Page 2 - Religion Belief

Ayodhya sees infrastructure push amid stagnant income, tourism numbers

An airport, railway station, connecting highways, roads, water, and power projects are among the initiatives announced ahead of the Ram Mandir temple consecration ceremony on January 22

Ukraine war: Up close and personal

But like the title of his new book, Our Enemies Will Vanish, Trofimov's depiction of an idyllic Kyiv only emphasises the brutal realities of the ensuing war

Ayodhya Ram mandir: History, controversy, inauguration, attendees, and more

The much-awaited Ram mandir' Pran Pratishtha' ceremony is set to take place on January 22. Here is all you need to know about the Ayodhya temple

Holidays, live telecast of Ram Mandir event: Stage set for a Ramayana redo

The excitement around the Ram Mandir consecration is building up and it's spreading across the country - from housing societies, temples to schools

CCPA issues notice to e-com platform Amazon for sale of 'Ram Mandir' prasad

As many as four such products, claiming to be prasad from the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, are up for sale on the platform

Corporate India on overdrive to celebrate Ram Mandir inauguration

Some are offering a part of their profits as donations, telcos are beefing up the number of cellular towers to ensure better connectivity, and there are those distributing jalebis and food platters

Temple fever grips Indians, lifts travel demand and hotel bookings

Spiritual merchandise sales on e-commerce platforms surge ahead of Ram Mandir inauguration

Hinduism: The past in the present

Political discourse on religion has been tainted by extreme views from all sides, both those praising its virtues and those condemning its faults, writes veteran politician Karan Singh in his book

Cong, AAP seek action against Sunburn fest organiser for hurting sentiments

The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have demanded action against the organisers of the Sunburn EDM festival here claiming that they insulted Lord Shiva. While Congress leader Vijay Bhike filed a police complaint at Mapusa on Friday night against the organisers of Sunburn, AAP Goa chief Amit Palekar said the state government should take action against them for hurting Sanatan Dharma. Sunburn EDM, a popular electronic dance music festival, started on December 28 at Vagator in North Goa and will wind up on Saturday, December 30. We saw that Lord Shankar's image was used during the festival. It was flashed on the LED screen when people were drunk and dancing, Palekar told reporters on Friday. The AAP leader said they have demanded from the government that action be taken as the sanctity of our Sanatan Dharma was compromised. The use of our God for the purpose of the EDM festival where alcohol is served is not right. We have called up the director general of police demanding registration

Complaint against Ranbir Kapoor for allegedly hurting religious sentiments

Complaint has been filed by Bombay High Court's advocates Ashish Rai and Pankaj Mishra in which they have demanded to register a case under sections 295A, 298,500 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)

Inter-caste marriages can't be prevented, part of change: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said if a young man and woman like each other and decide to get married, irrespective of their caste or faith, no one can prevent the union. Vijayan said there has always been opposition to such marriages from parents of either side or both families, but that has not stopped such marriages. The CM was responding to reporters' queries in connection with a prominent Islamic scholar on Wednesday 'accusing' the ruling CPI(M) and its youth outfits of promoting inter-caste marriages and mixed culture in the name of secularism. Vijayan said that neither the SFI, the student wing of the CPI(M), nor the DYFI, the Left party's youth outfit, were working as "inter-caste marriage bureaus". "Such changes are happening in the state in accordance with the times and no organisation or the government is doing anything to bring about these changes," he said. "If a young man and woman like each other and decide to get married, no one in the world ca

Secularism does not mean non-religious, but respect to all faiths: EAM

Secularism for India does not mean being non-religious but an equal respect to all faiths, but the appeasement government policies of the past made the biggest religion of the country feel like it had to be self-deprecatory in the name of equality, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. During an interaction entitled How a Billion People See the World' at the Royal Over-Seas League in London on Wednesday evening, Jaishankar was asked if India had changed since the Nehruvian era to become less liberal and more Hindu majoritarian under the BJP-led government. While asserting that India had certainly changed, Jaishankar was categorical that the change did not mean India being less liberal but rather more authentic about expressing its beliefs. Has India changed from the Nehruvian era? Absolutely, because one of the assumptions of that era which very much guided the thinking of the polity and its projection abroad was the way we define secularism in India, said Jaishankar, in

HC seeks Centre, Delhi govt view on PIL to distinguish religion from dharma

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the Centre and city government on a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the authorities to use the proper meaning of the term religion and not use it as a synonym of dharma in official documents. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted time to the governments to respond to the petition by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The petition also sought a direction to include a chapter on "dharma and religion" in syllabus of primary and secondary schools in order to educate the masses and control the religion-based hatred and hate speeches. There is a colonial mindset which is being continued, said the petitioner before the bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. In his petition, the petitioner asserted that dharma is not religion as the former is non-divisive, non-exclusive and transcends narrow boundaries of religion. If we try to define religion then we can say that religion is a tradition

'Best Tourism Village' crown for Bengal's hamlet where opposites mingle

A comparatively new immaculate red-and-white temple stands beside the ruins of a 1000-year-old shrine overtaken by nature. Muslims take active part in Hindu puja rituals. A temple roof is made combining Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu architectural styles. Welcome to Kiriteshwari village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which has recently been selected by the Centre's Ministry of Tourism as the Best Tourism Village of India. The village was named after the Kiriteshwari temple, one of the Shakti peeths'. Legend has it that the upper part of goddess Sati's skull had fallen here. Several other new temples and ruins of older shrines co-exist here. The village, also known as Kiritkona, located around 20 km from district headquarters Berhampur, is a sleepy hamlet with just a little more than 1,200 voters, whose main occupation is farming. The place is a classic example of communal harmony. Here, the temple committee has members from the Muslim community, and they participate actively

No quality education if student is penalised on ground of religion: SC

There cannot be any quality education if a student is sought to be penalised on the ground that he belongs to a particular community, the Supreme Court Monday said, as it pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for shoddy probe in a case where a Muslim schoolboy was allegedly slapped by his classmates on the instruction of his teacher in Muzaffarnagar. Voicing displeasure over the incident, the top court directed the UP government to appoint a senior IPS officer within a week to probe the case. "The teacher asked the students to beat the victim because of his religion. What kind of education is being imparted?" it said. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, while directing that the IPS officer shall file a report in the apex court, asked the state government to conduct counselling of the victim and other students involved in the incident by professional counsellors. "There cannot be any quality education if a student is sought to be penalised on the ground that he belon

Disrespecting Sanatan Dharma against Constitution: Union Minister

Venugopal waded into the Sanatan row, saying that his party believes in 'Sarva Dharma Samabhava' (all religions are equal). "We respect all religions," he had said

A Raja likens Sanatan Dharma to HIV; BJP says reflects oppn's 'Hinduphobia'

"Let any number of Stalins come, they cannot eradicate Sanatan Dharma," Eknath Shinde said, talking to the media in Thane after attending Dahi Handi (Janmashtami) celebrations

Sanatana Dharma against social justice, must be stopped: Udhayanidhi Stalin

Alleging that Sanatana Dharma is against equality and social justice, DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has said it should be eradicated. Likening Sanatana Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoe, he said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. Udhayanidhi referred to Sanatana Dharma as 'Sanatanam' in his address in Tamil at a meet of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association here on Saturday. "What is Sanatanam? The very name is only from Sanskrit. Sanatan is against equality and social justice and nothing else." "What is the meaning of Sanatan? It is eternal, that is, it cannot be changed; no one could pose any question and that is the meaning." Sanatan divided people on the basis of caste, he alleged. The minister said everything should be changed and nothing is perpetual. The Communist movement and DMK were founded to question everything.

Rich or poor, there's a caste element in financial recovery after Covid-19

Religion and region have shaped how families are doing, data shows

Religious leaders can take lead in resolving global issues: Jain leader

Leaders from major world religions and faiths can play a significant role in resolving the major challenges like the Ukraine war currently being faced by humanity and bringing in lasting peace, an eminent Jain religious leader has said and advocated dialogue and diplomacy for resolving disputes. This is the message I am taking to Chicago, Acharya Lokesh Muni told PTI in an interview ahead of the 2023 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago from August 14 to 18. The event is being attended by about 10,000 religious leaders from 80 countries. He is one of the few world leaders who have been invited to speak during the plenary session. Time has come for the world leaders to prepare a roadmap for a peaceful and prosperous society and world, he said. Leaders from major world religions and faiths can play a significant role in resolving the major challenges currently being faced by humanity and bringing in lasting peace at a time of war in Ukraine, he said. Asserting that war, ..