INDIA, September 10, 2022 (The Hindu): Former Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) B. B. Lal passed away, Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy has said. “In the passing of Prof. B.B. Lal Ji, we have lost one of the brightest minds who has contributed significantly towards our archeological excavations and endeavors and trained archeologists for over…
TIRUMALA, INDIA, November 7, 2022 (India Link): Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, the world’s richest Hindu temple, owns assets of over Rs 2.5 lakh crore (or approximately US$30.5 billion), including 10.25 metric tons of gold (US$543 million). This makes it one of the richest organizations in India. The assets of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which governs the affairs of the…
LONDON, UK, November 5, 2022 (MSN): The first report into the cause of the recent Hindu-Muslim clashes in Leicester and Birmingham has found no evidence of any Hindutva or RSS extremism. Instead, the report by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) UK think tank has concluded that a group of social media influencers, some with links to terrorism, peddled this fake…
UNITED KINGDOM, November 6, 2022 (BBC): A former RAF pilot has started a business in which he scatters the ashes of loved ones from a drone. Christopher Mace, founder of Aerial Ashes, said he was inspired to start the venture after scattering the remains of ex-service personnel at sea during his time in the forces. The option is being offered…
THAILAND, November 4, 2022 (The Thaiger): If you live in Thailand, you’ve most likely heard of the Loy Krathong festival. Some Thais believe that Loy Krathong began in the 14th century, with a high-ranking concubine of the King of Sukhothai named Nang Noppamas. It is believed that during an annual celebration where royals offered votive floats to worship the Buddha,…
KADAPA, INDIA, November 2, 2022 (Al Jazeera): Three years ago, Venkat Shobha Rani quit her job as a primary school teacher to help her husband tend their three-acre farm, part of a growing number of rural folk in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh who are moving to organic farming. Shobha is now one of several hundred Andhra Pradesh…
THAILAND, November 2, 2022 (Thai PBS World): The Thai cabinet decided on Tuesday to designate the Naga, a traditional serpent in Hindu and Buddhist folklore, as a national emblem in the category of mythological creatures and part of Thailand’s “soft power,” to promote the creative economy, according to Deputy Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek. She said that the cabinet hopes that this…
TAMIL NADU, INDIA, October 30, 2022 (Hindu Post): A 1,000 year old Shivalingam has been unearthed in Tamil Nadu. Hindus of the locality were elated as the murti revealed itself on Deepavali day. Shiva bhaktas thronged the place as the news spread like wildfire and pujas were performed to the ancient Lingam. A Shiva Lingam was dug out from agricultural…
INDIA, October 29, 2022 (The Hindu): The 369-foot-tall Shiva statue Viswas Swaroopam installed in Nathdwara town of Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district will be inaugurated on October 29. The tallest Shiva statue in the world, it will be opened to the public by preacher Morari Bapu in the presence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, assembly speaker CP Joshi, and others. The statue,…
INDIA, July 19, 2018 (The Youth): [HPI note: this is an old story, but remains relevant.] As someone who’s not an avid movie goer, Dheeraj Sharma – a professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, says he watched the Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan after much persuasion. “I was surprised at the director’s treatment of the subject. The majority…