Category: Announcements
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Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to be installed in Israel
6th June 2026: On the day of Shivrajyabhishek Din (coronation anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj), Israel’s Consul General, Yaniv Revach, in Mumbai, announced plans for Isreal to install a grant statue of the revered 17th century Hindu Maratha freedom fighter. Revach explains the vision behind the project, “We understand… how important Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is…
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Netherlands Repatriates Chola era copper plates
16th May 2026: The Dutch Government repatriated the 11th-century Anaimangalam Copper plates (also known as the Leiden Plates) alongside a Chola-era bronze sculpture to India during Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands. The plates were taken by Dutch officials from the SE coast of India in the 18th Century when the region was under Dutch…
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Swaminarayan Temples host Shikshapatri on loan from Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries
One of the oldest known copies of the Shikshapatri is going on tour of several Swaminarayan Temples across the UK this summer, marking 200 years since the composition of the text. This handwritten manuscript is usually preserved at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries @bodleianlibraries. Consisting of 212 verses, the Shikshapatri outlines the code of…
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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…