Richa Karmarkar
Richa Karmarkar is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Richa Karmarkar
New York City celebrates the 10th International Day of Yoga
By Richa Karmarkar — June 21, 2024
NEW YORK (RNS) — In bustling Times Square, hundreds of yoga practitioners gathered to celebrate International Day of Yoga: an initiative from the UN that marks a decade this year.
New Jersey bill allowing standalone crematories could benefit Hindu funeral rituals
By Richa Karmarkar — June 10, 2024
(RNS) — Hindu advocates hope the new bill would better fit the spiritual needs of a community that largely cremates its dead.
New film depicting ‘hero’s journey’ of Swami Vivekananda comes to PBS
By Richa Karmarkar — May 31, 2024
(RNS) — 'America's First Guru' is a 90-minute look at how Swami Vivekananda introduced yoga and Hinduism to the Western world.
California hate crime hotline gives Hindus more evidence of shortfall in FBI reporting
By Richa Karmarkar — May 24, 2024
(RNS) — A new report found that over the past year, crimes of anti-Hindu religious bias in California were more prevalent than ever. For many advocates, this data provides a jumping-off point for increased attention from the federal government to anti-Hindu hatred.
Lawsuit alleges religious coercion through meditation in Chicago Public Schools
By Richa Karmarkar — May 13, 2024
(RNS) — Chicago public high school students allege they were coerced into participating in a Hindu puja ceremony as part of a multiyear study of Transcendental Meditation's ability to reduce crime from University of Chicago's Urban Labs and the David Lynch Foundation.
Schumer announces more security funding for houses of worship after synagogue threats
By Richa Karmarkar — May 6, 2024
(RNS) — According to recent NYPD data, anti-Jewish hate crimes have skyrocketed by 45% this year.
South Asian groups work to break cultural, religious stigmas around domestic violence
By Richa Karmarkar — April 30, 2024
(RNS) — In Sexual Assault Awareness Month, advocates hope to reshape the conversation around intimate partner violence within the diaspora.
An anti-Hindutva teach-in spurs debate about Hindu representation on college campuses
By Richa Karmarkar — April 25, 2024
(RNS) — Hindu student organizations, say advocates, do not always represent the full breadth of thought within the community of young American Hindus.
Hindu Lord Ram road-trips through the United States
By Richa Karmarkar — April 17, 2024
(RNS) — For the first time in North America, an image of Lord Ram is being paraded from temple to temple on a two-month-long road trip, just in time for the deity’s birthday, Ram Navami.
Solar New Year celebrations unite religious groups across the South Asian diaspora
By Richa Karmarkar — April 15, 2024
(RNS) — This week, people of all South Asian backgrounds celebrated the Hindu Solar New Year in their unique, regional ways. But common threads between the holidays, many say, have the power to unite those living in the diaspora.
The worship of Shiva, Hinduism’s ‘inconceivable’ deity, finds a home in the tech sector
By Richa Karmarkar — April 11, 2024
(RNS) — Often cast as the most transcendent sect of Hinduism, Shaivism’s appeal to scientific-minded Hindus is becoming more visible.
The fight against Hindu nationalism in the United States is multifaith, says a newly formed coalition
By Richa Karmarkar — April 5, 2024
(RNS) — A declaration from the newly formed coalition Savera: United Against Supremacy expressed the group's 'acute concern' of Hindu nationalism, which they say now 'finds itself in a deepening alliance with various facets of the American far-right.'
Indian American lawmakers urge DOJ to address ‘alarming’ rise of Hindu temple vandalism
By Richa Karmarkar — April 3, 2024
(RNS) — Hindu advocates say the trend of temple vandalism points to a lack of an adequate response from law enforcement, which they blame on anti-Hindu bias.
In suburban Washington, a new ISKCON temple marks a new beginning for devotees
By Richa Karmarkar — March 25, 2024
POTOMAC, Maryland (RNS) — Growing from a small ashram in the 1970s, the D.C. branch of the movement formerly known as Hare Krishnas opened an 11,000-square-foot house of worship on Saturday (March 23).
Hindu advocate slams General Mills for using beef-based gelatin in Yoplait yogurt
By Richa Karmarkar — March 20, 2024
(RNS) — Hindus commonly abstain from eating beef, believing cows are sacred and revered companions to the gods.
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