Explainer I ghtn.in Basant Panchami, also known as Vasant Panchami, is an ancient Indian festival marking the arrival of spring (Vasant Ritu). Celebrated on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Magha (January–February), it has been observed since Vedic times, when seasonal change was closely linked to agriculture, education, and spiritual life. The day is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, wisdom, music, and the arts. According to tradit

Explainer I ghtn.in Every Lohri, voices rise around the fire to sing “ Sundar Mundariye Ho .” Most hear it as tradition. Few pause to ask why this song survived, unchanged, for centuries. Because it was never meant to entertain. It was meant to warn. The song emerged in medieval Punjab, during periods of hindu persecution under Islamic rule, when Hindu girls were frequent targets of abduction, forced conversion, and erasure. Folk memory did what institutions could not, it enc

By Vinay Nalwa While the political confrontation between West Pakistan’s military elite and the democratically elected Awami League defined the immediate trigger of the 1971 crisis, what is often overlooked is how this turmoil simultaneously unleashed unprecedented brutality on the most vulnerable, particularly the Hindu minority of East Pakistan. As the Pakistani army moved to crush Bengali nationalism through Operation Searchlight, Hindus were specifically profiled, and tar

On December 1, 2025, Chinmaya Mission South Africa achieved a historic milestone with the Prana Pratishtha and inauguration of the world’s first dedicated Annapoorna Devi Temple outside the Indian subcontinent. Located in Durban, home to one of the largest Indian-origin communities globally. The temple has received appreciation from both the Indian and South African governments and was recently highlighted by the Hon’ble PM of India, Mr Narendra Modi. More than a spiritual la

On this sacred day of Gita Jayanti, we honour the moment when Bhagwan Śrī Krishna’s eternal wisdom flowed from the battlefield of Kurukshetra, not to glorify war, but to awaken clarity, duty, and inner freedom within humanity. “कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।”Karmanyeva adhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana (Gita 2.47)“You have the right only to your actions, never to the fruits.” In a world drowning in anxiety, competition, noise, and constant comparison, this one shloka shin

Inspired by Rajiv Malhotra’s seminal work Being Different and his vision through the Infinity Foundation, the Banyan Tree Network (BTN)  embodies the spirit of Sanatana Dharma decentralized, diverse, and deeply interconnected. Founded under Malhotra’s guidance, the network serves as a living metaphor for India’s civilizational ethos  where each branch, root, and leaf draws nourishment from a shared soil of dharmic wisdom. The Infinity Foundation, established in 1994, has bee

Diwali is not just a historical or theological subject, but a living, felt experience for millions Diwali, or Deepavali, the “festival of lights,” is a celebration symbolizing India’s civilizational spirit. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Ayodhya to Arunachal, the festival unites diverse regions in one luminous expression of faith, joy, and renewal.The word Deepavali  derives from Sanskrit: dīpa  (lamp) and āvali (row), meaning “a row of lamps.” Yet beyond the glittering l

Global Hindu Temple Network US President Mohinder Gulati's address at the CSO meet of the World Bank -Global Hindu Temple Network (US) President Mohinder Gulati raised the issue of the abduction and forcible conversion of minor Hindu, Christian, and Sikh girls with the Managing Director of the IMF.

By Vinay Nalwa “Mark me, then and then alone you are a Hindu when the very name sends through you a galvanic shock of strength. Then and...

By Vinay Nalwa The cries of a father outside a police station in Sindh capture the tragedy of an entire community:“How can my 14-year-old...

Disclaimer: This newsletter, News from Other Sources – June Edition on Bangladesh, compiles reports from various outlets on the...

By Vinay Nalwa Where would any of us be without someone who showed us how to begin? Not with certificates or lectures, but through the...

Disclaimer: This newsletter, News from Other Sources – May Edition on Bangladesh, compiles reports from various outlets on the...

By Vinay Nalwa Every year, as the monsoon clouds gather over Puri, a coastal city in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, the city's grand...

By Vinay Nalwa In Remembrance — 13 June, Marwari Hindu Massacre On this day in 1971, over 440 Hindus men, women, and children, mostly...

Disclaimer: This newsletter, News from Other Sources – April Edition on Bangladesh, compiles reports from various outlets on the...

Disclaimer This newsletter, News from Other Sources – March Edition on Bangladesh , compiles reports from various outlets on the...

Join Mohinder Gulati (GHTN America), Rajiv Malhotra, and other thought leaders for an evening of talks, tributes, and the launch of key...

by Gaurang Damani @ShriRamTeerth Ayodhya’s King Dasharatha had a daughter named Shanta. She married the accomplished Rishi Rishyashringa....