Keyword : Religion

Modi tells Obama: Intolerance is global concern, vows to protect faith in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday replied to his friend Barack Obama and said “religious intolerance is a global concern”. US president Obama`s had recently remarked on growing r

Religion rules India, polls and internet are low on priority list

India is world’s biggest democracy but voting average in elections is about 50% to 65% because less than half Indians think that elections are important. But over 80% think that religious fre

“#OccupyYamuna”? Before Sri Sri’s extravaganza, it was Akshardham

Going by the activities over the years in the riverbed and floodplains in Delhi, there seems to be a veritable #OccupyYamuna campaign going on. Sri Sri Ravishankar’s

Sri Sri Uvach: don’t politicize destruction of Yamuna

Facing a barrage of allegations and a case in National Green Tribunal (NGT), Art of Living Foundation head and noted spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has appealed to all “to not politici

Art of Living event is violence on environment: Bharati Chaturvedi

Noted environmental activist Bharati Chaturvedi has said that she considers the construction activities in preparation for the world culture festival in the Yamuna river plains, an act of violence

NGT allows Sri Sri to hold event, fines AoL Rs 5 crore

Giving a go ahead to the Art of Living (AoL) foundation to hold the

Won’t pay fine: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

A defiant Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in an interview to

NGT threatens to withdraw permission if AoL doesn`t pay fine

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has threatened to revoke permission for the

And the show goes on – with Modi on WCF dais

Activists, courts, and finally even the rain could not stop Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s World Culture Festival. Prime minister Narendra Modi too ignored alerts about its rickety dais and attended

Twitter weighs in on AoL controversy

The three-day World Culture Festival has begun on the flood plains of the Yamuna. The controversies surrounding the event failed to upset the participants and spectators who have gathered at the ve

Protestors at World Culture Festival venue allegedly heckled by cops

Around 4.30 on Friday evening a band of 20 protestors led by voluntary organisation Sweccha gathered opposite gate number one of the World Culture Festival (WCF). They were protesting with black ba

Online protest will not help Yamuna: Kapil Mishra

Lashing out at some of the detractors of the World Culture festival, organised by the Art of Living (AoL) foundation, Delhi water resources and tourism minister Kapil Mishra has said that nowaday

‘India on negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom’

There are many people who believe that after Anupam Kher’s spirited defence of the prime minister at a debate in Kolkata, it is proven that there has been no intolerance in India. But the US

Fundamental rights vs fundamentalism

The Shayara Bano case has placed the Muslim personal law under the judicial scanner yet again. The supreme court is set to examine triple talaq, polygamy and other discriminatory practices against

In conversation with author Devdutt Pattanaik

Devdutt Pattanaik is a physician turned mythologist, author and consultant. He has written over 600 articles and 30 books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times

What the SC verdict on votes and religion means

The supreme court has ruled that electoral candidates cannot seek votes in the name of religion, caste, creed, community or language. A seven-judge bench, headed by chief justice of India TS Thakur

Law panel examining uniform civil code

  The government has requested the Law Commission of India to undertake examination of various issues relating to uniform civil code, the Lok Sabha was informed. &nbs

Let’s not look at Gurmeet Ram Rahim in black and white

The conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case by a CBI court on Friday must be seen as a positive step towards the evolution of a “scientific and rational” s

Rahul’s messianic words don’t match dirty deeds of politics

Self-deception is an essential trait of a revolutionary, particularly of the Marxist variety. Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president seems too eager to internalise this trait in his politics.

A space for faith

When the supreme court ruled that women of menstruating age cannot be prevented from going to the Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, political parties in Kerala hailed it as a historic victory for gen

The Kumbh: The grandest spectacle on earth

It is an incredible sight. As our small boat moves towards the Sangam (the confluence of the river Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj) much before the break of the dawn, a sea of hum

Trust set up to build Ram temple in Ayodhya

Prime minister Narendra Modi has announced in parliament the cabinet decision to form a trust to oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, as ordered by the supreme court.

Seeking religious aid in governance in India

India is known for its old and rich culture, and religion forms a substantial part of it. In India it is hard to find people who categorise themselves as atheists, unless we refer to the matrimonia

Observing Ramazan in the time of Covid-19

With Ramzaan expected to begin from April 24-25, when the Muslim community will observe dawn-to-dusk fast for the month, Muslim scholars and imams of masjids across India have come out with guideli

A travelogue of an inner pilgrimage

Sit Your Self Down A Novice’s Journey into the Heart of Vipassana By Gayatri Jayaraman Hachette India, 212 pages, Rs 399  

Uddhav shoots back at governor’s sarcasm

As Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari went sarcastic and wrote to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking him if he had turned ‘secular’ – an epithet he hated, as the plac

No Dahi Handi celebrations on Janmashtami in Maharashtra for second year

With the pandemic, Maharashtra will have muted Dahi Handi celebrations – the main attraction of the Janmashtami festival in the state – for the second year in a row. In a meeting held w

Fact, truth and philosophy

During an online course promoted as a foundational step towards tuning one’s mind for personal spiritual growth (presumably for eventual greater happiness and even bliss through self-realizat

The wisdom of why you can’t step in the same river twice

ANITYA By Gayatri Jayaraman Hachette / 196 pages / Rs. 399 On attaining enlightenment, the Buddha delved in that state for several weeks, bef

‘Apply Prohibition of Child Marriage Act to Muslim girls too’

The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), an autonomous, rights-based organisation working for the reform of Muslim Family Law for the last 15 years, has called for making the Prohibition of Chil

Why do we celebrate the Navaratri festival?

Hindus are celebrating the Navaratri festival these days. Known

Mahabharata: Ways of reading the epic in our times

Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation By G.N. Devy Aleph Books, 150 pages, Rs 499 The Mahabharata is one of the greatest literary masterpie

Why Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu are the two most joyful people on the planet

“Deep down we grow in kindness, when our kindness is tested.” ‘The Book of Joy’ (first published in 2016) introduces two prominent personalities, the

The Indian Muslim faces a conundrum. Here are the possible solutions

Unmasking Indian Secularism: Why We Need a New Hindu

Archeology, Amity and Ahimsa: Reflections on Qutub, Kashi and other controversies

Amid the campaign for building a temple in place of Babri Mosque, India in 1991 passed a law, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, to prohibit the conversion of places of worship –

John Maynard Keynes and the difficulty of escaping old ideas

The Power of Thoughts By Swami Mukundananda Penguin Random House India, 282 pages World-renowned spiritual teacher and bestselling author Swami Mu

The bookworm monks

Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of ISKCON By Hindol Sengupta Penguin Ananda, 368 Pages. Rs 599

Ram Shravan Manan: A musical venture that leads to self-reflection

There is this popular saying that epics are never told, but always retold. Ramayana is one such epic and needs no introduction. Its plot is grounded in sacrifice and the end brings out hope that th

Road, ropeway projects in Kedarnath, Badrinath region planned

Prime minister Narendra Modi Friday laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs 3,400 crore in Mana village near Badrinath in Uttarakhand. Earlier in the day, he 

How to cultivate the art of meditation

The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is one of the key texts for spiritual seekers. While there are countless translations and commentaries, Vasudev Murthy’s ‘Yoga Sutra Simplified – A Sea

Trying to achieve work-life balance? Here’s some advice

The untapped potential of every individual is the biggest

Reality As It Is: The Buddha`s advice on overcoming bias, prejudices

‘See Things As They Are’: Life Lessons from the Buddha Edited by Nanditha Krishna Aleph, 98 pages, Rs 399

Samanvaya —an Integral Part of Hindutva

Aravindan Neelakandan has come out with a new work, ‘Hindutva: Origin, Evolution, and Future’ (Kali Imprint; BluOne Ink), which promises to be a must-read for understanding Hindutva

Where the true sadhana of Vedanta is to be found

Somewhere Among the Stars: Reflections of a Mystic By Adi Varuni Kali/BluOne Ink, 282 pages, Rs 395

A sacred offering of the beauty of ‘Saundarya Lahari’ – in English

Saundarya Lahari: Wave of Beauty Translated from the Sanskrit by Mani Rao HarperCollins, 218 pages, Rs 399 ‘Saundarya Lahari’, usu

How Jain values lead us to the path of inner peace

What is ahimsa or non-violence? Is it only an absence of violence or is it something more? Is ahimsa even possible in today’s world? How does one interpret the meaning of war from the lens of

A Mind and Heart without Corners

In Love, At Ease: Everyday Spirituality with Pramukh Swami By Yogi Trivedi Penguin Random House, 360 pages, Rs 499

Rama beyond Ramayana: Stories from other sources

Untold Stories of Ramayana By Gaurang Damani 194 pages, Rs 300

Aurobindo’s independence message spoke of his five dreams for India

Sri Aurobindo: The Life and Teachings of a Revolutionary Philosopher By Roshen Dalal Macmillan, 328 pages, Rs 699

How to balance professional and material life

Questions You Always Wanted to Ask By Swami Mukundananda Rupa Publications, 216 pages, Rs 295

Lord Ram in the 21st century

India is celebrating the reinstating of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, his birthplace, after almost 500 years of politico-legal struggle. At the same time, politics is inevitable in a modern democracy; ironi

New Ashoka biography: Engaging life-story of an emperor who ruled by Dharma

Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King By Patrick Olivelle HarperCollins, 400 pages, Rs 799.00

Mahabharata: The (really) greatest story ever told

Dwapar Katha: The Stories of the Mahabharata By Sudipta Bhawmik HarperCollins, 608 pages, Rs 599.00

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


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