All posts by HHR

Cao Yan, a 36- year- old teacher from China, came to India last year on a mission to decode ancient Buddhist literature. When asked why, he replied: “Aham tatra gatvaa chhatraan pathayishyaami (I will go back and teach students).” For those wondering which language Cao Yan was talking in, it’s Sanskrit, which he has picked [...]

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Sanskrit Students’ Union (AASSU) on Saturday slammed the state government for its “apathy” towards over 400 Sanskrit tolls (institutes) across the state. Addressing a news conference here, secretary of the union, Jugal Kumar Mahanta, demanded a separate directorate for Sanskrit tolls in Assam. “If the state government can constitute a separate [...]

Unveiling a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Surat back in July Chief Minister Narendra Modi said, “the leadership of Shivaji still serves as a source of inspiration for good governance. The land where the statue is located has been given away to a Trust by Muslim donors” Speaking to a large gathering of people [...]

The Champa civilization was located in the more southern part of what is today Central Vietnam, and was a highly Indianized Hindu Kingdom, practicing a form of Shaivite Hinduism brought by sea from India. Mỹ Sơn, a Hindu temple complex built by the Champa is still standing in Quang Nam province, in Vietnam. The Champa [...]

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s amazing tour through Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Machu Picchu and Paraguay thousands come to meet and meditate with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – September 2012. Over 150 000 people in Buenos Aires and over 100 cities world wide joined Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in a mass meditation. The “Planet Meditates” event was [...]

Often Hindus are accused of not being charitable.The Gurus, Swamis, babas and matas are portrayed as fraudsters only trying to make money out of the gullible public while Hindu organisations are promoted as extremists and terrorists. And individual Hindus are seen as just plain selfish.The Indian and Western media often portrays this image to the [...]

Scarcely can there ever have been such hype surrounding the news that a British High Commissioner in Delhi was to visit one of India’s States. Yet the visit of His Excellency James Bevan to Gujarat and the announcement that he will meet with the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi has been greeted with both rejoicing and [...]

High in the reaches of Mount Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva. One evening Lord Vishnu, came to see Shiva. He left behind at the entrance Garuda, the half-man, half-eagle composite, who served as his vehicle. Garuda sat alone, marveling at the natural splendor of the place. Suddenly his eyes fell on a beautiful [...]

Hindu scriptures and tradition from the earliest times have condemned the practice of abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger. Hindu scriptures refer to abortion with the terms garbha batta (womb killing) and bhrUNaghna (killing the undeveloped soul or embryo slayer). Hinduism has traditionally taught that a soul is reincarnated and [...]

Sri Ramakrishna was one day taunted by a sceptic that the Kali he worshipped at Dakshineshwar was only a slab of black stone carved into a bizarre female figure and decked with glittering trinkets. The saint was taken aback. So far he had not cared to see the sacred icon in its supreme spiritual splendour. [...]