PRAYAG, INDIA, January 24, 2025 (Hindustan Times): Over 2,500 drones depicted the Samudra Manthan, churning of the ocean, in the sky over the Kumbh Mela site today. It the scene above, Lord Siva is drinking the poison unexpectedly released during the churning which ultimately released amrita, the nectar of immortality. The drones displayed many other things, such as “Happy Uttar…
INDIA, January 20, 2025 (The Hindu): Marking the conclusion of a pilgrimage season that witnessed an unprecedented influx of devotees, the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala closed its portals on Monday after a Pandalam Palace representative visited the temple and offered prayers here in the morning. The temple was opened in the morning at 5am and a Ganapati homam was performed.…
PRAYAG, INDIA, January 24, 2025 (nrsc.gov.in): See spectacular satellite photos of the Sangam area here. Pull down the blue dot at top to compare the photos from September, 2023, and December 29, 2024: https://www.nrsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Swipe_Kumbhmela2025/slider_kumbh_mela.html
SOUTH AFRICA, January 16, 2025 (South Coast Herald): During Thai Poosam Kavady, a Hindu religious festival, the Hindu Deity, Lord Muruga, is worshipped. The festival is one of the biggest on the South African Indian festival calendar. The Umbango Sri Siva Soobramoniar Temple invites all to their annual Thai Poosam Kavady festival from February 2 to 16. The flag hoisting…
INDIA, January 18, 2025 (BBC): It’s 1000 CE – the heart of the Middle Ages. Europe is in flux. The powerful nations we know today – like Norman-ruled England and the fragmented territories that will go on to become France – do not yet exist. Towering Gothic cathedrals have yet to rise. Aside from the distant and prosperous city of…
INDIA, January 17, 2025 (Economic Times): Steve Jobs’ handwritten letter, offering a rare glimpse into his spiritual and poetic side, has made history as the first personal letter by Jobs–the late co-founder of Apple–to be auctioned, fetching an impressive US$500,312, according to India Today. Written on Jobs’ 19th birthday, February 23, 1974, the letter was addressed to his childhood friend…
PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA, January 16, 2025 (Swarajya, by Ankit Saxena): Are you a devotee wanting to know your route to the Sangam in Prayagraj? Here is your pictorial guide. Considered the largest spiritual gathering on Earth, the Maha Kumbh 2025 began on 13 January in the city of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. This once-in-144-year event, steeped in centuries-old traditions, will continue until…
UNITED STATES, January 17, 2025 (Chinmaya International Foundation): A 24-credit Certificate in Hindu Spiritual Care (CHSC) has been developed by Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF) to train Hindu Spiritual Care Providers, or Chaplains, to address the spiritual and emotional needs of individuals of Hindu faith in various secular settings, such as hospitals and hospices, schools and universities, communities, the military, corporations…
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, January 13, 2025 (RNS): The Vedanta Society of New York is easy to miss. The center of worship, housed in a plain-old brownstone on the Upper West Side, has hosted dozens of monks, lamas and other spiritual celebrities over more than 100 years — all thanks to Swami Vivekananda, the young monk who brought the ancient…
INDIA, January 7, 2025 (Swarajya, by Aravindan Neelakandan): The Harappan civilization, first unearthed in the 1920s, continues to pose significant questions for researchers of ancient Indian history. While conventionally categorized as pre-Vedic, a notable body of scholarship has explored the Vedic texts as a potential lens to interpret key facets of Harappan society. Despite the politicization of the term, some…
