Tag Archives: India

(Click for: Ganga Aarti : Sacred Hindu Chants) It is said that Lord Shiva, one of the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity, created the city of Kashi (Varanasi) with his hands. That is why Varanasi, one of India’s seven holy cities, is said to be the country’s spiritual capital. The holiest parts of this sacred city […]

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I was already in love with India when I made my first visit to Varanasi. That magical northern city exceeded my already-high expectations and left an indelible impression. The spiritual capital of India, Varanasi (Benares, Banaras, Kashi), sits on the left bank of the Ganga (Ganges) in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Dating back […]

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India is in the news at the moment – because of Covid. In spite of the fast-tracking of any vaccines the country can get hold of, a second wave of virus variants is sweeping the country. India now has the second-highest number of Covid cases in the world, and their public and private hospital systems […]

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The crush of humanity heading to and from the Ganges through the streets of Haridwar seems unimaginable now. Haridwar, in Uttarakhand in North India, flanks the holy River Ganges as it flows south and east out of the Western Himalaya. The city has a population of just over 310,000 (2011), but when I was there […]

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“Respect all religions. Practice your own.” So said a Swami visiting Australia many years ago in interview when asked if he wished to attract people to his Hindu faith. Proselytisation is an alien concept in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Sectarianism violence has played – and still plays – a central […]

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