I first learned of the tragic shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, while on my way to work. One of my fellow commuters shared whatever scant details were known at that time with the rest of the train car. There were gasps and exclamations, and...

As a general rule, Hindu-Americans love milestones and photo opportunities. When photogenic Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to U.S. Congress, is sworn in to office with her right hand resting on a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, we will get both. But we will also get something...

By a cosmic scheduling quirk, Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey on Monday, coinciding with the first day of Kartik -- a sacred month on the Hindu calendar, packed full of religious observances and holy days.

Kartik is regarded as significant by all Hindus, but is...

Once upon a time, in a past that now seems like ages ago, a goddess named Bharat Mata battled a demon king. The demon, whose own kingdom lay in a faraway island, had enslaved the goddess and her children for many days and nights. Now, the goddess -- draped in...

A popular narrative in the Bhagavata Purana, one of Hinduism's most beloved and venerated wisdom texts, involves a king who meets a forest-dwelling sage. The sage's peaceful demeanor and obvious contentment, even amidst apparent poverty, astound the king. "Who is your guru?" the king asks, eager to know where the...

When I was a child, each year on the night of Diwali before going to bed, our family unlocked and slightly opened all the doors to our home. The reason, I was told, was that so on this night, Lakshmi Devi, the goddess of fortune, could freely enter...

I woke up last week to my radio alarm clock blaring the big news: terrorist mastermind Anwar al-Awlaki, who topped the U.S. government's controversial kill list, had been assassinated in Yemen. For me, the news hit home in a more specific, if not disturbing, way. I knew the man, and...

Sri Ganesh (also spelled Ganesa) is considered the lord of new beginnings. From the homemaker beginning her day, to the business owner commencing his account ledger, to the Bollywood director beginning the first scene of a movie shoot -- they all turn to Ganesh. Hindus of...