By Avatans Kumar (The author is an award-winning journalist) Another day and another Hindu Mandir is vandalized and desecrated in the US. This time, it was the turn of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, Southern California. The perpetrators spray-painted the walls of the Mandir with graffiti that called for death to the land of the Hindus…
Dr. Indu Viswanathan I am a lifelong New Yorker, so, naturally, Saturday Night Live has been a part of my regular media consumption for as long as I can remember. SNL has been the incubator for some of our favorite American comedians, producing fun droplets that sometimes integrate seamlessly into pop culture. (Think Debbie Downer.) At its best, SNL…
By Avatans Kumar The Discovery When Rudra Vikram Srivastava stumbled onto this 11th-century inscription while exploring Garhwa Fort in Prayagraj, (UP, India), he instinctively knew he had found something significant. His discovery on December 18, 2024 carried immense historical weight, marking a noteworthy moment in our understanding of Indian history. Srivastava is an independent researcher with a special interest in…
By Priyal and Akshay Jajoo We were planning our trip to India during the winter vacation. Just as we were about to book the tickets, a friend reminded us of the Mahakumbh mela starting just around our planned return and he emphasized the rare, once-in-144-year planetary configuration that is going to happen this time. We thought for a moment and…
Hindutva and Hinduism are two facets of the same eternal idea, embodying the philosophical and practical dimensions of a singular ethos. Hinduism, as a profound and ancient philosophy, extends beyond mere belief systems, offering a holistic worldview. Hindutva, as its practical expression, translates this worldview into a way of life. These are not distinct constructs but interconnected aspects of the…
Chances are high that a piece of clothing you bought from Target, Nike, Levi Strauss, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, or other retailers was made from the sweat of Bangladeshis including Hindus living there. Now they are bleeding and need our help. This country is going through a tragic patch (hopefully a short one) and its minorities, Bangladeshi Hindus, are at the…
Can the cycle of violence, atrocities and long running pogroms against Hindus be stopped ? Is an another genocide in the making? What started as a student agitation in Bangladesh against a quota system and public policy progressed into a series of violent street protests. The situation rapidly escalated to large scale organized violence making it dangerous for everyone. On…
Hindu communities around the world rejoiced at the consecration of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India, on January 22nd. Across the United States, many public events were held to mark this joyous occasion. However, amidst the celebrations by Hindu Americans, several media outlets published misleading and factually incorrect reports about the Ram Mandir. It’s crucial to expose the false…
The author – Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana Dasa) This was a webinar conducted on Jan 18, 2024, coordinated by Jai Bansal, Ph.D., the Vice President of Education for the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) with a panel of dedicated western Hindus/Devotees on their views of the new Rama Mandir in Ayodhya The Panel consisted of Balabhadra dasa (Benny Tillman) President…
Meenakshi Jain’s “The Battle for Rama” presents European observations from 1776-1960 suggesting the Mughals dismantled a Hindu temple at Ayodhya, later building the Babri Masjid on the site. Highlights: 1776: Joseph Tieffenthaler described Hindus worshiping a cradle and doing rituals around the future mosque site. No mention of Muslim prayer. 1799-1838: Edward Thornton and R.M. Martin noted the mosque’s construction…
The upcoming Pran Pratishtha, or inauguration ceremony, of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, marks the culmination of a centuries-long journey filled with perseverance, resilience, and maturity. This historical narrative is deeply rooted in Ayodhya’s significance as the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty and the birthplace of Bhagwan Shri Ram. The construction of the Babri structure…
