Current affairs, spirituality, heritage & lifestyle.
A quite recent article in Zee News, claimed that researchers had found the exact date of birth of Lord Rama. The article can be faulted in many ways (it is a journalistic, not a scientific article). However the actual date proposed and the method used to arrive at it are indeed worthy of examination. It […]
Click here for explanations of verses 1 & 2 Insight into Verse 3 Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar Jai Kapis tihun lok ujagar Victory to Thee, O Hanuman, Ocean of wisdom and virtue, victory to the Lord of monkeys who is well known in all the three worlds. This is a seemingly simple devotional verse […]
Visit Hindu Perspective’s HANUMAN SECTION (special feature) The Hanuman Chalisa is a prayer that many young Hindus will at least have heard of, if not be familiar with. Chances are that it may be sung in your own home or by somebody that you know. This article explains the background to the Hanuman Chalisa and provides an insight […]
After Shivaji’s death in 1680, the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb thought to himself that the Marathas would henceforth be easy to crush, erroneously thinking that the sustenance of this new Hindu kingdom rested on one able man alone [Shivaji]. Like so many other uprisings in that period, he thought the Maratha movement too would receive its […]
At least 2,800 years ago, circa 800BCE, there existed a giant University at Takshashila (often called Taxila), a town located in the north-western region of India (in today’s Pakistan). According to references in the Ramayana, King Bharata founded the town in the name of his son, Taksha. The site initially began to develop as a […]
Rama Navami is the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. While not as exuberantly celebrated as Diwali (which is centered on the return of Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya after a period of exile), it is still a major festival, celebrated with great devotion by millions. This year, Rama Navami falls on Saturday 20th […]
Veda Vyasa is a legendary Hindu sage, whose very name is synonymous to Hindus with knowledge. According to traditional Hindu accounts, he lived at the end of the Treta Yuga and early Kali Yuga (the date for the beginning of the Kali Yuga is 3102BC). Veda Vyasa is accredited with compiling the Vedas and writing […]
“To an individual, family, nation or even to plants and animals, dharma is ones true place in the cosmic process. The eternal principle of dharma determines the harmonious functions of the cosmic machine. In order that we fulfil our role in the divine play we must carry out our dharma. That is, we ought to do the right thing, at […]
Although not born a Hindu, David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) is one of the foremost Hindu scholars of our time. As well as being one of the foremost western teachers of several branches of Hindu wisdom, he is recognised by a number of Hindu spiritual lineages / groups in India as a “Vedacharya” and has authored […]
Hindu spirituality in its profound diversity has given rise to many religious sects for all grades of character. These include several ascetic groups that have existed since antiquity. One large and prominent Shaiva sect consists of the ‘warrior ascetics’, or Nagas (the ‘naked’), who have existed since the prehistoric past. Though sadhus in general can be characterized as peace-loving, […]
Out of all the deities in the Hindu pantheon Ganesh, is one of the most popular. He is the ‘Lord of Obstacles’, and ‘Leader of the Celestials’. Each aspect of the image of a Hindu deity contains a meaning or message. Here we use the image of Ganesh to demonstrate this, and relate it to […]
Please sign this petition and help spread it (click here) Sanjay Dutt is one of India’s best and most distinguished actors. However this should in no way influence the way in which he has to face justice for a serious crime he has committed. There cannot be a system in India where the privileged can […]
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 […]
If there’s one man who’s remembered as a Western hero par-excellence, surely it’s Winston Churchill. He has been promoted not only in Britain but also throughout much of the world as the symbol of resistance against the most hideous war criminals in history, the Nazis. This reputation may be deserved. However there was another side […]
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 […]
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