Author: Kiran
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Janmashtami 2024
Krishna is one of the incarnations of Vishnu, embodying the most playful aspects of the absolute Brahman (Lila Purshottam). A highly complex character, Krishna appeals to different types of spiritual seekers who approach him as an adorable child, a romantic youth, a mighty warrior, an astute statesman or a guru of yogic practice. Though its…
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Safeguarding the Hindu roots of Carnatic Music
March 2024: Well-known Carnatic musicians, Ranjini-Gayatri (shown in the image above), Dushyanth Sridhar, and others have recently decided to withdraw from the Madras Music Academy’s annual festival in response to the Academy’s decision to confer the 2024 Kalanidhi Award to highly controversial musician T.M. Krishna. The Kalanidhi is one of the most prestigious music awards…
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Trinidad mourns the loss of its first Hindu Prime Minister
1st January 2024: Basdeo Panday passed away in Florida (USA) after suffering from Pneumonia at the age of 90. His body was repatriated to Trinidad and Tobago for the first Trinidadian state funeral performed with Hindu rituals. Basdeo was the 5th Prime Minsiter of this Caribbean nation and the first of Hindu origin. Born in…
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Gorkha veteran: first double amputee to climb Everest
Hari Buddha Magar became the first double above-knee amputee to climb Mt Everest in May 2023. This achievement came after his ascent to Mont Blanc (France-Italy) in 2019 and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) in 2020. With a goal to climb the highest peak on each continent, Hari recently ascended Mt Denali (North America) and by 2026, he…
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British Hindu appointed High Commissioner to Singapore
From this month, July 2024, Nikesh Mehta (OBE) will take up his position as British High Commissioner to the Republic of Singapore. Nikesh’s mother was one of the many Hindus who restarted their lives in the UK after being expelled from Uganda. Between 2022 and 2024, Nikesh served as the Director for Policy and Requirements…
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Guyanese Hindus mark 50 years of community leadership
On 8th January 2024, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), one of the oldest and largest Hindu Umbrella organisations in the Caribbean, marked its 50th anniversary. Led by the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, GHDS was formed in 1974 to unite Hindu communities from across Guyana when the country was undergoing political turmoil. Since its…
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Festival of Chariots and Kutchi New Year
Ratha Yatra; the festival of chariots, involves the presiding deity of a temple going on a procession in a wooden chariot pulled through the surrounding streets. The timing of this festival varies between temples. Here in the UK, South Indian temples that follow ancient Agama traditions hold Ratha Yatras through the spring and summer months.…
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Nita Ambani’s tribute to Durga
In February 2024, the Billionaire Ambani family made global headlines with the pre-wedding party of Anant Ambani and finance Radhika Merchant held in India and attended by a list of 1200 A-listers. A noteworthy aspect of the event and the upcoming wedding in July, are the family’s efforts to proudly express their Hindu identity. Mother of the…
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Labour Chair Denies Awareness of Anti-Hindu MPs in Party
On Friday, 28 June 2024, Asian Voice in collaboration with the City Hindus Network and the City Sikhs, held a political hustings for the run-up to the UK General Election. The panel consisted of Anneliese Dodds (Labour), Felicity Buchan (Conservative), Lord Christopher Fox (Lib Dems) and Dr Pallavi Devulapalli (Greens), where they were questioned on…
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British Hindu Temples & Charities engaging with elections
Hindus for Democracy have launched their campaign for the UK General Election which takes place on July 4, 2024. In addition to releasing the Hindu Manifesto 2024 the group has issued guidance for how Hindu temples and charities can engage with the General Election. Politics is sometimes viewed as a taboo subject amongst many British…
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Kashmiri Hindus observe Zyeth Atham
Though a regional celebration largely unknown outside the Kashmiri community, Jyeshtha occupies a significant place in contemporary Hindu history. Jyeshtha Ashtami (Zyeth Atham in Kosur) marks the annual pilgrimage to Tulmul (Kashmir, India) in honour of Kheer Bhavani the Kuladevi (clan deity) of many Kashmiri families. Devi Kheer Bhavani was worshipped in Lanka and was…
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MP calls out biased media coverage of Ram Mandir Opening
During a debate in the House of Commons on 2nd February 2024, Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, commented: “Last week in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, the Ram Mandir was consecrated. This was of great joy to Hindus across the world as being the birthplace of Lord Ram,” “Very sadly, the BBC, in their coverage…