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February 11th, 2013
04:51 AM ET
36 killed in stampede at Indian rail station near huge Hindu festivalBy Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN A railroad station crush left 36 people dead Sunday among tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims flocking to the banks of the Ganges River for the world's largest religious gathering, authorities reported. The stampede occurred on Sunday evening as floods of pilgrims entering the station in Allahabad, the scene of this year's Kumbh Mela festival, broke through temporary barriers and crowded onto already busy platforms, railway authorities said. FULL STORY Diwali is not only celebrated by Hindus, it is also an occasion for celebration by Jains and Sikhs (pictured). The Sikhs celebrate Diwali to mark the return of the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, who was freed from imprisonment and also managed to release 52 political prisoners at the same time from Gwalior fort by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1619.
November 6th, 2012
05:21 AM ET
Diwali: One festival, many customsBy Naomi Canton, for CNN (CNN) - Diwali is one of the most important Hindu festivals in India - but the colorful customs and meanings associated with it can vary dramatically depending on whether you reside in the countryside or the city. On the streets of densely populated conurbations like Mumbai, Diwali - popularly known as the Festival of Lights - is often a raucous affair, marked by a cacophony of firecrackers on the streets and a flourish of ceremonial gambling in the home. The wealthier urban dwellers splurge on gold, jewelry, clothes and expensive gifts such as electronics, which they buy for themselves and their loved ones. FULL STORY
September 10th, 2012
10:16 AM ET
My Take: The Mother Teresa you don’t know
By David Van Biema, Special to CNN Fifteen years may be less than an instant in celestial time, but here on earth it's a lot of news cycles. Mother Teresa departed this Earth on September 5, 1997. What more can we say about the woman who became synonymous with love for the "poorest of the poor," picking up a Nobel and tweaking the conscience of millions? What do we know about her now that we didn't know then? A lot, it turns out. Here's a quick Blessed Mother Teresa primer, emphasizing the stuff that you probably don’t know, some of which we only learned recently. 1. She was born a rich girl.
December 22nd, 2011
11:09 PM ET
India's ruling party woos Muslim voters with quotaBy Moni Basu (CNN) - India approved quotas for minority groups Thursday in a move that was widely seen as the ruling party's attempt to woo Muslim voters in a key state. The federal cabinet set aside a 4.5% minority quota in jobs and education within an existing 27 percent quota for what are known as Other Backward Classes, traditionally the lowest rungs of the Hindu caste system otherwise known as Dalits. The Indian constitution prohibits privileges based on religion but Thursday's decision would allow economically and socially disadvantaged minorities - Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians - to be included in affirmative action programs. FULL STORY
December 7th, 2011
11:24 AM ET
Islamic phone features 29 Quran translations; points to MeccaBy Moni Basu, CNN The new ENMAC Quran MQ3500 phone, launched last month in India, comes with Islam's holy book translated in 29 languages and a compass that directs users toward Mecca. Muslims bow in the direction of the holy city for prayers five times a day. The $76 phone also features an Islamic calendar, downloaded holy books, a calculator for zakat (donation to charity) and an automatic ring silencer that can be set up for prayer times at mosques.  The Dalai Lama in Washington on Wednesday.
July 6th, 2011
09:30 PM ET
Dalai Lama turns 76 in Washington, will meet with congressional leadersBy Ana Sebescen, for CNN Thousands of well-wishers sang "Happy Birthday" Wednesday to the Dalai Lama, who turned 76 at the beginning of an 11-day visit to the capital on which he will meet with top congressional leaders. So far, the White House has remained silent on a potential meeting between the Tibetan spiritual leader and President Obama House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has invited the Dalai Lama to the Capitol on Thursday to meet with congressional leaders, his office announced Wednesday. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will be among those attending. Obama met with the Dalai Lama in Washington in February 2010, triggering a rebuke from China, which considers the Dalai Lama the leader of a separatist movement. "I always say, the best gift to me is to practice compassion," said the Dalai Lama said Wednesday. He urged the crowd to search for happiness within and promote non-violence, compassion and equality around the world.
July 5th, 2011
03:13 PM ET
Hoard of treasure uncovered in Indian templeBy Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN New Delhi (CNN) - Jet-setting spiritual gurus. Gilded temples. Sprawling ashrams. Tons of offerings. India's religious wealth belies the nation's dire poverty. An inventory under way of a hoard of jewels, gold, diamonds, gems, antique idols stashed for hundreds of years in a centuries-old Hindu shrine in southern India is generating comparisons with the economic costs of the country's mega programs and foreign investment plans running into billions of dollars. Under orders of India's Supreme Court, officials since last week have been auditing precious royal offerings kept in underground vaults of the famed Sree Padmnabha Swamy temple in the coastal state of Kerala. Read the full story about the new focus on India's religious wealth
May 31st, 2011
09:30 AM ET
Dalai Lama gives up political role, remains Tibetan spiritual leaderBy Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN New Delhi (CNN) - The Dalai Lama has formally relinquished his political and administrative powers, a spokesman said Tuesday. The Tibetan spiritual leader approved amendments to the exiled constitution to enable him to devolve his political responsibilities into the community's elected leadership and judiciary, according to officials. Lobsang Choedak, a spokesman for the exiled Tibetan government, said the changes were carried out during a three-day session of its parliament in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama approved them Sunday. Read the full story about the Dalai Lama relinquishing his political role An Indian child looks at portraits of Spirtual Leader Sri Satya Sai Baba at a shop near Prashanthi Nilayam on April 6.
April 25th, 2011
09:04 AM ET
Indian spiritual guru dies at 85By Harmeet Shah Singh, CNN New Delhi, India (CNN) - Famed Indian spiritual guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba died Sunday of respiratory failure, his doctors said. He was 85. The orange-robed spiritual leader with a puff of dark hair is considered a living god by his followers in India and overseas.  Maulana Showkat Ahmad Shah was entering a mosque in Srinagar Friday when a makeshift bomb exploded
April 8th, 2011
07:42 PM ET
Moderate cleric killed in Kashmir bombingBy Mukhtar Ahmad, CNN Srinagar, India (CNN) - A makeshift bomb exploded Friday at a mosque in the summer capital of India's portion of Kashmir, killing a prominent Muslim cleric who had been a moderate voice in the troubled Indian state. Maulana Showkat Ahmad Shah was entering the mosque in Srinagar to lead Friday prayers when an improvised explosive device detonated, Srinagar district police chief Ashiq Bukhari said. Shah was critically wounded and died later in hospital. One other person was injured in the blast, Bukhari said. Shah had spoken out against violence and condemned the stone-pelting of security forces in protests last year as un-Islamic. He was a close associate of the Yasin Malik, the president of the moderate pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke and Eric Marrapodi with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and author Stephen Prothero.  |
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Editor's note: David Van Biema, the chief religion writer at Time Magazine for ten years, is author of the illustrated biography "
