Many people see death as a rite of a passage : a journey to some new place, or a threshold between two kinds of being. Zoroastrians believe that there is a bridge of judgment that each person who...
Throughout the long ages of our collective history, gods and goddesses have been revered, worshiped, and feared . Ancient mythologies from around the world are rife with deities who instilled awe and...
Sacred dance has always been an integral part of Hinduism, intricately woven into rituals and spiritual practices. The Vedas , the holy texts of Hinduism, intermingle performance arts with rituals,...
For thousands of years, people have been describing unexplainable gleaming objects in the sky. Some aerial phenomena like comets, meteor showers, bolides , auroras or even earthquake lightning – all...
In the vast tapestry of India's ancient history, filled with tales of grandeur, mysticism, and unique cultural practices, the village of Shani Shingnapur stands out for an intriguing feature – its...
Never shy about courting controversy, the Hindu nationalist government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has removed references to Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution from some school...
Sometimes archaeological discoveries are made that don’t make much sense or seem out of place. Often these mysteries are solved and have simple explanations. Take for example the Heliodorus pillar in...
The Christian Bible has been the subject of scholarly study for centuries. With a mix of prose and poetry, history and metaphor, deciphering biblical verses can be an arduous endeavor. The story of...
The kings of the Sena Empire, who were part of the Brahmin top-echelon caste in India, originally came from Karnata in southern India before they moved to the Bengali region. The history of the Sena...
This week, security guards at the Taj Mahal, the enormous 17th century white marble mausoleum built in Agra by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan , forbade entry to Ayodhya-based Hindu seer, Jagadguru...
Long before the chemical composition of water was discovered, ancient cultures recognized it as the elixir of life, protected and ruled over by powerful deities . Only in the late 19th century...
Angkor Wat is a fascinating temple complex in northwestern Cambodia, located in what was once the capital of the ancient Khmer Empire which presided over a vast kingdom in Southeast Asia. While...
Kalaripayattu , also known as kalari , believed to be 3,000 years old, is the oldest surviving Indian martial art. It originated in the southern state of Kerala, India. Intertwined with Hindu...
“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...” The concept of a Trinity or triadic nature of the divine has been a part of our psyche for thousands of years, and has appeared in creation...
Why is the Ganges so significant and sacred in Hinduism? Many rivers have nourished humans in our boundless history, and some of the greatest ancient civilizations have been born on the banks of...
The Aghori are followers of a Hindu sect believed to be 1000 years old. These ascetics are often regarded as sadhus (Sanskrit for ‘good/holy man’), and have devoted their entire lives to the...
Rama, one of the principle figures of the Hindu text the Ramayana is revered throughout India and the world. Many historians doubt that Rama was an actual person, however, many Hindus believe he was...
In the last decade or so, controversies and wild speculations have swirled online around Grand Canyon National Park and a newspaper article published by the Arizona Gazette on April, 5 th 1909. The...
Ramayana is an integral part of life for millions of Hindus across the globe. It is one of the two most popular epics written in Sanskrit from ancient India, the other one being Mahabharata...
Islamic culture has left an indelible mark on India’s celebrated architectural heritage. One of the most remarkable examples is the Qutb Minar , also known as the Victory Tower and the tallest...
Chittorgarh Fort is a hill fort located in Chittorgarh (known also as Chittor), a city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. Chittorgarh Fort is said to be the largest fort in Rajasthan , and is...
Located in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, it is widely believed that Ranthambore Fort was constructed during the 10 th century AD. It has also been suggested that the hill fort was actually...
India is home to many amazing archaeological sites and architectural wonders. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park contains the remains of a city and amazing structures from many different cultures...
One of the most distinctive examples of Indian architecture is Rani ki vav, a remarkable stepwell. Astounding subterranean structures were designed to store and supply water to arid parts of India...