Hinduism
How India’s youth are taking to a path shown by a 15th century mystic
By Kalpana Jain — November 13, 2019
VARANASI, India (RNS) — As Indian millennials chart their own spiritual paths they are leading a revival of the teachings of a mystic who wrote couplets on the nature of the divine and criticized any form of orthodoxy.
More than 1 billion people celebrate on Diwali. What does it mean to them?
By Simran Jeet Singh — October 18, 2019
(RNS) — In the various stories that make Diwali a holy day for so many, we have models of what true righteousness looks like. They are sharp rejoinders of what we should be doing and how we should be living.
Decades-old Hindu pilgrimage, aided by Modi government, takes a populist turn
By Kalpana Jain — September 23, 2019
VARANASI, India (RNS) — Religious fervor, supported and aided by India’s right-wing Modi government, is on the rise among some blocs of millennials in India.
Interfaith group urges congressman to skip Texas rally for India’s prime minister
By Alejandra Molina — September 17, 2019
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — An event, dubbed 'Howdy, Modi!,' is being held amid reports of violence and intimidation by Indian soldiers in Kashmir villages.
A school where Muslims and Hindus pray together stirs strife in divided India
By Priyadarshini Sen — September 11, 2019
ALIGARH, India (RNS) — Founded to help poor children of both of India's predominant faiths, the Chacha Nehru's inclusivity has irked Muslim and Hindu leaders alike.
Pollution of a sacred river becomes a symbol for India’s environmental challenges
By Priyadarshini Sen — August 15, 2019
BANGALORE, India (RNS) — This city's early 1990s tech boom outstripped its waste management plans, leaving its Vrishabhavathi River choked with industrial waste.
Modi clamps down on Kashmir, and India loves him for it
By Tim Sullivan — August 15, 2019
(AP) — To his critics, Modi is an authoritarian who wants to turn India into a Hindu nation. To supporters, he is an incorruptible ascetic unafraid to tell the truth.
Hindu activists urge Wayfair CEO to stop selling beds to migrant camps
By Aysha Khan — July 11, 2019
BOSTON (RNS) — A progressive Hindu organization calls on Niraj Shah, of home goods retailer Wayfair, to vacate a reported agreement to provide beds to furnish a new Texas detention camp for migrants seeking asylum.
Raising a progressive Hindu voice to counter Indian Modi’s increasing power
By Simran Jeet Singh — July 8, 2019
(RNS) — Sunita Viswanath founded Sadhana in 2011 to counter those in India and abroad who she believes are co-opting Hinduism for political gain.
Hindu pilgrimage begins amid high security in Indian Kashmir
By Associated Press — July 1, 2019
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Thousands of Hindu pilgrims began the arduous trek to an icy Himalayan cave in disputed Kashmir on Monday, with tens of thousands of Indian government forces guarding roads and mountain passes.
Atheist ashram on Lord Krishna’s home turf roils India’s Hindu nationalists
By Priyadarshini Sen — June 19, 2019
(RNS) — Two brothers who once devoutly supported the Hindu nationalist agenda have turned to rationalism, attracting attacks from religious leaders and politicians.
Forced conversions, marriages spike in Pakistan
By Bob Smietana — June 6, 2019
LAHORE, Pakistan (RNS) — 'The ugly reality of forced conversions is that they are not seen as a crime, much less as a problem that should concern ‘mainstream’ (Muslim) Pakistan,' said Mehdi Hasan, chairperson of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
India’s Prime Minister Modi pursues politics of Hindu nationalism – what does that mean?
By Sumit Ganguly — May 28, 2019
(The Conversation) — Modi's win is also a victory for Hindutva, an ideology that states that India is the homeland of the Hindus. According to believers, those who profess other faiths can live in the country only at the sufferance of Hindus.
Are yoga and mindfulness in schools religious?
By Candy Gunther Brown — May 13, 2019
(The Conversation) — Yoga and mindfulness could become the fourth 'R' of public education. But up for debate is whether the 'R' in this case stands for relaxation or religion.
Is religious kitsch offensive? The answer is in the eye of the beholder
By Menachem Wecker — May 10, 2019
(RNS) — The line between well-intentioned kitsch and bad taste, experts in religious artwork say, can be blurry.
