(ANALYSIS) In preparation for the many Hindu fall festivals such as Diwali, Dussehra or Durga Puja, worshipers all over the world will purchase flowers for use in ritual worship in temples, outdoor ceremonies or altars at home. Stories found in the “Puranas” describe why gods and goddesses favor certain flowers.
Read MoreOver the weekend Indian security forces fired iron pellets into a peaceful Muslim procession in Kashmir that included children, citing the pandemic restrictions on large gatherings even though several Hindu pilgrimages have been allowed to continue. Although pellet fire has been used to quell political protests, this is the first time the government has used the condemned use of pellet fire on the Shia Muslim Muharram procession.
Read MoreIndia’s recent rise in Hindu nationalism can be seen playing out in multi-million-dollar projects funded by both government and private donations to build some of the world’s tallest statues of Hindu heroes, including not just an independence leader and Hindu gods but also a Hindu warrior king who defeated Muslim forces.
Read MoreEaster, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr—amid COVID-19 lockdowns, religious celebrations have looked different this year. Thankfully, they don’t have to taste different. Most of us are still practicing our faith with social distancing, but staying home is the perfect way to venture into new recipes and maybe even taste a new religious tradition.
Read MoreIndia’s ruling Hindu nationalist party is fighting a state’s proposal to provide eggs to government daycare centers, where many of the women and children come from tribal backgrounds not adhering to vegetarian or Hindu diets.
Read MoreKashmiris are keeping shops closed and their kids home from school in a mass civil disobedience movement to show that life is not going back to normal after India stripped the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy from its constitution.
Read MoreThousands of Kashmiri youth have been arrested on vague charges under a law that allows detentions up to two years before a trial. We spoke to their families.
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