India’s Dark Turn From Model Of Religious Pluralism To Cautionary Tale
Born in India, I’ve spent most of my life in the United States, including 20 years in academia writing about…
Religion
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India Celebrates The Holy Legacy Of St. Devasahayam
KOTAR, India — Hundreds of thousands of Catholics, along with three dozen bishops from across the country, attended the June…
Is Pope Francis Resigning?
Pope Francis added fuel to rumors about the future of his pontificate by announcing he would visit the central Italian…
Elizabeth II’s 70 Years As Queen Of England And Head Of The Church Of England
If you want to understand a nation, listen to its national anthem. “The Star-Spangled Banner” urges Americans to look out…
First Indian-American Heritage Bishop In U.S. Installed
The Diocese of Columbus welcomed its new shepherd Tuesday, May 31 with the ordination and installation of Bishop Earl Fernandes…
Two Indians Among 21 New Cardinals Appointed By Pope Francis
Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals on Sunday May 30th, most of them from continents other than Europe — which…
San Francisco Archbishop Bars Pelosi From Communion For Her Support For Abortion
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, who oversees the Archdiocese of San Francisco, announced on Friday (May 20) he is barring House…
Hindu’s Classical Texts Strictly Forbid Abortion. Here’s Why Many Hindus Don’t.
Since the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the U.S., legal abortions across the…
Devasahayam Pillai, Who Fought Scourge Of Casteism Made Saint By Vatican
Devasahayam Pillai, who converted from Hinduism to Christianity in the 18th century in the then kingdom of Travancore in what…
India Is Committed To Spread Teachings Of Buddha Across World
The India government is committed to spread the teaching of Lord Buddha in every corner of the world, said Union…
People Of All Faiths Celebrate Eid- Ul-Fitr
Chicago IL: The Chicago community, belonging to all faiths, came together to celebrate Eid ul Fitr, with great enthusiasm and reverence,…
Eid-Ul-Fitr Celebrations Held In Naperville
On Monday May 2nd,2022 Muslims from all over the Naperville and suburb areas joyfully bustled into the Embassy suites and…
Inter-faith Iftar Held In Chicago, Brings Together Leaders of South Asian Origin, Representing Major Religions, Seeking Unity
“At the core of all the faith systems and traditions is the recognition that we are all in this together…
Plan To Digitally Connect Temples With Devotees Launched
Through its ‘India Spiritual Journey’ initiative, Koo, a Made-in-India social media platform, has enabled devotees to connect digitally with temples…
India Deemed A ‘Country Of Particular Concern’ Over Religious Freedom Violations
A US watchdog has for the second year running recommended that the State Department should designate India as a “country…
Indian American Named Bishop Of Columbus, OH
An Indian-American priest, Rev. Earl Kenneth Fernandes, 49, will have the distinction of becoming the first Indian-American bishop of the Roman…
Pope Francis Makes Plea For Ukraine Peace, Cites Nuclear Risk
On what is supposed to be Christianity’s most joyful day, Pope Francis made an anguished Easter Sunday plea for peace…
U.S. Monitoring Rise In Rights Abuses In India
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was monitoring what he described as a rise in human…
What Is The Sikh Festival Of Baisakhi And Why Is It So Sacred?
Originally a spring harvest festival, Baisakhi acquired religious significance after the10th Sikh guru created the Khalsa, a distinctive Sikh identity,…
Persecution Of Christians In India As World Observes Good Friday
Today, over two thousand years ago Jesus Christ was persecuted or believed to be crucified on this day. Followers of…
During Easter Week, Pope Francis Pushes For Peace In Ukraine
Pope Francis opened Holy Week Sunday with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a…
With Religious Tensions Worsening in India, Understanding Caste Is More Urgent Than Ever
A new Bollywood movie is galvanizing Hindu audiences and stirring up a fresh wave of anti-Muslim bigotry. In the name…
Pope Francis Condemns ‘Sacrilegious War’ In Ukraine, While Biden Calls Putin A War Criminal
Pope Francis has denounced Russia’s “repugnant war” against Ukraine as “cruel and sacrilegious inhumanity.” In some of his strongest words…
Om Sri Balaji Temple Organizes Awareness And Fund Raising Event
Om Sri Balaji Temple organized a temple awareness and fund raising event at the newly built campus located at 285…
Youth Gathering Promotes Interfaith Harmony In India
A Catholic initiative has brought together university students from different religions to help them deepen their respect for other faiths…
Muslim Family In India Donates Land To Build ‘World’s Largest Hindu Temple’, Taller Than Angkor Vat
Amid the media hype about the growing communal divide in India, a Muslim family in Bihar has quietly donated land…
How Americans Have Adopted — And Adapted — The Indian Festival Of Holi
The arrival of spring always brings sweet memories from my childhood in India of Holi: the sound of drumbeats and…
Rev. Thomas J. Netto Consecrated As Archbishop Of Trivandrum Latin Archdiocese
Rev. Fr. Thomas J. Netto, born on December 29th, 1964 was installed as the Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese of…
At Vatican Women’s Day Event, A Call For Female Voices In Peace Talks
As European nations attempt to defend Ukraine without being pulled into a war, an ecumenical group of women representing charitable…
In Reforming Catholic Priesthood, Pope Francis Insists On Middle Ground
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — With broad strokes and a balancing act, Pope Francis weighed in on the polarizing tensions in…
In India, Head Coverings Are Worn By Most Women, Including Roughly Six-In-Ten Hindus
In recent weeks, protests in India over Muslim headscarves in schools have gained international attention. The controversy began when a…
A Nightmare 2021: The Year of Targeted Hate, Violence, Coercion, and Fear
Soon after midnight on 25 December in the old military town of Ambala Cantonment in Haryana, two miscreants entered the…
Karnataka’s Hoysala Temples Nominated For UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura in Karnataka have been selected as India’s nomination for UNESCO’s list of…
Pope Francis Denounces Fake News About COVID, Vaccines, Urges Truth
Pope Francis denounced fake news about COVID-19 and vaccines Friday, blasting the “distortion of reality based on fear” but also…
Thích Nhất Hạnh, Zen Master Who Preached Compassion And Nonviolence, Dies
Thích Nhất Hạnh, the Zen monk and long-time Vietnamese political exile who was a prominent global Buddhist spiritual leader renowned…
As A Controversial Verdict Acquits Bishop Franco, Groups Vouch To Take The Case To High Court
A Kerala court on Friday acquitted former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun 13 times…
Tools For Peace: Pope Francis Presents Three Points To Ponder
Every year on the New Year’s Day, the Church celebrates the World Day of Peace. Each year the Holy Father…
“Be Humble” Is Pope Francis’ Christmas Message
Amid structural, financial and liturgical reform at the Vatican, Pope Francis preached his yearly address to the Roman Curia, urging…
Blasphemy Cases On The Rise In Pakistan
Recent killing of Priyantha Kumara, the Sri Lankan general manager of a garment factory in Sialkot city of Pakistan has…
Can Pope Francis Make Real Change For Women? Vatican Women Leaders Assess His Chances
A panel of women who have attained leadership positions in the Catholic Church met on Thursday (Dec. 16) to discuss…
The Temple Economy Of Goa, Famous For Its Churches
When Pune’s D.S. Pai visited Goa four years ago for an official conference, he took out time early one morning…
Christians, Religiously Unaffiliated Differ On Whether Most Things In Society Can Be Divided Into Good, Evil
Many major religions have clear teachings about good and evil in the world. For example, the Abrahamic traditions – Judaism,…
Kashi Vishwanath Project, Described As India’s Spiritual Soul Launched
While dedicating the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project on Dec 13th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described that the Project was a…
In Hinduism, women create spaces for their own leadership
Hindu Women Globally Lead By Building Communities, Taking On Positions In Organizations And Passing On Knowledge When Sushma Dwivedi started…
PBS Documentary Broadcast Part Of Sikh Awareness Campaign
PBS stations across the United States are set to air a documentary about the founder of the Sikh faith this…
America Growing More Secular By The Year
Christmas is just 10 days away, and most Americans will celebrate the birth of Jesus. But a new poll from…
Congressional Briefing Exposes Widespread Christian Persecution In India
After using most of an hour-long congressional briefing Wednesday to expose widespread and growing physical violence and persecution of Christians…
Father Stan Samy’s Name Need To Be Cleared Of False Allegations, Jesuits Urge
Indian Jesuits plan to appeal to a court to clear the stigma attached to their activist colleague Father Stan Swamy,…
Vijay Kumar Leads Drive To Repatriate Temple Gods Looted From India
The illicit trade in idols and other historical treasures looted from temples, archaeological digs and various sites globally has been…
Pope Urges Youth To Protect Environment
Pope Francis on Sunday praised young people for their efforts to protect the Earth’s environment and told them to “be…
US Bishops Set Feast Day For St. Teresa Of Kolkata
The U.S. bishops have assigned a feast date to St. Teresa of Kolkata. The date would be Sept. 5, the…
Keralite Priest Appointed Bishop Of Loughborough In England
An Anglican priest, who was brought up in a leprosy hospital in Bengaluru where his mother was a nurse at…
Culture, Religion At Stake In Tibet Under Chinese Regime
Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh–Culture, religion, and the way of life which is based on Buddhism are at the stake in Tibet…
900,000 Earthen Lamps Light Up Ayodhya, Celebrating Lord Ram’s Triumphant Return
Millions of people across Asia are celebrating the Hindu festival of Diwali, which symbolizes new beginnings and the triumph of…
How Religious Is Your Average 22-Year-Old?
I’m a quantitative scholar of American religion and politics, so I am used to everyone from religion scholars unused to…
Diwali Celebrations Light Up Capitol Hill
United States’ lawmakers and top officials of the White House celebrated Diwali with Indian diaspora on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, October 27th,…
Hindu Dharma, Hindutva and Hindudvesha Discussed At Virtual Conference
The second set of panels of the “Hindu Dharma, Hindutva and Hindudvesha” conference series were held last month, in coordination with…
Narendra Modi Invites Pope Francis To Visit India During Meeting With Pope At The Vatican
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pope Francis at the Vatican Saturday in his first meeting with the head of the…
Indonesian Former President’s Daughter Embraces Hinduism
A daughter of Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, has converted from Islam to Hinduism during a ceremony in the predominantly Hindu…
The Golden Temple Goes Solar Powered
With the financial assistance of the US-based United Sikh Mission, a 525 KW capacity solar power plant was commissioned in…
The History Of US Presidential Visits To The Vatican
On Friday (Oct. 29), Pope Francis is set to hold a highly anticipated private audience with President Joe Biden at…
Pope Francis Calls For Greater Female Leadership Ahead Of G-20 Summit
(RNS) — In a message read by his secretary of state to a women’s advocacy group meeting ahead of the…
Catholicism Growing Everywhere Except In Europe
(RNS) — A Vatican census released ahead of World Mission Day reveals growing numbers of Catholics in what Pope Francis…
U.S. Bishops Silent On Moral Issue Of Climate Change
Newswise — According to a new study by professors and an alumna from Creighton University, the vast majority of U.S….
HinduPACT Condemns Pakistan’s Rejection of Forced Conversion Bill
Pakistan’s decision to reject a bill that would have banned forced conversions to Islam is the latest blow to the…
Governor Kathy Hochu Leads Diwali Celebrations In New York
Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York, joined by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, kick started Diwali celebrations in the state of New…
Pope Francis Welcomes US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi At The Vatican Biden To Meet The Pontiff on October 29th
Pope Francis granted a private audience in the Vatican to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Saturday, October…
Hindu Heritage Month Goes Into US Congressional Record
Illinois Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has submitted a statement in the House of Representatives Sept. 30, 2021, on recognizing October…
Young People Make Their Mark At Religions For Peace Conference
(RNS) — The 2021 Religions for Peace conference, which closed on Thursday (Oct. 7), will be remembered as the first…
Youtube Star Gurdeep Pandher Draws On Sikh Faith As He Dances For Joy
(RNS) — During a time of global despair brought on by pandemic, one grinning man charmed millions with his exuberant…
Thomas Jefferson’s Quran To Be Displayed At Dubai Expo
A copy of the Quran once owned by former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson will be displayed in the Unites States’…
Pope Francis Retains High Marks Among US Catholics
A new survey finds that Pope Francis retains high levels of support among U.S. Catholics across the board, and most…
Book Illustrates The Turbulent Connection Between Religion And Terrorism
A recently divorced doctor looking for seclusion relocates to an isolated house on a riverbank. The following summer, dead bodies…
Pope Francis Condemns Greed And The Ruthless Pursuit Of Profit
Pope Francis condemned greed and the ruthless pursuit of profit in a message sent to a Vatican conference on poverty…
Deepti Navaratna To Perform At Parliament Of World’s Religions
Deepti Navaratna, a former Boston resident and now the current Regional Director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts,…
‘Some Wanted Me Dead:’ Pope Acknowledges Right-Wing Critics
Pope Francis has acknowledged his increasingly vocal conservative critics, saying their “nasty comments” were the work of the devil and…
When Love Is Called As A Conspiracy The ‘Love Jihad’ Bogey Targeting Interfaith Couples In India
When Ali (name changed) proposed to his best friend, little did he know that her parents would take six years…
Shree Jalaram Mandir Raas Garba Ramzat Turns Chicagoland Devotional
Chicagoland couldn’t have asked for a better post-pandemic celebration after almost two years of pause to any public gathering than…
FIACONA Is Grateful to Biden, Harris For Emphasizing Need For Democratic Values In India
The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) has expressed gratitude to Vice President Harris for telling Prime Minister Modi,…
Hindu Groups To Observe October As Hindu Heritage Month
Some Hindu dharma-based organizations from around the world, announced the addition of another major festival, an entire month of festivals,…
Hindutva Is Not Hindu Religion
Dismantling Global Hindutva, a series of virtual conferences, seeks to analyze and educate the public as to how Hindutva is…
‘Hollywood to the Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation,’ Book Released
“Through the powerful, totally unexpected experience of Oneness with the divine that I had on the banks of the Ganga…
Christian Leaders Unite To Issue Stark Warning Over Climate Crisis
Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, call on the world population – “whatever their…
Ravindra Joshi Creates 3D Printed Scale Model Of Chicago Downtown
The Ganesh festival this year was like no other. A complete mind boggling 1:1600 3D printed scale model of Chicago…
HAF On A Campaign To Dismantle Negative Image Of Hinduism
An Indian American advocacy group is keen on spreading awareness on the raising ‘Hinduphobia’, that has been scaring the community…
Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference Planned at Over 50 Universities Creates Controversy
An international conference entitled “Dismantling Global Hindutva: Multidisciplinary Perspective,” which is co-sponsored by over 70 centers and departments at more…
Pope Francis Rules Out Early Resignation
“Whenever a pope is ill, there is always a breeze or a hurricane of conclave,” the 84-year-old Francis quipped during…
Mother Teresa’s Birth Anniversary Celebrated
Millions of people around the globe celebrated the birth anniversary of Mother Teresa. Sister Mary Prema, Superior General of Missionaries…
6 Facts About Jainism In India
Jainism is one of the world’s oldest religions, originating in India at least 2,500 years ago. The spiritual goal of Jainism…
Pope Francis Calls COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Act Of Love’
Pope Francis issued a message on Wednesday (Aug. 18) encouraging Catholics to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, calling it “an act…
Shri Shirdi Sai Mandir To Help In Psychological And Spiritual Needs Of The Community
Dwarkamai Inc is a recognized non-profit, tax-exempt organization under IRS code section 501(c)(3) of USA. Dwarkamai is dedicated to organizing…
HPD’s Young Cadets Get An Introduction To Hinduism
On a warm sunny afternoon of 23rd July, about 60 young cadets of the Houston Police Department (HPD) were introduced…
Should President Biden Receive Holy Communion? Cardinal Tobin & Bishop Rhoades Discuss
Catholic bishops meeting in regional cohorts have until the end of next month to submit their thoughts on what should…
Sunday Mass: Obligation Or Opportunity?
When I was a boy in the United States, pillows, mattresses, upholstered furniture and other stuffed items (but not teddy…
Indian-American Nominated By Biden As Envoy For Religious Freedom
President Joe Biden has nominated an Indian-American, Rashad Hussain, as the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, and if approved by…
In $412m Vatican Fraud Case, Cardinal Becciu Stands On Trial
A Roman Catholic cardinal who was once a close ally of Pope Francis has gone on trial in the Vatican,…
Telangana’s Ramappa Temple Is On UNESCO’s World Heritage List
Ramappa temple, a 13th century Hindu temple named after its architect, Ramappa, was proposed by the government as its only…
Persecutions Against Christians Continue Under Modi
Before the year 2021 had reached its halfway mark, some of the most powerful forces in modern India prepared to…
RathYatra, Celebrating Lord Jagannath’s ‘Unfinished Hands’ At Puri Temple
Much like last year, this time around too administration has taken caution to ensure safety measures are in place. It…
Widespread Persecution Of Religious Minorities In India Highlighted At International Religious Freedom Summit
Speakers at the International Religious Freedom summit here this week detailed how the Indian government is intentionally stoking Hindu nationalism,…