Today marks the day of Maha Shivaratri, a night of celebration in praise of Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity that is largely understood to be the aspect of the Divine that oversees the inevitable annihilation or destruction of all things. One of the features of Hinduism I find most remarkable is its frank acknowledgment of…

Oops, he did it again. Conservative mega-mouth Glenn Beck went on a xenophobic rant against those who choose to journey to India for health-care. He analogized Indian doctors to counterfeit Gucci purses, and mocked India for (what he perceived to be) lack of indoor plumbing. But it was his jab at the Ganges (Ganga), one…

What does the new James Cameron film have to do with Hinduism? Quite a lot, hoped many Hindus, anticipating the next Matrix. But would the film denigrate Hinduism’s sacred teachings about the descent of the Divine? At least that was the fear of some community activists, gearing up for protests and boycotts. It turns out…

England’s Prince William spent a cold winter’s night  on the streets of central London last week. Along with others from the homelessness charity Centrepoint (which William is a patron and spokesperson of), the dashing young heir-to-the-throne slept in an old sleeping bag laid out on the city street, and used  cardboard boxes asshelter. Temperatures fell…

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