Category: Announcements
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Krish Raval; British Hindu Leadership Development Champion, appointed Peer
Taking his oath on the Bhagavad Gita, Krish Raval OBE was appointed as Baron Raval, of Hertsmere in the County of Hertfordshire in the house of Lords on 29th January 2025. The Prime Minister nominated Krish for Peerage at the end of 2024 in recognition of his extensive contributions to leadership education and interfaith cohesion,…
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St Albans; a new home for the Madhva Vaishnavas in the UK
22nd December 2024: Inauguration rituals took place at the new Venkata Krishna Vrundavan Mandir in St Albans. Located in a former church, this is the UK branch of the Sri Puthige Matha. The Puthige Matha is one of the Ashta-mathas, or eight monasteries established by Shri Madhcacharya, who lived either between 1199-1278 or 1230-1317 CE in…
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Oregon recognises swastika as distinct from Hakenkreuz
Thursday 18 July, The Hindu American Foundation announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter): A Historic Win for Our Community! Thanks to the tireless advocacy of our supporters in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Education has officially recognized the distinction between the Nazi hakenkreuz and our sacred swastika. This monumental decision marks a significant…
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Oxford University to return stolen Murthi
On 11th March 2021, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (part of the University of Oxford) announced that it would return the 16th-century bronze Murthi of Thirumangai Alvar that it had on display. The Murthi was purchased by the Museum from Sotheby’s auction house in 1967 for £850. In 2019 Vijay Kumar from India Pride Project,…
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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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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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Conservative MP sends Hinduphobic leaflet targeting Pakistani vote
Conservative candidate for Dudley North, Marco Longhi, recently made news for Hinduphobic and racist comments against his Labour Rival. He recently sent a leaflet to his Pakistani voters in Dudley, the West Midlands constituency he standing in, which outlined his support for Kashmiri separatism. The Conservative MP has also been accused of racism and Hinduphobia…
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UAE: Gurdwara serves meals for Mandir opening
On the 14th February 2024, Indian Prime Minister presided over the historic opening of the BAPS Mandir in Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). With its large population of expatriate workers, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the UAE. Sindhi Hindus established the first Mandir back in 1958 and others were established over…
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Hindu Chairman heralds new era for English Football Club
February 2024: Florida based entrepreneur Shilen Patel and his Father Kiran Patel acquired an 87.8% stake in West Bromwich Albion. Known locally as ‘the Baggies’, this West Midlands football club was formed in 1878. Shilen Patel, who also has a minority share in Italian Series A club, Bologna, is now the Chairman of West Bromwich…
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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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India and Cambodia work together to restore a historical mural in Siam Reap
12th November 2023: Following a period of restoration, Cambodian Officials and the Indian Ambassador inaugurated the Ramayana Mural at Wat Raja Bo Pagoda (Buddhist Temple) in the Cambodian Capital Siem Reap. The pagoda, one of the oldest in Siem Reap, depicts the Ramayana which has cultural significance across the many Dharmic communities in the Indian…