Tag Archives: hinduism Kumbh Melas are among the largest religious gatherings in the world. According to the BBC News, which published pictures of the 2001 Allahabad Kumbh Mela taken from space, that particular mela was “probably the largest human gathering in history”. The more recent mela in Allahabad (Prayagraj) in 2013 attracted an estimated 120 million devotees over […]  It is so easy to fall in love with Bali. Last year, my husband and I visited for a second time: we were only in the country for just over 2 weeks – based in four separate locations – but even allowing for plenty of down-time, we felt like we did and saw so much! […]  Many years ago, my husband and I went to Bali for our honeymoon. On our first day there, we were separated from our money. To say that we were “robbed” puts it much too harshly: we were attracted by friendly, smiling faces into a little blue van that purported to be going our way. I’d […] Rishikesh! For me, that is a name that conjures up the sound of sitars, images of pastel-coloured Hindu Gods, and memories of songs from the Beatles’ post-hallucinogenic phase. Can you believe it? It was 50 years ago, this February-past, that the Beatles followed their guru – their teacher – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to his ashram […]  Rice is absolutely central to Balinese society. In Bahasa Indonesia, the lingua franca in Bali, nasi, the word for rice, also means “meal”. But in Bali, rice is so much more than that: the whole process of growing and harvesting rice is at the very core of the island’s religion and culture. Since around 900 CE, the Balinese have followed […] |
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