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It is the festival that honours the Hindu god Muruga and involves devotees piercing their tongues, cheeks and even wearing hooks embedded in their backs. And joining the locals in Malaysia for the Thaipusam Festival was an Australian former diplomat, who for the first time decided to take part in the painful rituals that make [...]

 At the 5th Gathering of the Elders (Mysore, 1-4 February 2015), I was originally only present as an observer. But when a Hindu lady speaker had addressed the social philosophy of the Gond tribe, I felt it necessary to give a fitting reply, as it was contrary to the whole aim and spirit of the [...]

40 people get converted to Christianity by Pastor Simon Haqq shamelessly using the Ganga river Haridwar [...]

President Obama as with any national leader comes in for criticism and attack. The duties of office require the navigation of many conflicting and contradictory interests. However a large proportion of this has degenerated into conspiracy theories which bring out the worst in racial and cultural stereotypes. The recent massacres in France over the publication [...]

Christian fundamentalists are believed to be behind the theft of a statue of a Celtic sea god from a mountain top above Limavady. A 5ft cross emblazoned with ‘Thou Shalt Not Have False Gods Before Me’ was left behind after the thieves took an angle grinder to the steel frame of the statue of Manannán [...]

Chittagong Nursing Institute lecturer Ms Anjali Debi Chaudhuri was brutally killed by extremist militants. She was targeted by uknown assailants from the Islamic Chattra Shibir, the student wing of Jamat E Islami Bangladesh because she told the nursing students to follow the dress code of the institute and not to wear Hijab & burka. Due [...]

NEW DELHI: His community — Rabaris, a livestock-dependent tribe traditionally-addresses him as “Bhopajj” or priest. He dresses up like a cow-herd himself: a long white cloth wrapped around his bare torso, red turban, dangling ear rings et al. With a lathi in tow, he walks into everywhere, even the chief minister’s office in Rajasthan. Otaram [...]

Much of India’s treasures have been looted and are either displayed in museums or in private collections around the world .On a visit to the British Museum one Hindu finds something very interesting…. In January of 2011 I went to the British Museum in London. For a lifelong student of history it was a dream [...]

Plans to begin construction of a pagan temple in Öskjuhlíð hill, Reykjavík, have been set in motion. This will be the first pagan temple to be built in the Nordic countries in nearly a thousand years, said the alsherjargoði Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, head priest of the Icelandic Ásatrúarfélag, in an interview with RÚV.    The [...]

Many of my Hindu friends, intelligent, cultured people, whom I respect, have loved the film PK. This set me thinking: I know that most Hindus do not mind being made fun off and that their religion allows for near unlimited tolerance.But nevertheless, as a friend of the Hindus here are my arguments: 1) Obviously amir [...]