UNITED STATES, March 13, 2024 (RNS): Preity Upala has lived more than a few lives. After a career as an investment banker in Australia, Upala moved to the U.S. to pursue her dream of attending film school, eventually landing roles in major Bollywood films like “Bahubali” and in the Hollywood production “Sex and the City 2.” Now, in Los Angeles,…
MEDAN, INDONESIA, March 11, 2024 (Al Jazeera): The Raksa Buana Great Temple in Medan is one of only two Balinese Hindu temples in the Indonesian city of 2.5 million people. Tucked away in a backstreet, it would be easy to miss the carved stone building, which was built in 1978. While the temple is usually closed to the public, on…
BALI, INDONESIA, March 11, 2024 (SCMP): March 11, 2024 is Nyepi Day, the Balinese New Year, a time of silence and inactivity, to confuse demons and drive them from the island. Imagine a celebration where, for 24 hours, no one does anything – and if they do, they’re likely to be fined. Residents (and tourists) are forbidden from leaving their…
BALI, INDONESIA, March 11, 2024 (YouTube): In the week and a half leading to Nyepi, Balinese Hindus took to the streets for lots of festive celebrations with rituals of fire purification as the major element. They paraded their larger than life ogoh-ogoh effigies on the streets burning those representing evil. See a short youtube video at source. https://youtu.be/5DFP7FudnxY?feature=shared
KASHMIR/JAMMU, February 21, 2024 (Swarajya): The challenging trek to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir might become a thing of the past. The government has chosen a contractor to construct a ropeway project, worth approximately US$24 million, leading to the sacred shrine. The 1.5 mile ropeway, starting from Tarakote near the Katra base camp and ending at…
FIji, February 13, 2024 (FBC News): Assistant Minister for Women Sashi Kiran has commended the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji for its contributions towards education and nation building. Kiran says that through DAV schools and the University of Fiji the Sabha has helped pave the way for career development for thousands of children in Fiji over the years. Kiran highlighted…
DENPASAR, INDONESIA, March 3, 2024 (nusabali.com) Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali responded positively to the Ministry of Religion’s (Kemenag) plan to make the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama- KUA) a service center for all religions. As is well known, so far the KUA only performs services for Muslims, while other people use services at other institutions such…
YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA, February 29, 2024 (Tempo.co, Google translated from Indonesian): Hundreds of Hindus from the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) and Central Java took part in the Galungan procession in the Prambanan Temple area, Yogyakarta, Wednesday, February 28, 2024. This Galungan moment was held to commemorate the creation of the universe and to give thanks for what has been given…
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, November 30, 2023 (News India Times, by David Farley): Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, an Iberia flight attendant hovered over me holding a tray of food. He looked at me – a middle-aged white man – then at the aluminum-foil-wrapped food he was holding, then at me again: “Uh, did you order the, um . .…
TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, February 28, 2024 (Stabroek News): A short-lived policy banning open-air cremations for COVID-19 victims during the pandemic has been deemed unconstitutional. High Court Judge Avason Quinlan-Williams issued the declaration when she upheld a constitutional lawsuit brought by Cindy-Ann Ramsaroop-Persad in late July, last year. However, Justice Quinlan-Williams only yesterday issued a written judgment, in which she detailed the reasons…
