Hindus in Gujarat who wish to undergo religious conversion to Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism will need to seek their district magistrates prior approval under provisions of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, the state home department said in a circular on Monday, reported The Indian Express on Thursday.

The circular said that Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism were distinct from the Hindu religion as per the Act. It also claimed that district magistrates were not processing applications for conversion to Buddhism in compliance with the Act.

Representations are being received from applicants and autonomous bodies that for religious conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism, prior permission is not required, read the circular, signed by Deputy Secretary (Home) Vijay Badheka, according to The Indian Express.

Badheka pointed out that some officers were disposing of applications on grounds that under Article 25(2) of the Constitution, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are included within Hinduism and so the applicant is not required to take permission for such conversions.

The circular said that such replies could lead to litigation and clarified that as per the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, the person who is getting another to convert from Hinduism to Buddhism/Sikhism/Jainism will have to take prior permission of the district magistrate in a prescribed format.

District magistrates, on the other hand, were directed to decide on religious conversion applications only after a detailed study of the governing legal provisions, and in step with the state governments instructions.

Gujarat has seen several mass conversion events in recent years where people belonging mostly to Dalit communities have embraced Buddhism, reported The Indian Express.

In October, nearly 400 Hindus converted to Buddhism at an event organised by Gujarat Buddhist Academy in Ahmedabad on Dussehra. In April 2023, nearly 50,000 Dalits and Adivasis had converted to Buddhism to mark the 132nd birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and an anti-caste leader, reported The New Indian Express.

Ramesh Banker, the secretary of the Gujarat Buddhist Academy, welcomed the governments circular, which he cited as evidence of Buddhism being a separate religion that had nothing to do with Hinduism.

We believed from the beginning that Buddhism is not a part of Hinduism and for conversion to Buddhism, prior permission of the district magistrate is mandatory, Banker said. It was our demand [that such a clarification be issued], which has been fulfilled. In our conversion events, we have always followed procedure.

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Hindus need approval before converting to Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, says Gujarat government - Scroll.in

New Delhi: The Gujarat government has issued a circular stating that Buddhism is counted as a separate religion and so anyone converting from Hinduism to Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism needs to get approval from the local district magistrate as defined under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003.

According to The Indian Express, this circular was issued on March 8 by the Gujarat home department after it came to the notice of the government that applications seeking conversion to Buddhism were not being dealt with as per rules.

Every year, the state sees mass conversions by Dalits to Buddhism on festivals like Dussehra.

it has come to notice that in applications seeking permission for conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism, procedure as per rules are not being followed. Moreover, sometimes, representations are being received from applicants and autonomous bodies that for religious conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism, prior permission is not required, the circular stated.

In cases where applications are filed seeking prior permission, concerned offices are disposing such applications while stating that under Article 25(2) of the Constitution, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are included within Hinduism and so the applicant is not required to take permission for (such) religious conversion, it continued.

It is possible that the replies given to applicants in sensitive subject like religious conversion without sufficient study of legal provisions can result in judicial litigations, according to the circular.

A home department official told The Indian Express that this circular had been issued as a clarification. Some district magistrates were wrongly interpreting the Act and its rules while deciding applications of the religious conversion from Hinduism to Budhhism. Also, some district magistrates had sought guidance on the subject. So, we have issued the clarification through this circular, the official said.

Several Buddhist groups organise mass conversions for Dalits inspired by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

Ramesh Banker, the secretary of one such group Gujarat Buddhist Academy, told The Indian Express, This circular has made it clear that Buddhism is a separate religion and it has nothing to do with Hinduism. The confusion was created by (some in the) administration while misinterpreting the law. We believed from the beginning that Buddhism is not a part of Hinduism and for conversion to Buddhism, prior permission of the district magistrate is mandatory in a prescribed format. It was our demand (to issue such a clarification), which has been fulfilled.

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Gujarat Govt Circular 'Clarifies' Hindus Converting to Buddhism Need Prior Permission - The Wire

In a unique initiative aimed at recognising and honouring individuals dedicated to the cause of Hindutva and cultural nationalism, the second edition of the Akshayya Hindu Awards ceremony is set to take place in May 2024. Building upon the success of its inaugural event in 2023, this years ceremony promises to be even more impactful, with increased awards and a broader scope for nominations.

The brainchild of like-minded individuals committed to promoting the values of Hinduism and nationalism, the Akshayya Hindu Awards seek to acknowledge the contributions of grassroots workers across various domains related to Hindutva. Inspired by the vision of action advocated by revered figures such as Samarth Ramdas, the organizers emphasize the importance of tangible efforts in advancing the cause.

Shefali Vaidya hailed the initiative about honouring those who are relentlessly working for the cause of Hindutva and cultural nationalism

Central to the ethos of the Akshayya Hindu Awards is the principle of community participation. Unlike traditional award ceremonies, where nominations often come from select committees or political leaders, the Akshayya Hindu Awards rely on the involvement of the public. This ensures that the recognition is truly representative of the collective efforts of the Hindutva movement.

Google Form Link : https://forms.gle/VDSAf2rpe1C1JTJL7

In line with this ethos, the organisers have outlined three key criteria for the awards. Firstly, nominations must come from the public, reflecting the inclusive nature of Hindutva as a societal endeavour. Secondly, the focus is on honouring ground-level workers who are actively engaged in promoting Hindutva ideals, with a deliberate exclusion of political figures from the nomination process. Finally, the awards are presented under the banner of the Hindu Humanist Indian Nationalist Democratic Union (HHINDU), symbolising the unity and diversity inherent within the community.

The format of the awards draws inspiration from Kodanddhari Shriram, a symbol of valour and righteousness in Hindu mythology. Recipients of the Akshayya Hindu Awards receive a cash prize of ten thousand rupees each, along with a set of books authored by leading proponents of Rashtravadi thought.

The awards are presented across five categories, representing different dimensions of Hindutva activism. These include cow protection, religious awareness, social harmony, social awareness (literature, art, media), and tribal welfare. By recognising individuals working in diverse fields, the Akshayya Hindu Awards highlight the multifaceted nature of the Hindutva movement and its impact on society.

Nominations for the awards are open to the public, with a Google form available for submissions. Interested individuals can either nominate themselves or recommend others for consideration. The deadline for nominations is April 15, with the final selection process overseen by the organising committee.

It was last year, in 2023, that the awards were launched for the first time. A diverse array of activists from various backgrounds and regions who made significant contributions to their communities, driven by a shared commitment to serving God, country, and religion, were recognised for their work.

From Shalutai Kolhes efforts to empower women from scheduled tribes in Gondia district to Swati Shilkars dedication to Gorakshan in Goa, and the courageous work of Dinesh and Sneha Joshi in rescuing Hindu girls from Love Jihad in Nagar, these individuals exemplify the spirit of service and sacrifice. Whether its Kumar Panjalars diligent work or Ashutosh Adonijis insightful statements, each persons experience and contribution are invaluable in advancing the causes they believe in. Their collective efforts reflect a deep-rooted commitment to addressing societal challenges and promoting the values of faith, patriotism, and social justice.

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Akshayya Hindu Award: Call for nominations to honour those dedicated to cause of Hinduism and cultural nationalism - Organiser

The external affairs ministry said it has seen reports of the Taliban Justice Ministry taking steps to restore property to displaced members of the Hindu and Sikh communities and said it is a positive development".

We have seen reports on this issue. If the Taliban Administration has decided to restore property rights to their citizens belonging to Afghan Hindu and Sikh community, we see this as a positive development," the ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The news of restoration of properties of displaced members of the Hindu and Sikh communities was first reported by The Hindu, which cited a senior Taliban official.

The report named the official as Suhail Shaheen, head of the political office of the Taliban.

The report said that Taliban has set up a commission to ensure return of Hindu and Sikh families who have played a historic role in the Afghan economy.

A commission chaired by the Minister of Justice has been established to return to their owners all properties which had been usurped by warlords during the former regime," Shaheen was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Shaheen also drew attention to the return of Narender Singh Khalsa, a former member of the parliament of Afghanistan. The parliament was dissolved following the terrorist groups takeover the nation in 2021 following the withdrawal of the American forces.

Many Sikhs and Hindus left Afghanistan following the takeover of Taliban fearing they will be targeted for their faith and beliefs. But Hindus and Sikhs were also targeted by fighters of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) who soon after US withdrawal positioned itself as a challenger to the Taliban.

In 2022, it launched a series of ferocious attacks on Hindus and Sikhs, targeting a gurdwara on one occasion, forcing the Sikhs living there to bring the last two swaroops of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib from Kabul to New Delhi in January 2023.

The Hindu and Sikh communities, historically present in Afghanistan, make up about 1% of its population. Their displacement began in the late 1970s and 1980s amidst political upheaval and the Soviet occupation. The rise of the Taliban and ongoing conflict led to further exodus, reducing their numbers drastically.

(with inputs from Abhishek Jha)

first published: April 12, 2024, 17:01 IST

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Positive Development: MEA On Reports Of Taliban Restoring Property Rights Of Displaced Hindus, Sikhs - News18

Navratri 2024: Chaitra Navratri reminds that light will always triumph over darkness.

Navratri, meaning "nine nights", is a vibrant festival celebrated with fervour and devotion across India and among Hindu community worldwide. Chaitra Navratri, specifically observed in the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra (March-April), holds significant cultural and spiritual importance. Lasting for nine days, this festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her various forms, representing the triumph of good over evil. The festival will begin on April 9, 2024 (Tuesday) and continue till April 17. Chaitra Navratri also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year in many parts of India, especially in North India.

Chaitra Navratri is considered an auspicious time for spiritual renewal, cleansing and seeking the blessings of the divine. It symbolises the victory of light over darkness, righteousness over wickedness and knowledge over ignorance.

Each day of Navratri is also associated with a specific colour, with devotees wearing attire corresponding to the day's colour as a form of reverence and devotion. The colours vary from region to region but commonly include red, yellow, green, grey, orange, blue, white, pink and purple.

Devotees observe a range of rituals during Chaitra Navratri, including fasting, prayer, meditation and attending elaborate ceremonies at temples dedicated to Goddess Durga. Each day is associated with the worship of a different form of the Goddess, known as Navadurga, symbolising various virtues and aspects of feminine energy.

The forms include Ma Shailputri, Ma Brahmacharini, Ma Chandraghanta, Ma Kushmanda, Ma Skandamata, Ma Katyayani, Ma Kaalratri, Ma Mahagauri and Ma Siddhidatri.

The festival concludes on the ninth day with Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Devotees celebrate this day with special prayers, hymns, and offerings, seeking blessings for prosperity, happiness, and spiritual fulfilment.

Chaitra Navratri is not just a religious festival but also a celebration of unity, harmony and cultural heritage. It brings people from diverse backgrounds together, fostering a sense of community, shared values, and devotion to the divine feminine energy.

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Chaitra Navratri 2024: Significance, Rituals And All You Need To Know - NDTV

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government, which issued a circular earlier this week designating Buddhism as a distinct religion has ruled, under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, that conversions from Hinduism to Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism will now necessitate prior approval from respective district magistrates.

This directive, released by the state home department on April 8, aims to address concerns regarding the handling of conversion applications.

Highlighting discrepancies in the interpretation of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act by district magistrate offices, the circular underscored the necessity of adhering to prescribed procedures for conversion applications. It acknowledged instances where applicants and autonomous bodies contesting the need for prior permission for conversions from Hinduism to Buddhism.

Also Read: Legally Speaking | Are laws that prevent forced conversions really about freedom to practise religion?

The circular warned against potential legal challenges stemming from inadequate understanding of legal provisions surrounding religious conversions. It underscored the need for a thorough examination of the legal framework by district magistrates when evaluating conversion applications.

Weve observed a lapse in adhering to the prescribed procedure for applications seeking permission for Hinduism to Buddhism conversions. Furthermore, weve received feedback from applicants and autonomous bodies suggesting that prior permission is unnecessary for such religious conversions, the notification said.

Emphasising the separate status of Buddhism under the Act, the circular mandated that those facilitating conversions must obtain prior permission from the district magistrate. Additionally, individuals undergoing conversion are required to inform the district magistrate accordingly.

District magistrates are instructed to meticulously review conversion applications in accordance with legal provisions and state government directives. This move seeks to streamline the process and ensure consistency in the handling of religious conversion applications across Gujarat.

Also Read: Chhattisgarhs previous brush with anti-conversion bill

The relevant Act was introduced by the government with the aim of curbing religious conversions achieved through methods such as allurement, coercion, misrepresentation, or any other fraudulent means. In an amendment introduced in 2021, the Act was revised to explicitly prohibit forced religious conversions through marriage.

The Act includes stringent penalties, with offenders facing a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching up to 5 lakh. Notably, the burden of proof rests on the accused, and investigations into such matters are to be conducted by officers holding the rank of deputy superintendent of police or higher. However, the amended Act has faced legal challenges, with its validity currently being contested before the Gujarat High Court.

Get Current Updates on India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live, Election 2024 along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.

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Gujarat govt notice requires Hindus to seek permission for converting to Buddhism - Hindustan Times

New Delhi: India belongs equally to all of its citizens, Hindu or otherwise, more than three-quarters of respondents to a countrywide survey by the Lokniti programme have said.

When asked if they thought India belongs equally to citizens of all religions or if it belongs to Hindus alone, 79% of Loknitis respondents choose the first option, while 11% chose the second. One in ten respondents did not indicate an opinion.

Lokniti found that more respondents between 18 and 25 years of age indicated a pluralist view (81%) than those aged 56 years and above (73%).

College-educated respondents had higher shares of those picking the pluralist option (83%) than respondents who did not go to school (72%).

Fewer Hindus picked the pluralist option (77%) than did Muslims (87%) or respondents of other minority religions (81%), while residents of towns were more likely (85%) than city-dwellers (84%) or those living in villages (76%) to indicate a pluralist view.

Lokniti is a program conducted by the Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. It conducted a pre-election survey between March 28 and April 8 among a total of 10,019 respondents spread across 100 assembly seats in 19 states.

The results of its survey are being published inThe Hindu.

Many think Ayodhya Ram temple will help consolidate Hindu identity

A majority of respondents (48%) also said the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya earlier this year will help consolidate Hindu identity.

One in four respondents (25%) said the temple would not impact Hindus much while 24% did not indicate an opinion.

Among Hindus, Lokniti said upper-class (58%) and upper-caste (59%) respondents were most likely to say the temple will help consolidate Hindu identity.

Overall, most thought the temple will increase harmony between Hindus and Muslims (27%). About one in four (26%) said it will make no difference, while 24% said it will increase differences among the two communities.

Hindu respondents were more likely to think the temple will increase harmony between the two communities, with a majority of 31% saying this.

Muslim respondents, on the other hand, were more likely to think it will increase divisions a majority of 32% picked this option.

Twenty-two percent of Hindu respondents said the temple will increase divisions while 13% of Muslim respondents said it will augment harmony.

We conducted this pre-poll survey more than two months after the consecration of the temple. Yet, the consecration of the temple was etched in the minds of the respondents as a major event, political scientist Suhas Palshikar, who co-directed the survey, said.

He added that the temple issue was undeniably likely to work in the BJPs favour in the general elections.

The temple, which is built on the same place where the Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu nationalists in 1992, was inaugurated in January in Prime Minister Narendra Modis presence.

Proponents of the new temple say Lord Ram was born at the site and that a temple dedicated to him existed there before it was replaced by the mosque.

Religious riots triggered by the mosques demolitionkilled around 2,000 people, mostly Muslim, across India.

In 2019, the Supreme Court handed over the site involved to plaintiffs associated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad.

Views on UCC

The survey also polled respondents views on a uniform civil code (UCC), which is a proposed set of laws that would uniformly govern personal matters across Indias different religious communities.

While a majority of respondents (52%) said they either had no opinion on or hadnt heard of a UCC, 29% said a UCC will empower and enable equality for women while 19% said it might interfere with religious traditions, Lokniti said.

Thirty-one percent of Hindus and 17% of Muslims said a UCC will empower women, while 18% of Hindus and 29% of Muslims said it may interfere with religious traditions.

Also read: Narendra Modi Knows an Actual UCC Will Be an Electoral Disaster for Him

Less enthusiasm for Election Commission

A majority of respondents that shared an opinion were at least somewhat trustful of the Election Commission (58%), but the share of those with the same view just after the 2019 elections has decreased by 20 percentage points.

Those who trusted the body to a great extent (28%) had also declined by 23 percentage points.

The share of respondents that showed not much trust in the commission increased by seven percentage points over the last election (from 7% to 14%) while that of those who did not trust it at all increased by four points (5% to 9%).

Close to half the respondents (47%) said electronic voting machines were at least somewhat likely to be vulnerable to manipulation by the ruling party, while 27% said they were at least somewhat unlikely to be vulnerable to such manipulation.

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear petitions seeking complete verification of the paper trail left by voting machines. Currently, the Election Commission verifies paper trails only in five randomly selected polling booths in each parliamentary constituency.

Originally posted here:

Over Three in Four Indians Endorse Pluralism, New Lokniti Survey Says - The Wire

Updated as of 5:37 p.m. on April 9 to include video of the event.

Elon Universitys Truitt Center celebrated the end of winter and the warmth of spring with the Holi Festival of Colors at Speakers Corner on April 5. Holi represents hope and new beginnings in the Hindu culture. The spring festival includes colored powder or gulal or colored water.

Holi aims to commemorate connection and companionship, as well as bring the community together to acknowledge diverse cultures. The festival also teaches students about India, Hinduism, and traditional stories reflected in the celebration.

University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Kirstin Boswell encourages students to participate in these events, which offer opportunities to learn about diverse cultures. She said the Holi festival educates students about minoritized religions on campus.

We want to represent the diversity that we see within our community, but within the wider world, Boswell said. Then make sure that a full spectrum of diversity is represented because if we only went with celebrating the religious festivals, holidays, and traditions that are most represented on campus, we would be missing a big swath of religious traditions that are minoritized.

Elon students throw powdered paint into the air in front of the Moseley Center on Young Commons to celebrate Holi on April 5.

Boswell said she wants to connect students with the spiritual and ethical practices of other cultures. She said the Truitt Center provides educational opportunities and religious guidance to support students identities.

It's from a perspective of not standing on the outside peering into someone else's religion or tradition in a way that is negative or voyeuristic, Boswell said. But to engender a true appreciation of the identities that we see in the world around us.

Boswell also said the Holi festival symbolizes the reblooming of beautiful colors as an act of love and community, which allows students to understand the significance and perspective of Hindu culture.

We need to have a healthy respect for people regardless of their tradition, regardless of all the various identity markers that they hold within them, Boswell said. Looking outside of just yourself, but how it is that you're treating and embracing others who are different from yourself?

Hillary Zaken is the interim assistant dean of multifaith engagement and said the Holi festival is a great way to have fun and distress from school. The Holi colors include red, yellow, pink, purple, orange, and blue.

Elon University students celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, on April 5. More than 100 Elon students and community members celebrated on Young Commons.

It has a religious and spiritual significance, but it's also a wonderful way to bring the community together, Zaken said. To welcome spring in what I think is one of the most beautiful moments when everyone throws the paint in the air after the countdown and the sky is full of color. I love it.

Zaken collaborated with students to organize the Holi festival including their multifaith interns and Surtal Bollywood Dance Group. She said the multifaith interns are practitioners who help share diverse perspectives and experiences of religions.

Juniors Morgan Williams and Madison Williams are twins who participated in the Holi festival. As multifaith interns, they had an opportunity to research Hindu culture and learn the significance of light over darkness or good over evil.

The planning and celebration has taught me a lot about learning about other people as far as their different values and traditions, Morgan said. But I also realized that a lot of the values are holy with the different colors and what they represent. I can identify with that even though I'm not Hindu.

Morgan said as a multifaith intern, she became a global citizen and learned about humility for other cultures. She said the festival brings awareness to different regions around the world.

More than 100 students, faculty and staff came to Elon Universitys celebration of Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, on April 5 held at Speakers Corner.

Madison said this was her first time participating in the festival so she promoted the event to her peers. She said she hopes that students use this opportunity to educate themselves about Hindu culture.

I hope people understand that this is more than just throwing paint and that they're encouraged to look at the meanings of what each color means, Madison said.

Surtal opened the festival with a lively performance of traditional Indian dances, such as

Bollywood and Kathak. Junior Rece Raju, vice president of Surtal, said this was a great opportunity to share her culture with the community.

Growing up, I didn't celebrate any Indian holidays, Raju said. When I got to Elon and got to be a part of Diwali and Holi, it was a whole other thing for me because I wasn't really in tune with that part of my culture. And so that's why it's so special to me because I get to be a part of something that I didn't even realize was missing.

Raju said the Holi festival is an important holiday open to everyone as a great way to immerse themselves in a different culture.

I hope people get out of this event how special Hinduism is, how special the holidays are, and how many people it brings together from all different cultures and religions, Raju said. We welcome everyone.

Freshman Pearson Dyslin said she enjoyed throwing the colors, watching the dance, and taking photos at the festival. This sparked her interest in exploring Hinduism and participating in future events.

I thought that was a fun experience different from what I would normally be doing, Dyslin said. It's really fun to have colors everywhere. And maybe I'll save my shirt.

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Holi celebration educates students about Hindu culture, spreads awareness for diverse religions - Elon News Network

The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are undertaking initiatives to return private land to Hindu and Sikh minorities, reclaiming these properties from warlords linked to the previous West-backed regime.

This development marks a significant step toward redressing the injustices faced by religious minorities in the country, who have long been displaced and marginalised, said a Taliban official, as reported by Time of India .

Indian officials view this development as a positive gesture towards India. A notable development is the return of Narender Singh Khalsa, a Member of Parliament representing the Hindu and Sikh communities, who recently came back to Afghanistan from Canada.

Also Read: Fall of Kabul- Reporting from a hostile war zone

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told The Hindu, A commission chaired by the Minister of Justice has been established to return to their owners all properties which had been usurped by warlords during the former regime.

Following the Talibans takeover in Afghanistan, a significant number of Sikhs and Hindus fled the country, including Narender Singh Khalsa, who was among the first group evacuated by the Indian Air Force in August 2021.

Also Read: Most UN Security Council members demand Taliban rescind decrees seriously oppressing women and girls

The Hindu and Sikh communities have long been integral parts of Afghanistans demographic landscape, historically constituting around 1 per cent of its population. However, the exodus of these communities commenced in the late 1970s and the 1980s amidst political upheaval and the Soviet invasion that engulfed Afghanistan, The Hindu reported.

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Taliban to restore properties of displaced Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan - The Financial Express

The Angry Hanuman design on a sticker on an autorickshaw in Mumbai (photo via Wikimedia Commons)

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration of the Ram Mandir (temple of Ram) in Ayodhya on January 22, saffron flags dotted streets, marketplaces, and private balconies across the north Indian city. They were attached to bikes, cars, and auto-rickshaws, and forcibly hoisted onto a church by a group of men chanting Hindu nationalist slogans. Featuring an image of the Hindu god Ram standing with a bow and arrow in front of the outline of the temple, the bright-orange flags, a color associated with the Hindutva movement, are a sign of celebration the deitys so-called return to his birthplace. The temple was built on contested land where the 16th-century Babri mosque once stood, before being demolished by a Hindu nationalist mob in 1992. The Ram Mandirs inauguration marked a victory for Hindu nationalists and for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, spearheaded by right-wing politicians in the late 80s, to reclaim Rams birthplace.

When the Ram Janmabhoomi movement picked up, there was this idea that Hindus are victims of historical invaders, and so they needed to have more aggressive, more muscular figures to represent Hinduism, Indian designer and graphic artist Orijit Sen told Hyperallergic. Lord Ram, the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana, was transformed from a serenely smiling god into a warrior wielding a bow and arrow and sporting a six-pack. Other Hindu gods have also changed in appearance, from the battle-ready Hanuman to the impossibly muscular Shiva. The qualities associated with them have morphed as well, from softer virtues of devotion and humility to a fiery morality. While the idol inside the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is of an innocent five-year-old Ram who has returned home, the images on the flags, posters, and banners across the country portray him as a fearsome warrior.

Gone are the curved, graceful figures the Hindu iconography of the 21st century, often in digitally rendered images, conveys a hypermasculine, aggressive new Hinduism to galvanize people into action. And it has become a chilling extension, and tool, of the Hindu right in India.

From the 6th-century rock-cutting in the Ellora caves to the miniature paintings from the 19th century, Hindu gods were portrayed as graceful, rounded, serene figures in art and sculpture. Historian and writer Anirudh Kanisetti explained that during the medieval period, artists often cast them as idealized royals to give kings more authority as lieutenants or partners of the gods. They had lithe bodies, heavily bejeweled and wearing the latest fashions. These renderings also reflected distinct cultural understandings of sex, masculinity, and gender, as in the Bhakti poetry praising the beauty and sensuality of the gods. They are depicted as strong and powerful, Kanisetti told Hyperallergic, but always in a way thats effortless. As though their power emerges from their divinity, rather than from going to the gym.

Raja Ravi Varma, one of Indias first modern artists, incorporated Western realism into his paintings of the gods in the 1890s. Using human models to illustrate deities, his works were mass-produced, and public spaces were soon filled with calendar art of humanistic gods from the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. Religious iconography continued to evolve over the next century within pop culture and Hindu gods were depicted in media from Amar Chithra Katha comics and to the popular 1987 Ramayan TV show.

This evolution can be clearly traced through depictions of Hanuman, a monkey deity. Traditionally portrayed in Pahari paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries as a full-fledged monkey, Hanumans only human elements were a crown and a dhoti (long loincloth). He is devoted to Ram and portrayed as docile and playful, usually shown sitting at the feet of Ram and Sita, his wife.

But the version of Hanuman that is now ubiquitous across India is starkly different. The image dubbed Angry Hanuman shows a dramatically shadowed, frowning face in saffron and black. Created by 25-year-old graphic designer Karan Acharya in 2015, this scowling sketch of Hanuman went viral within a year. It can be found on the windshields of cars and trucks, flags, t-shirts, watches, and even WhatsApp display photos.

The Angry Hanuman seems to signify a muscular, aggressive Hindutva, said Kanisetti. One of the founding myths of Hindutva is that all Hindus were humiliated by Muslim invaders, and that this was because Hinduism wasnt sufficiently aggressive.

Even before the meteoric rise of the Hindu nationalist movement in 2014 following the election of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the move toward a more contemporary version of Hinduism was already underway. The success of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement, the Art of Living organization, and figures such as Sadhguru shows that younger generations were open to more modern portrayals of their religion. Images of a muscular Shiva smoking weed became an icon of a new, chill version of Hinduism, showing up on posters in cafes, on t-shirts, and as a common tattoo choice. Theres this image of Indian nationhood thats being created, Kanisetti said. One that is simultaneously traditional, based on an imagined idea of a single Hindu tradition, and one that is contemporary, based on a recent aesthetic of coolness, and it taps into 21st-century anxieties about masculinity and inferiority compared to the West.

Extremist groups and political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have harnessed the potential of social media to shape religious messaging. Its a successful strategy given the rise of affordable internet and phones in the country, an unemployment crisis, and a fragile democracy in which religious tension is only growing. The imagery that has occupied public spaces in the past few years shows Hindu gods who match the anger and machismo of nationalist groups, frequently led by men. Kanisetti added that they also tap into the insecurities, anger, and fears that some Hindu Indians harbor. On social media, AI-driven retellings of mythological stories offer visuals of a glorious, imagined past, with gods towering over their subjects, muscles rippling and weapons in hand. Commenting on these AI-based visualizations, Kanisetti noted that while they might be unconvincing to many, younger generations might believe in this depiction of Indias glorious past.

There is a kind of imaginary being created to which these figures belong, and its not really an Indian one, Sen added. Its drawing from Hollywood and superhero comics, from Western popular culture. And the reason were seeing it, absolutely without a doubt, is because the Hindu right is creating and pushing it.

Arvind Rajagopal, Media Studies professor at New York University and author of Politics After Television: Hindu Nationalism and the Reshaping of the Public in India (2009), illuminated the transition from an earlier sense of unchanging values into rapidly changing imagery.

There is now a constant revision of how gods are portrayed, throwing aside traditional texts, but always claiming continuity with tradition, Rajagopal told Hyperallergic. And this is something very different. Its meant to terrorize.

Link:

How Hindu Iconography Became an Extension of Right-Wing Nationalism - Hyperallergic