Donate

Varanasi

An Aerial view shows Gyanvapi mosque, left, and Kashiviswanath temple on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India, Dec. 12, 2021.

Hindu claims to Varanasi mosque stoke religious tensions in India

Religion

Temple-mosque disputes have been flooding Indian courts in recent years. The current Gyanvapi mosque dispute stokes fear that violence could once again erupt between Hindus and Muslims over claims to the contested site.

India's Premier Modi in a street celebration

Huge crowds greet India’s Modi in his sacred city seat

Global Politics
People take part in the Holi celebrations in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

This winter, we could all use a little Holi

Culture
Fisherman are silhouetted against the rising sun in the waters of the Ganges river.

Spreading my father’s ashes on the Ganges felt like a link across the globe and across generations

Health
Varanasi, India, at dawn.

Many in India worry that hundreds of millions of voters will be wrong, when they vote for Modi

Global Politics

Polluted waters, deforestation complicate India’s cremation rituals

Environment

India’s ritual of cremation is causing environmental complications. The Ganges River, where many are cremated, is remarkably polluted. And the country is rapidly being deforested as families collect thousands of pounds of wood to use in their funeral pyres.

The World

Global hit

Arts, Culture & Media

The World’s Marco Werman profiles the latest album by the Algerian-born musician, Cheb i Sabbah. Sabbah’s latest CD, “Devotion” is inspired by the rich sounds and rhythms of India.