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INDIA, January 3, 2024 (Organiser): Created by Gaupalak Vihabhai Bharwad, this 3.5-foot-wide incense stick is environmentally friendly and comprises a blend of five different materials. The ceremonial lighting of this massive incense stick is scheduled for January 22, coinciding with the inauguration of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. It is anticipated to burn continuously for about one and a half months,…

UNITED KINGDOM, January 2, 2024 (Swarajya): A survey conducted among the British Indian and Hindu community has revealed that many individuals are facing prejudice due to misrepresentation in UK media, characterized by a “colonial” focus on “cows, curry, and caste” as reported by Times of India. A majority of participants, 59 percent, stated that they have personally witnessed or experienced…

KERALA, INDIA, December 29, 2023 (CNBC TV India): The impasse over conducting the renowned Thrissur Pooram festival ended on Friday after a meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided not to hike the rent for the Pooram exhibition ground by the Cochin Devaswom Board from US$48,048 to $264,267. The dispute originated when the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswoms threatened to…

INDIA, December 29, 2023 (India Times): Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted the invitation extended by Swami Ishwarcharandas and Swami Brahmaviharidas, along with the BAPS board of directors, to inaugurate the first ever Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi on February 14, 2024. Expressing his enthusiastic support for the historic and iconic temple, the Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of key individuals,…

NEPAL, December 29, 2023 (The National News by Stuart Butler): The Kumari is a young Newari girl who is believed to have been possessed by the Goddess Taleju (Durga); the Newari are the people of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. She is worshiped by Newari Buddhists and Hindus as a manifestation of divine female energy. Always a young girl, the…

KAUAI, HAWAII, December 30, 2023 (HPI): A reader sent us the link (below) to this manuscript. It is in English and intended for youth 12 to 18 or so. The book is easy to read and covers all the basic of Hinduism. From the introduction: “The Board of Trustees of the Central Hindu College has laid down the following principles…

CHENNAI, INDIA, December 20, 2023 (The Hindu): It’s exactly 6 a.m. at Mada Street in Chennai’s Mylapore, and school children dressed as various mythological characters are getting ready to perform. Popular Carnatic vocalist Saketharaman gives them the cue, and the group begins walking along the road, singing Margazhi Thingal, a verse from the Thiruppavai. Even as Mylapore wakes up to…

CHENNAI, INDIA, December 20, 2023 (The Hindu): Come December, and Chennai springs to life with the sound of Carnatic music. Sabhas — as performing spaces are referred to — come alive, as vocalists and instrumentalists put forth their best performances, dishing out popular and rare kritis and varnams. It’s not just the city’s rasikas who look forward to this Margazhi…