NEW YORK, U.S., August 9, 2020 (Huff Post): Cambodia’s ambassador to the United States said Monday that the transfer of 30 antiquities by U.S. law enforcement authorities to his country was a return of the “souls of our culture.” Ambassador Keo Chhea spoke at a ceremony where a 10th century sculpture, Skanda on a Peacock, was among several works of…
LONDON, August 10, 2022 (BBC): The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words – ‘man’ meaning mind, and ‘tra’ meaning tool. Mantra meditation is used to protect practitioners from a constant onslaught of unhealthy and repetitive thoughts. But is there any science behind their effectiveness? In this film we explore why our modern mindset may be leaving many of…
INDIA, August 8, 2022 (Indian Express): As the new campus of Nalanda University prepares for a formal inauguration, the focus is on how best it can retain the cultural and architectural ethos of Nalanda Mahavihara, the 5th-12th Century AD university that is considered to be one of the greatest centers of learning in ancient India. Nalanda University (NU) Vice Chancellor…
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, August 8, 2022 (Media Release): New Zealand’s first ever DharmaFest, with the theme Vibhinnatāyām Ekatvam – Unity in Diversity, was launched at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Auckland by Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) on Sunday, 7th August 2022. The event started at 10.00am with the traditional welcoming of spiritual representatives from various Dharma groups followed by…
AUSTRALIA, August 5, 2022 (Hindu Council): Hindu Council of Australia (HCA) in collaboration and partnership with Hindu Community Institute (HCI) has commenced a pilot to bring in this unique spiritual care program called Counselor of Hindu Traditions. We called this first batch of scholars as a pilot program to learn, build a team and understand how to modify this to…
INDIA, August 3, 2022 (National Geographic): The end of British colonial rule birthed two sovereign nations—but hastily drawn borders caused simmering tensions to boil over. 75 years later, memories of Partition still haunt survivors. Wiithin hours, the long-awaited transition of power—and the partition of India into two nations, majority-Hindu India and majority-Muslim Pakistan—had become a nightmare as simmering secular tensions,…
INDIA, August 3, 2022 (The Quint): The auspicious festival of Raksha Bandhan is right around the corner, and siblings cannot wait to celebrate the festival with their family. This festival is an important occasion for brothers and sisters. It is marked on the full moon day or Purnima of Shravan or Sawan month. On this day, sisters tie a rakhi…
ALLAHABAD, INDIA, August 3, 2022 (The Hindu Post): The department of Sanskrit in Allahabad University (AU) is introducing a new course in Hindu astrology and rituals with the aim of conserving the rich legacy of the religion. The AU spokesperson said that a center for Vedic studies will soon be established at the department of Sanskrit. The three new courses…
CHENNAI, INDIA, August 2, 2022 (News 9): The Madras High Court has intervened and halted pooja and other Hindu religious ceremonies at a temple in Salem, Tamil Nadu, where a statue of the Buddha was being worshiped as Thalaivetti Munniyappan, a Hindu Deity, and declared the place as a Buddhist temple. The court also directed the state archaeology department to…
INDIA, August 4, 2022 (YouTube): On the banks of the river Kaveri, lies the town of Swamimalai in the Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. During the Chola period after the construction of the Thanjavur Brihadesvara temple (11th century) and the Darasuram Airavatesvara temple (12th century), a group of artisans called Stapatis settled in Swamimalai. Stapati means builder or master carver. After…