Current affairs, spirituality, heritage & lifestyle.
After the United Kingdom, the second largest Hindu community of Europe live in the Netherlands. There are between 150,000 – 200,000 Hindus currently living in the Netherlands, the vast majority of who migrated from Surinam – a former Dutch colony in South America. There are about 50,000 Hindus living in the Hague (Dutch capital) while […]
The Mahabharata is arguably the greatest work of literature in the world. No other work brings out the complexity of human problems in such a profound and entertaining way. It shows us the application of philosophy when it comes to deciding between the right and wrong in such cases where the answer is not straightforward. […]
(This year, 2017, Holi is on 12 th & 13th March) Holi is the most colourful and energetic religious festival in the world. It is a celebration of the arrival of spring as well as marking the death of the demoness Holika, from whom the festival gets its name. A large bonfire is lit, in […]
Intro Hinduism has traditionally regarded four basic aims of life. These are called “Purusharthas”, and are as follows: 1. Kama (pleasure and desire) 2. Artha (material wellbeing and wealth acquisition) 3. Dharma (righteousness, duty and order) 4. Moksha (spiritual liberation, union with the Supreme) This article gives an overview and further insight into the Four Purusharthas. Fulfilling and Balancing the Purusharthas The civilisation of the […]
If you were asked where is the world’s largest Hindu temple, by default most people would answer “India”. However, in actual case, the answer is Cambodia. The Angkor Wat temple temple complex was built in the early 12th century, under the instructions of King Suryavarman II, and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. At that time, Hinduism was […]
The Upanishads – what (or who!) are they?”This would be the response of many Hindus of today if asked about the Upanishads!The Upanishads are in fact Hindu scriptures. They can be thought of as portions of the Vedas, but are also separate texts in their own right. They form the basis of what is known […]
Shivaratri is one of the most popular festivals in the Hindu world, celebrated with devotion and fervour by millions of Hindus each year. This year it falls on 27th Feb. In the Hindu view, the Divine Being transcends all human conceptualisation, yet can be approached in many ways. The deities of Hinduism reflect realizations of […]
Many years ago a young penniless man with barely a possession in the world sailed out to the West, armed only with the intense desire that the spiritual wisdom of his motherland should be known and respected throughout the world. He was the first Hindu in the modern age to travel to the West and […]
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This definitely holds true with the images of Hindu deities. Taking the image of Lord Shiva, this article investigates some aspects of Shiva’s image…the crescent moon near his head, the river Ganga flowing from his hair and the dark blue neck. What can we learn from […]
(originally written September 2006) (17/03/2013 – image removed, as this page was being blocked from some search engines browsers for being “adult content”) Recently, an article in The Times (a supposedly quality newspaper), carried a story provocatively titled ‘Why is a Hindu temple like a Soho phone box? Must I draw you a picture?’ The article was […]
In my second year at uni, a few friends and I restarted up the Hindu society, which had not operated for a year or two before us. One of the first events we held was a ‘Charity Garba and Dandia night’. Being the first big event that any of us had ever organized we were […]
The idea that the time of year at which your birth takes places has a long-lasting effect on your health and personality is quite a popular belief throughout the world. It forms the basis of star-signs, horoscopes and other branches of astrology, which some people see as a bit of fun, but others take quite […]
(Originally published in Hindu Voice UK – July 2009) “Intelligent Life” (?!) Recently I received a copy of “Intelligent Life” (Spring 2009 Edition), a quarterly lifestyle magazine from The Economist Group. As its name suggests, the makers of the magazine fancy it to be a particularly intelligent magazine! The Economist Group of publications is a […]
Were Lord Krishna’s war ethics, which involved a disregard for the pre-ordained rules of warfare, justifiable? Was Krishna unfair and biased in the way that he dealt between the Pandavas and Kauravas? These are common questions that are brought up against Shri Krishna, particularly with regards to the unflinching help he gave to the Pandavas in […]
Related articles: Eating of meat & beef in the Hindu tradition Lay off meat eating Hindus One of the most common questions about Hinduism is “Why do Hindus worship cows?” Be it eight-year-old kids or schoolteachers, there is a fascination with Hinduism and the holy cow. Sometimes the question is asked in a mocking tone, […]
This is what we hear about AUM: The past, the present and the future are AUM, And That beyond these three is also AUM (Mandukya Upanishad) AUM is the most popular and universally recognised Hindu symbol and also the most popular word in Hindu chants and prayers. It is the Divine Word and the originating sound of […]
Kalidas is widely acclaimed as the greatest poet and dramatist in classical Sanskrit literature. The biographical details of his life are shrouded in mystery, but popular legend as well as the odd clue from his poems hints to us that he lived in the Gupta Era, and may have enjoyed the patronage of Vikramaditya (Chandragupta […]
At one point in the Ramayana, Indrajit (Ravana’s eldest son) launched a massive attack against a section of Rama’s army, causing massive slaughter. When Jambhavan (the commander) arrived at the scene to survey the damage, the first thing he said was, “Is Hanuman alive?” Hanuman subsequently arrived at the scene and Jambhavan was glad to […]
We have all seen the image of Kali at a temple or in a Navratri shrine. She is well known but poorly understood. This article provides a fascinating philosophical insight into who Kali really is! Kali is one of the best known, but poorly understood Hindu deities. She is dark destructive and terrible in image. […]
(image removed, as this page was being blocked from some search engines browsers for being “adult content”) ‘I am the lust (or Kama) in human beings that is in harmony with Dharma’ (Gita 7:11) Classical Hindu thought recognises four basic aims of human life, called ‘purusharthas’. These are kama(sexual pleasure and other enjoyment), artha (material prosperity), dharma (duty and harmony) […]
Hindu Perspective 