Vadodara: Guinness World Record recognises mass recital at Mahant Swami Maharaj's 92nd birthday celebrations

IANS | February 2, 2026 9:32 PM

Vadodara, Feb 2 (IANS) A Guinness World Records certificate recognising the largest simultaneous Hindu text recital was presented to Mahant Swami Maharaj on Monday as the 92nd birth anniversary celebrations of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual head culminated in Gujarat's Vadodara, drawing nearly two lakh devotees from across the country.

Dalai Lama wins first Grammy, says recognition of shared universal responsibility

IANS | February 2, 2026 8:56 AM

Dharamsala, Feb 2 (IANS) Globally acclaimed spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, 90, has won his first Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording. The Nobel Peace Laureate competed against Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan, US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, show host Trevor Noah, and actress Kathy Garver.

Pakistan's Sikhs face systematic persecution, targetted abductions: Report

IANS | January 31, 2026 7:28 PM

Islamabad, Jan 31 (IANS) While Pakistan's constitution guarantees equality and protection for religious minorities, the reality reflects "repeated betrayal". For Pakistani minorities, true reform goes beyond rhetoric, requiring independent investigations, prompt enforcement of court orders, accountability for biased officials, and protection against exploitation of blasphemy laws or mob violence, a report said on Saturday.

Pakistan’s Christian minority continues to face persecution amid state inaction: Report

IANS | January 30, 2026 11:13 PM

Islamabad, Jan 30 (IANS) The World Watch List 2026 released by global Christian advocacy group Open Doors has highlighted that the Christians in Pakistan — who constitute just 1.8 per cent of the population — continue to face “systemic discrimination, violence, forced conversions, bonded labour, and gender-based persecution”, amid minimal state protection, a report said on Friday.