmanship acknowledging Barbie’s place in global fashion. The Barbie Diwali doll celebrates…
JAMMU/KASHMIR, October 6, 2024 (ETV Bharat): It was after 21 years that the Kashmir Pandit community organized puja at the temple, hoping to see the return of peaceful old days when communal harmony was the order of the day in the region. The temple, which was rebuilt after three decades, held its first prayer ceremony since the Nadimarg massacre when…
