UNITED STATES, October 31, 2022 (Lassi With Lavina): Diwali has finally arrived! It is being hosted and honored by President Joe Biden at the White House, by VP Kamala Harris in the Vice president’s mansion, by New York Mayor Eric Adams at Gracie Mansion and by movers and shakers across America. Diwali is the cool festival with Vogue throwing Indian…
INDIA, October 27, 2022 (The Hindu): The work of gold plating the Kedarnath shrine was completed on Wednesday, a day before the portals of the temple are set to close for the winter. According to the temple committee, 560 gold sheets were used to cover the walls and ceiling of the temple’s sanctum which was funded by the Lakhi family…
UNITED KINGDOM, October 26, 2022 (RNS, by Murali Balaji): As Rishi Sunak, the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, prepared to lead his country amid economic, political and social turmoil, he used the term “proud Hindu” to describe himself. That identity matters to millions, British and not, around the world. For some years now, “proud Hindu” would be understood…
UNITED STATES, October 23, 2022 (CNN): More and more major brands are recognizing the festival of lights, running ad campaigns and stocking products related to the holiday in the US. South Asian Americans who celebrate Diwali can now pick up fireworks from Costco, greeting cards from Hallmark and party decorations from Target. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of…
NEPAL, October 24, 2022 (The Hindu): Celebrating the bond between humans and man’s best friend, the Nepal Police on Monday honored its service dogs as the Himalayan Nation marks the “Day of Dog,” the second day of the five-day Tihar festival (similar to Diwali). Medals were awarded to those who performed best in their field of specialization, solved the crime,…
UNITED KINGDOM, October 25, 2022 (Live Mint): Rishi Sunak did not hold back from embracing his roots when he was appointed finance minister of Britain and took an oath by placing his hands on the Bhagavad Gita. According to Sunak, even though he is currently a British citizen, he practices Hinduism. He says his ethnicity is Indian, both religiously and…
INDIA, October 23, 2023 (Xinhua and aninews.in): One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali, or the festival of light, symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.” The first link below takes us to photos of a bazaar in Bangalore bustling with people as they shop for Diwali decorations and lamps.…
KOLKATA, INDIA, October 16, 2022 (Times of Bengal): Diwali or Deepavali also called the festival of lights will be celebrated this year on October 24th, 2022. On Diwali, there is a tradition of drawing small and vibrant rangolis in the house. Diwali is also celebrated to welcome Goddess Lakshmi in our homes. She is an epitome of wealth, prosperity, fortune…
SIVAKASI, TAMIL NADU, October 20, 2022 (Organizer.com): Owing to blanket bans on firecrackers in numerous states, 1.5 lakh people in the firecracker manufacturing industry have been left jobless in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. The firecracker industry in Sivakasi has over 1,000 registered units in operation employing over 700,000 people. “The garland cracker has been banned despite being a significant item. Garland…
LUKAIYA, INDIA, October 16, 2022 (AFP): The dense forests near a small village in eastern India reverberated with chanting and the beating of drums as hundreds of villagers gathered to tie decorated threads around the trees. In an annual ritual that has been performed in Lukaiya for the past 20 years, people consecrated the trees with floral garlands and smears…