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INDIA, January 28, 2024 (Swarajaya): Nadaswaram virtuoso Tiruvarur V. Prakash Ilaiyaraja’s mission is to revive fading temple traditions tied to rituals and nadaswaram play. Alongside his son Kavin, they recently played the sacred nadaswaram, the South Indian temple horn, at the Ayodhya temple during the consecration of Ram Lalla on January 22. Although nadaswaram isn’t easy to play as it…

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, January 30, 2024 (Hinduism Today YouTube Video): “A Visit to the Jain Center of Southern California” is intended to assist in the presentation of the Jain religion in California 6th grade school social studies classes. The Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) located in Buena Park, California is a non-profit religious organization to pursue a goal of…

INDIA, January 27, 2024 (Indian Express): A central chamber “tastefully decorated with carvings of animals and birds,” pillars with “lotus medallion” and “flower bud chains,” a “large decorated entrance gateway” on the wall of one of the chambers — these, according to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), formed part of “a large Hindu temple” that existed at the site…

NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 27, 2024 (Indian Express): The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has concluded that “there existed a large Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure” at the Gyanvapi mosque site in Varanasi. The ASI has said it has relied on “scientific studies and observations” and that there is also ample textual evidence that supports…

KAUAI, HAWAII, January 14, 2024 (Hinduism Today, by Dr. S.P. Sabharathnam): The following is excerpted from Dr. S. P. Sabharathnam’s translation of the Kamika Agama’s Uttara Pada, chapter 24.  The eminent acharya should perform the jnana diksha for competent disciples through the perfect instruction on the essence-of-knowledge section of the Agamas. He should do this in the auspicious bright side of…

AYODHYA, INDIA, January 27, 2024 (Swarajya, by Swati Goel Sharma): As the sun began to set on 22 January, I exited the just-dedicated Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. Passing through an ornately decorated gate about 328 yards from the temple’s inner sanctum, the garbha griha, I saw queues of tens of thousands of devotees lining both sides of the road. …

AYODHYA, INDIA, January 24, 2024 (NDTV): Ayodhya: A day after the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya, a nimble monkey found its way into the sanctum sanctorum on Tuesday evening. At around 5:50 pm, the primate, seemingly unfazed by the sacred grandeur of the inner sanctum, entered through the southern gate and approached the revered Utsav statue of Lord…

KATHMANDU, NEPAL, January 24, 2024 (The Guardian): Flicking through a newspaper in 2020, Sanjay Adhikari read a story that changed the direction of his life – a Nepalese statue of Gods Lakshmi and Narayana, was on display at the Dallas Museum of Art. He recognized it as originating in Nepal. “I could not sleep. Our God was locked inside a…

KUALA LUMPUR. MALAYSIA, January 25, 2024 (The Star) : Over a million flooded Batu Caves for Thaipusam on Wednesday and Thursday. Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple trustee and information team coordinator Datuk N. Suresh Kumar said that around 1.75 million people have visited Batu Caves from Wednesday till noon and more are expected to come. At early hours in the morning,…