Commentaries & Articles
Practical Patriotism: Remembering Swami Vivekananda on his 157th birth anniversary

In December 1892, Swami Vivekananda was visiting Trivandrum, the capital of the then Princely State of Travancore. This was right before his visit to Kanyakumari, where, during the Christmas of 1892, sitting on “the last bit of Indian rock” ....

The Kural and Ethics

Introduction The Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar, also known as the Kural is a powerful and compact Tamil text from South India which has survived and thrived over 2,000 years. This work of outstanding brevity cons....

Supreme Court’s Verdict on Ramjanmbhoomi and its Impact on Nepal

The recent verdict as given by India’s Supreme Court to allow the construction of Lord Ram’s temple at in Ayodhya has been heartily welcomed by over a billion-plus Hindus in India and other parts of the world, including in Nepal. In Janakpur, the....

From Indraprastha to New Delhi: The Millennial Itihasa of a Capital

sarvanyetani dharmani ksatre bharata sattam, nirashishe jivaloke dharmem vyavasthitaha; majjet trayi dandanitau hatayam sarvem dharma prakseyeyurvi rudadhaha, sarvem dharmashchshramanam hataha syuhu ksatre tyakte rajadharmem purane.....

India and China: Third Millennia of Culture and Commerce

The Prime Minister of India, Sh. Narendra Modi and the President of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, meeting in Mahabalipuram exchanged mechanism for shaping future, unveiling dreams, deepening and strengthening relations, forging partnerships, establishing pe....

Gandhi and Mandela - Timeless Legends

On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and 100th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela, it is significant to look into the lives of these two prominent leaders. In addition, their interaction with people in Africa deserves spe....

Celebrating Gandhi and his Principles

The 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth is an extraordinary moment for our people most of whom did not witness his towering presence, his multi-faceted work, or hear him speak on a variety of diverse issues many of which are still alive. It....

Mongolia’s Buddhist Diplomacy and India’s Union of Religious and Foreign Policy

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), along with Indian, Japanese, and Mongolian partners, hosted its third Samvad (which, in Hindi, means “dialogue”) conference in Ulaanbaatar over last Friday and the weekend. As reported in BDG’s ne....

Third Samvad Conclave Unites Buddhist Leaders Across Asia in Ulaanbaatar

International delegates from Asia and Europe gathered in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar for the third Samvad conference from 6–8 September. Organized jointly by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), Gandan Tegchenling, Ulaanbaatar’s ....

The Radhakrishnan Commission’s Recommendations for the Inclusion of Comparative Religion1

On the occasion of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday on 5 September, let us revisit an almost forgotten contribution of his. The man, whose birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s Day, had also served as the Chairperson of the University Education ....

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