What is Prasada or Hindu Religious Food

Prasāda, prasadam or prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Prasad is cooked in large quantities during major festivals.  Deepavali is one such festival during which Prasad is cooked for thousands of devotees and requires more Pujaris (priests) than other times. Most often Prasada is vegetarian food especially cooked for devotees after praise and thanksgiving to a god. Mahaprasada (also called bhandarā),[1] is the consecrated […]

Yadagirgutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Darshanam

Blessed is Australia and blessed are us, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy is here to bless us all. The Hindu Council of Australia is very happy to be part of this program of bringing the deities of Yadadri  (Yadagirgutta, Telangana)  Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy to Sydney Australia and performing a celestial wedding on Saturday, 11th February […]

Immigration Minister eases pain of Religious Visas

By: Surinder Jain. Hindu Council had approached the immigration minister Mr David Coleman to help solve the problems faced by Hindu temples in obtaining visas for priests and religious workers. The Minister along with Commissioner Ms Lesley Dalton, Community Liaison officers Ms Gillian Craven, Ms Laura Beylerian arranged for Hindu temple representatives to discuss their […]

Exhibition on Vietnam Hindu Cham Brahman Community Opens

An exhibition featuring the 2018 Kate Festival, the most important annual celebration of the ethnic Cham Brahman community, opened in the central province of Ninh Thuan on October 8. On the occasion, Mukha Linga and Po Long Girai statues, along with Nandin, Patil, and Banal sacred bulls, costumes, and musical instruments were introduced to the […]

Mr Sharat Kumar one of the first priests of Sri Mandir passes away

Shri Sharat Kumar Ji passed away last Wednesday. He arrived in Australia in mid 1970s. He had studied at Gurukul in Hardwar, India. He was highly knowledgeable in Gita and other Hindu scriptures. Also he had a deep knowledge of Hindu Samskars and Puja formalities. In late 1970 and 1980s when we did not have […]

Take a Quiz on Hindu Symbols and Icons

Check your knowledge of Hinduism Please enter your email: 1. Hindus apply a Tilak on their foreheads to express their devotion? Yes/No  Yes  No 2. A Hindu can not apply a Tilak to a non-Hindu? Yes/No  Yes  No 3. While a Tilak can be applied at various parts of the body, Bindi must be applied […]

Thailand evolves its own mix of Budhist and Brahmin rituals

The new Brahmins The relevance of mixing Hinduism with Buddhism and folk beliefs in Thai history 12 Oct 2015 at 03:46 WRITER: MELALIN MAHAVONGTRAKUL  A man dressed in white blew into a conch as if it were a horn. Joss sticks were burning. Heads bowed but people’s lips were praying. A screenplay on a golden […]

Hindus chant to ‘purify’ former Nazi concentration camps

PARIS (RNS) — There are few places on earth more haunted by evil than the memorial sites at former Nazi concentration camps. Visitors who tour their headquarters, barracks and ovens are constantly confronted with the memorials’ main lesson — “Never Again!” A new Hindu movement based in Germany has come up with a different approach […]

Meet the Indian housewives studying to become Hindu priests in their ‘second innings’

At 72, Sailja Joshi has found her calling rather late in life. After a lifetime spent caring for others at home, this grandmother wants to join the workforce.  She is studying to become a Hindu priest. Female priests are a relatively new phenomenon in India, and they’re still vastly outnumbered by men. Scholars say that […]