LAHAINA, MAUI, HAWAII, USA, August 11, 2023 (indiatvnews.com): [HPI NOTE: Hinduism Today’s offices on Kauai island were not impacted by the Lahaina fire, which took place on Maui island, hundreds of miles from us.] One of Lahaina’s most famous landmarks is an enormous 150-year-old banyan tree in the center of town which was brought from India as an eight-foot sapling…
MUMBAI, INDIA, August 7, 2023 (Hindustan Times): The love for Ganpati Bappa knows no boundaries. For the first time, a 16 ft statue has been shipped from Mumbai to Toronto in Canada for Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav celebrations planned there. Called Canadacha Raja, the statue is being sent to an event agency named Blue Peacock Entertainment, the organizers of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav in…
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, July 22, 2023 (India Post): BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) commenced the Festival of Inspirations in Robbinsville, NJ, in the auspicious presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, and David Fried, the Mayor of Robbinsville, NJ on July 16, 2023. The festival is a celebration that exalts the rich tapestry of diversity, art, architecture, values, and…
MUMBAI, INDIA, August 4, 2023 (Indian Express): Pepper, considered the King of Spices, has been traded around the world since antiquity, prized for its flavor, scarcity and supernatural origins. At one point, the spice became so coveted that it facilitated the Age of Discovery, as European colonial powers battled each other for dominance over the commodity. The history of the…
NEPAL, august 4, 2023 (Religion News Service, by Holly Walters): For more than 2,000 years, Hinduism, Buddhism and the Himalayan religion of Bon have venerated Shaligrams – ancient fossils of ammonites, a class of extinct sea creatures. Originating from a single remote region in northern Nepal – the Kali Gandaki River Valley of Mustang – Shaligram stones are viewed primarily…
INDIA, August 3, 2023 (New india Abroad): The Ministry of Home Affairs officially announced a new category of Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals seeking treatment under Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (Ayush) or Indian systems of medicine. The new visa category was announced by the Prime Minister at the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS)…
KAUAI, HAWAII, USA, August 4, 2023 (Hinduism Today): The editors of hinduism Today are working on translating the Tamil songs of Tayumanavar into English. They are seeking assistance from someone familiar with the poet and adept in both English and Tamil. This will require minutes, not hours. If you can help, please contact our Editor in Chief at sadasivanatha@hindu.org. Mahalo,…
CHENNAI, INDIA, August 2, 2023 (The Print): The Arulmigu Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple in Dindigul — believed to be one of the six holy abodes of Lord Murugan in Tamil Nadu — has been in the news over the Palani Hill Temple Devotees Organisation’s demand to ban the entry of non-Hindus. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court Monday allowed the…
AUSTRALIA, July 21, 2023 (science.org): The following is the abstract from the academic paper, “Earliest curry in Southeast Asia and the global spice trade 2000 years ago.” The principal author is Weiwei Wang of Australian National University. Abstract: The global spice trade has played an essential role in world history. However, because of poor preservation conditions, archaeobotanical remains of spices…
MARTAND, KASHMIR, July 31, 2023 (Daily Excelsior): Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits visited the remains of the Martand Sun temple here in Jammu and Kashmir today to perform Pind Daan as part of the Banmass Mela and prayed for peace for the souls of their departed ancestors. Ashok Siddha, the president of the mela Management Committee, said he is thankful to…
