Author: Admin
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USA commits to largest restitution of stolen Hindu Heritage
After the repatriation of 105 stolen antiquities to India in July 2023, the USA has committed to return a further 1,414 heritage objects making this the largest repatriation to India in history. Many of the antiques due for return are currently in possession of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (‘Met Museum’). As part of…
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Akshaya Tritiya and appearance of Parashurama
Today, 10th May 2024, Hindus mark Akshaya Tritiya. It is regarded as one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar, which grants success and growth for any spiritual or worldly endeavours (i.e making investments or getting married). Acts of charity and extra spiritual acts on this day confer extra merit. The day is…
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Calls for action: Anti-Hindu Hate in Britain
The APPG* for British Hindus held an event in the Houses of Parliament to for the release of a report on Anti-Hindu Hatred. The report reveals that the Hindu voices are frequently ignored, misunderstood by policymakers, and British institutions, and distorted by the media to deny an issue exists with anti-Hindu hate, and instead misrepresent…
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Sandheshkhali: Hindu Rape Victims Speak Out
Sandheshkhali is a village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas District which is close to India’s border with Bangladesh. This remote corner of India made headlines earlier this year following over 700 cases of crimes against economically disadvantaged Hindus by Sheikh Shahjahan, an influential political leader and member of the state’s ruling party, TMC. In…
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Hindus celebrate a historic Rama Navami
The appearance of Rama; one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu is observed today (Chaitra Shukla Navami). As Rama, Vishnu set the example of ideal human values. Unlike other avatars, where Vishnu displayed his superhuman traits, Rama lived as a man experiencing a life of emotional conflicts, psychological upheaval and personal tragedies. And despite…
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Mesha Sankranti – Hindu Solar New Year
The Sankranti (transit) of the Sun into Mesha Rashi (Taurus) is celebrated as the New Year* by Hindu communities that follow the Solar Hindu calendar. This largely includes the Assamese (Rongali Bihu), Bengali (Pohela Boishakh), Bodo (Bwisagu), Maithali (Jur-Sital), Malayalam (Vishu), Odia (Pana Sankranti), Punjabi (Vaisakhi), Tamil (Puthandu) and Tullu (Bisu) Hindu communities. The name…
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British Hindu activists condemn grooming and coerced conversions
Hindu activists in the UK have raised concerns about an increase in the grooming of Hindu children. In some cases, children under the age of 16 have been coerced or peer pressured into leaving their Hindu faith. Ravi Chowdhry, a Hindu activist from East London stated, “Growing up as a Bengali Hindu in London, I…
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Varsha Pratipada, Chetichand & Vasanta Navaratri
The first day of Chaitra Shukla Paksha marks the start of the year in most regions of Bharat that follow the Lunisolar Hindu calendar*. This New Year festival (Varsha Pratipada) is marked by Marathi, Konkani, Kanadinga, Telugu, Kashmiri and Sindhi-speaking Hindus and by some members of Hindi, Nepali and Rajasthani linguistic groups. Ugadi, Yugadi and…
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British Hindu Schoolgirl wins European Chess Championships
Eight-year-old British Hindu schoolgirl, Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow (London), scored 8.5/13 at the European blitz chess championships held in Croatia in December 2023 and was crowned best female player. In the penultimate round of the contest, Bodhana defeated 39-year-old Lorin D’Costa, who is England’s women’s coach. She then drew with 54-year-old the two-time Romanian champion…
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Hindu postgraduate student cancelled by LSE’s Students’ Union
Hindu and Indian postgraduate student Karan Kataria at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has submitted a complaint against the LSE Student Union (LSE SU) alleging that they unfairly disqualified him from running for the position of General Secretary in the union’s election. Kataria asserts that he was subjected to discrimination because…
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Malaysia: Hindu mother succeeds in fight for religious freedom
In 2019, Loh Siew Hong; a Malaysian Hindu of Chinese origin, had her three children taken away by her now ex-husband Nagashwaran Muniandy. A recent convert to Islam; Nagashwaran declared the children as Muslim without Loh’s consent. After a court battle, Loh regained full custody of the children in 2021. Loh’s fight however continued as…
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Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month gains traction
Hindu Heritage Month (HHM) is a global movement to highlight Hinduism as a tradition and contributions Hinduism has made to human society. October has been chosen for this initiative as two of the largest Hindu festivals Dusshera and Diwali often take place during this month. Partnering with HHM, Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month (HAAAM)…