News

Source That which we call the Hindu religion is really the Eternal religion because it embraces all others.— Sri Aurobindo (1879-1950), philosopher and mystic

Source INDIA, June 18, 2020 (Atlas Obscura): The permanent residents of the Shri Jagannath Temple, in the Indian coastal town of Puri in Odisha, usually have busy schedules. Every year, three murthis, representing the holy siblings Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra see and bless millions of Hindu pilgrims. But every June, the murthis go on sick leave, a fortnight of…

Source The syllable gu means shadows. The syllable ru, he who disperses them. Because of the power to disperse darkness, the guru is thus named.— Advayataraka Upanishad

Source CHINA, June 17, 2020 (Bitter Winter by M. Introvigne): This is how the CCP propaganda mouthpiece Global Times introduced an article on Indian “cults” operating in China published on June 15: “If you see a man wearing a maroon waistcloth and bead necklace sitting next to a yoga mat in a secluded meditation room in China, chances are he…

Source KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, June 16, 2020 (New Strait Times): Religious associations and temple managements say there is no rush in reopening places of worship as they wish to avoid any potential Covid-19 clusters. For Malaysian Hindu Sangam (MHS) president Datuk R.K. Mohan Shan, the demand to reopen was dependent on the devotees who had not been able to fulfill…

Source To associate with a sadhu is like sitting near a seller of perfumes. You may not be able to own any of the wonders he holds, but what emanates from them will envelop you.— Saint Kabir (1440-1518), Indian saint revered by Hindus and Muslims

Source LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, June 16, 2020 (LA Times): When Swami Vivekananda brought yoga across the Atlantic to the United States in 1893, he made a pivotal articulation of the practice — one which has had severe implications in how we consume yoga today. At the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, Vivekananda advocated for a kind of spiritual…

Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, June 15, 2020 (New Indian Express): In the wake of depleting revenue amid lockdown restrictions, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple — which sits on over US$13 billion wealth — has slipped into a deep financial crisis, prompting the management to take some extraordinary steps. It plans to approach the trust controlled by the Travancore royal family for aid…

Source The sun can give heat and light to the whole world, but he cannot do so when the clouds shut out his rays. When egotism veils the heart, God cannot shine upon you.— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886), guru of Swami Vivekananda

Source BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, June 4, 2020 (Religion News): When Keshav Kishor Sharan’s Hindu community bought a retired Friendly’s restaurant for the community’s new temple, the group renovated the building completely, replacing every fixture and window. Every window, that is, except for the ice cream takeout window. Sharan’s fellow Hindus in Holbrook, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ended up preserving the pass-through…