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Entrance to the Arvalem Caves                     Source: Zeepak / CC BY-NC 2.0

The Sacred Yet Mysterious Arvalem Caves in Beautiful Goa

Goa is widely regarded as one of the most idyllic places to visit in all of India, if not Asia. Yet there is far more to this southwestern state than its beautiful beaches. Like the rest of India, it...
Buddhist monk meditation in temple             Source: Sasint / Adobe Stock

The Ancient Temples and Tolerance of Ramateertham Village, India

India is blessed with an abundance of ancient historic and religious sites, but the small village of Ramateertham is unique. Nestled in its hills are sites that are sacred to Buddhists, Jains, and...
Kedarnath temple is the first on the Panch Kedar pilgrimage and is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. Source: Sushant Pandey / Knowledge of India

Atoning for Your Sins in the Himalayas: The Panch Kedar Pilgrimage

India is generally associated with two remarkable features: the vast Himalayan mountain range, which hosts some of the highest peaks in the world, and for being the birthplace of religions. Hinduism...
Deciphering the Deities of Hinduism

Deciphering the Deities of Hinduism

There are no ancient civilizations that have not practiced some kind of religion. When we study the history of the oldest and the earliest civilizations, we do not find exact dates or traces of...
Discoveries made at the Ayodhya excavation site.     Source: Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust

Can Ancient Temples Unearthed in Ayodhya Put Religious Dispute to Bed?

In India , the remnants of ancient temples have been uncovered during construction work on a new religious complex. It is almost certain that they are Hindu temples, and they have already yielded...
Moldavite, green vitreous silica rock found in South Bohemia             Source: KPixMining/ Adobe Stock

The Cintamani Stone - A Truly Powerful Gem or a Humble Philosophy?

The Cintamani Stone, or Chintamani, long sought by treasure hunters, has captured the imagination of man through the ages as tales of this wish-fulfilling jewel have spread around the world. The...
Hindu goddess Saraswati

Saraswati: Hindu Goddess of Wisdom and Protector of the Universe

A deity with as many attributes as arms, Saraswati (or Sarasvati) is the Hindu goddess of aesthetics. These include music, the arts, wisdom and learning. She can be compared, in many ways, to the...
Main: Beautiful Gopuras in the Hindu Jambukeswarar Temple in Trichy (Tiruchirapalli), Tamil Nadu, South India, where the gold coin hoard was found.   Source: little_mouse / Adobe stock.         Inset: Representation of the gold coin hoard found at the temple.           Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme / CC BY 2.0.

Gold Coin Hoard Found Hidden Beneath Famous Hindu Temple

A hoard of coins has been uncovered at a famous temple in southern India . Hundreds of gold coins were unearthed in a pot that could date back over a millennium, to when this area was part of the...
The ruins of the temple sanctuary at Vat Phou, Laos

The Stunning Vat Phou Temple Tells Secrets of Laos' Past

Laos is a country that we know little about, it is only in recent years that the nation has opened to the outside world. But the country has many important archaeological sites, amongst the most...
Representative image of Gautamiputra Satakarni a ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. Source: Pranjal / Adobe Stock.

Gautamiputra Satakarni: Warrior King of the Satavahana Dynasty

In India as in various parts of the world, from the time of the Vedic culture of around 1,500 BC, the royal dynasties have always held the names of their fathers when a new king succeeded to the...
Ayodhya Temple, India. Credit: Denis / Adobe Stock

Court Declares Ayodhya Hindu Land, Offers Muslims Other Space

The Supreme court in India has finally ended perhaps the world’s most controversial property dispute. The judges’ ruled that the holy site of Ayodhya should be given to members of the Hindu religion...
When Kalki the Destroyer Descends: Greed, Corruption, War, Destruction, and the Apocalypse

When Kalki the Destroyer Descends, the Apocalypse Begins

A harbinger of the apocalypse, it is believed that Kalki will bring about the destruction of the world when mankind has completely abandoned religion, “when nothing is known of the techniques of...
The Vedas: Ancient Mystical Texts Offer Charms, Incantations, Mythological Accounts and Formulas for Enlightenment

The Hindu Vedas: Charms, Myths, and Formulas for Enlightenment

The Vedas are the sacred scriptures of Hinduism and are regarded as the oldest religious texts in the world. Thought to have been composed at least 3,500 years ago, the Vedas are a collection of...
Ancient 1,000 year old Shawala Teja Singh Hindu Temple. Source: Junaid Syed / YouTube Screenshot

1,000-Year-Old Temple in Pakistan Reopens After Seven Decades Delighting Minority Hindus

This magnificent ancient Hindu temple in Sialkot, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was built by Sardar Teja Singh and has been closed for worship for 72 years, recently becoming a den of drug addicts...
Cleaned skulls stacked under a tree in the cemetery as per tradition on Skull Island, Trunyan, Bali. Source: dani3315 / Adobe Stock.

The Decomposing Bodies of Skull Island: The Unique Funerary Custom of Trunyan

Trunyan (also spelled as Terunyan) is a village located on the Indonesian island of Bali. This village is known colloquially as the ‘Skull Island’, due to its unique funerary practice , known as...
View of Angkor Wat Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Source: tawatchai1990 / Adobe Stock.

Angkor Wat Archaeological Digs Yield New Clues to its Civilization’s Decline

By Alison Kyra Carter /The Conversation Cambodia’s famous temple of Angkor Wat is one of the world’s largest religious monuments, visited by over 2 million tourists each year. It was built in the...
Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple

Temple of Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar: Colorful Worship in Seychelles Paradise

Seychelles is a tropical paradise famous for its beautiful beaches, clear warm waters, and spectacular scenery. The archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean is best known as a holiday...
Suspects in Ancient India Forced to Chew Rice to Determine Their Guilt.

Ordeal of Rice: Suspects in Ancient India Forced to Chew Rice to Determine Their Guilt

The ordeal of rice is a divine method of proof that was employed in ancient India. This ordeal involves suspects chewing on rice grains and then spitting them out. The condition of the grains is then...
Close-up of a woman's eyes and red bindi.

Bindi: Investigating the True Meaning Behind the Hindu Forehead Dot

A distinct dot is a popular forehead decoration worn mainly in South Asia - especially in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius. It is an old Hindu tradition and is known as a bindi,...
Holi festival painting

Happy Holi: Ancient Legends Behind India's Colorful Celebration

Holi is an ancient Indian spring festival that celebrates love, color, and the triumph of good over evil. Traditionally, this was a major Hindu religious festival in North India, but the fun,...
Hampi’s UNESCO world heritage site being wrecked by vandals.

Vandals in India Cause Irreversible Damage to World Heritage Vishnu Temple

There is nothing sadder to see than heritage sites being damaged by the elements or extreme events such as earthquakes or floods. However, when this damage is because of deliberate vandalism it is...
Shiva lingam temple interior.

What is a Lingam and How Does It Represent Shiva?

The lingam (also spelled as linga) is a sacred object in Hinduism and is a symbol that represents Shiva. The lingam is often found in temples dedicated to Shiva and is the form in which this Hindu...
‘Indian Barbers Saharanpore’ by Edwin Lord Weeks. Scientists have recently found just how diverse both Indian and Jewish genes really are.

Unity in Diversity: Studies Reveal Surprising Stories for the Genes of Ancient Hindus and Jews

New research using ancient DNA is rewriting the genetic history of two ancient peoples; the Hindus and the Jews - and it shows that their two religious civilizations are the result of multiple...
Some of the ancient idols found alongside a riverbank in Kerala, India.

Flood Reveals Ancient Idols Holding Secrets to Early Hinduism and a Long-Lost Civilization

Indian authorities have announced a dramatic discovery on a riverbank in the south-west of the country. Fishermen found some Hindu idols on the banks of the Pamba River in Kerala State and it is...

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