Until very recently, it was against the law for women between the ages of 10 and 50 to enter The Sabarimala temple, due to its dedication to the Lord Ayyappa. Followers of the religion believe that this lord is celibate, and so by women of a “fertile age” entering the temple, they are tempting him and disrupting worship. On September 28,… Read more »
A woman in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh is in critical condition after she was set on fire by two men who had allegedly molested her days earlier. She was reportedly on her way to lodge a complaint with the police on Saturday when the attack occurred. The woman is alleged to have been previously turned away by police…. Read more »
A 12-day-old boy has died after he was snatched from his mother and bitten by a monkey in northern India. The infant’s mother was breastfeeding him at their home in the city of Agra when the animal entered the house and grabbed him, the family said. The monkey dropped the badly bitten child on a neighbour’s roof after locals gave… Read more »
India has unveiled the world’s tallest statue, which cost 29.9bn rupees (£330m; $430m) to build. The 182m (600ft) high structure in the western state of Gujarat is a bronze-clad tribute to independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “statue of unity” would serve as a major tourist attraction. But locals say this is as a waste… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s government has agreed to ban the ritual sacrifice of animals and birds at Hindu temples on the island. A government spokesman told the BBC the move was proposed by the Hindu Religious Affairs ministry, and said most moderate Hindu groups support it. Some Hindus sacrifice goats, buffalo calves and chickens at temples as an offering to their deities…. Read more »
A suicide bombing in east Afghanistan has killed at least 68 people, officials say, in one of the deadliest insurgent attacks in recent months. The bomber struck in a crowd of people protesting against a local police chief in Nangarhar province near Pakistan. The death toll from Tuesday’s blast soared overnight. Another 165 people were injured – local hospitals struggled… Read more »