EXPLAINED: 28 | Vintage Vibes

Elephants are celebrities in India’s Hindu temples – and now the robots are coming

PETA and other nonprofits have donated about 40 robotic elephants, costing about $6,000 each

The Independent UK · Jul 3

Why Cows Are Sacred in India: The Religious, Legal, and Bovine Reality Behind Hindu Veneration

The Law Protects What the Temple HonoursTwenty-nine of India's thirty-six states and union territories have laws that restrict or outright ban cow slaughter. In Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison. In Gujarat, it is a life…

Times Life · Jul 3

Why Silence Is a Spiritual Practice in Hindu Tradition, and What Mauna Actually Demands of You

The word you reach for before you have finished thinkingYou talk before you know what you mean. Most people do. A silence opens in a room and something in you rushes to fill it, not because you have something to say but because the gap itself feels dangerous. Hindu tradition…

Times Life · Jul 3

Hindu Succession Act: When a woman’s property may go to her husband's legal heirs before her own parents

Indian law governing a woman's property after her death without a will prioritizes her husband's heirs over her own parents. This outdated Hindu Succession Act, despite societal shifts where daughters are primary caregivers and financial supporters, leaves natal ties secondary to marital ones. While wills offer a solution, legislative reform…

The Economic Times · Jul 2

Why Hanuman Became Lord Rama's Greatest Devotee? The Hidden Truth

Among all the devotees of Lord Rama, one question has fascinated spiritual seekers for centuries. Lakshman sacrificed everything for Rama. Bharat refused to sit on the throne and ruled only in Rama's name. Their love was pure, unwavering, and beyond imagination. Then why does history remember Hanuman as Lord Rama's…

MyLifeXP · Jul 2

'Like your Hindu wife?' : Row over JD Vance saying his Catholic faith makes him opposed to 'low-wage foreigners'

US Vice President JD Vance has stirred debate with his remarks connecting his Catholic beliefs to his stance against 'low-wage foreigners' in America. His comments, which emphasize integrity in Christian teachings, faced backlash from critics, including those pointing out his Hindu wife, Usha Vance. As discussions unfold in the MAGA…

The Times of India · Jul 1

Why Is Krishna So Closely Associated With Butter?

Among the many images of Lord Krishna, one of the most beloved is that of little Bal Gopal holding a pot of freshly churned butter with a mischievous smile. Stories of Krishna stealing butter have been narrated in homes, temples, and scriptures for centuries. At first glance, these tales seem…

MyLifeXP · Jul 1

The making of Champat Rai: From trusted organiser to Ayodhya’s most controversial figure

In 1990, when L K Advani set out on his Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya, the journey didn’t survive contact with Bihar – Lalu Yadav’s government had him arrested in Samastipur. Into that vacuum stepped Ashok Singhal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s then general secretary, who slipped into Ayodhya and…

Newslaundry · Jul 1

Why Millions Worship an Unfinished Idol of Jagannath

Every year, millions of devotees gather in Puri to witness the magnificent Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. Amid the grandeur of towering chariots and devotional chants, one question continues to fascinate pilgrims and historians alike why does Lord Jagannath's idol remain unfinished? Unlike most Hindu deities, the idols of Jagannath,…

MyLifeXP · Jul 1

'Marriage registration is not enough if...': Gujarat HC says weddings are not merely for 'song and dance'

The Gujarat High Court has declared that Hindu marriages require sacred rituals like 'saptapadi' to be valid, not just registration. A UK-based techie's plea to nullify his marriage was upheld after the woman admitted no ceremonies took place. The court emphasized marriage as a sacred sacrament, urging young couples to…

The Economic Times · Jul 1