These brown butter lentils are simply sensational
On dark and gloomy mornings this week, I've been cheered by the fact that Friday is Holi. Also known as the Festival of Colors, the Hindu holiday welcomes spring and emphasizes love, community and the triumph of good over evil. It's famously marked by partygoers throwing brightly hued powder and water, but another defining aspect of the vibrant festivities is an abundance of sweet treats. So even if there are no colorful street parties in your area, you can still celebrate by preparing a batch of Coconut Burfi Truffles from food writer Varu Chilakamarri.
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5 days ago
- Yahoo
An AP reporter explored religion in Utah. She was surprised by what she found
This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night. One of the reasons I loved starting my religion reporting career in Utah is that Utah is full of faith-related surprises. Yes, it's fair to associate the state with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but you can't stop there. Its religious character is complex, and includes vibrant non-Christian faith communities, as well as plenty of religious 'nones.' Deepa Bharath, a reporter with The Associated Press' Global Religion Team, recently put a spotlight on Utah's religious diversity with two stories about interfaith engagement. One was about Latter-day Saints who access physical and spiritual health benefits by practicing yoga and the other was about the Hindu temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, that's breaking down barriers between different faith groups. 'The temple (Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple) is surrounded by Latter-day Saints, and a lot of people going to practice yoga there are LDS,' said Bharath, who is based in Los Angeles. After seeing her stories, I called Bharath to learn more about what she uncovered during her reporting trip and how to lean in to your faith-related curiosity. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Kelsey Dallas: How did you end up on a reporting trip in Utah? Deepa Bharath: Jessie (Wardarski — a visual journalist on AP's Global Religion Team) and I realized we would both be in Salt Lake at the same time for an awards ceremony. We decided we had to do some stories, so I started looking into ideas. I found so many, but Latter-day Saints doing yoga kind of popped out because of my own background. I think I was uniquely positioned to write this story because of my knowledge of yoga and its origins. I started with the LDS people and they led me to the Hindu temple in Spanish Fork. It was really interesting. I didn't quite expect to find that amount of diversity. KD: So your research and trip changed some of your preconceived notions about religion in Utah? DB: Yes, I was surprised. I was surprised that there was this temple in an area that is overwhelmingly LDS and even more surprised at how accepting the community was. The LDS yoga practitioners I met with have deep knowledge of the concepts behind yoga and link it to their religion. And Phil McLemore, who was one of my main interviews, has icons in his house of different Hindu deities. I didn't expect to see that. And there were other types of interfaith engagement going on. Kids in the area visit the temple to volunteer and, in the process of serving, learn about this other culture. KD: How does the Hindu temple in Utah compare to other temples in the U.S.? DB: It's pretty unusual because Hindu temples are usually located where there is a large Hindu community or Indian community. You see them in Los Angeles, New Jersey and several cities in Texas. And this temple also stands out because it's a Hare Krishna Temple. Each temple under the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) is unique because it's run by a different person. KD: What advice do you have for non-journalists who'd like to learn more about the religious communities in their neighborhood or in the places they visit? DB: What I do is, if I see something interesting, a sign or building that's interesting, I just walk in — without trespassing. I just follow my natural curiosity. I've always been drawn to anything that looks cultural or religious. I walk in and ask questions. Ask questions about what catches your eye in your neighborhood. That's a great way to get to know your neighbors. It's a great way to expand your mind and heart. The 5 biggest Supreme Court decisions to watch for this month A Christian baker was sued for not serving a lesbian couple. The Supreme Court may hear her case Why the Justice Department just sued a small Idaho town Can Pope Leo remain a U.S. citizen? Will he? The Supreme Court just rejected a religion case. At least 2 of the justices aren't happy about it I've been reading through lawsuits somewhat regularly for the past decade, but Thursday was the first time I noticed the phrase 'Prayer for relief.' After doing some digging, I learned that this is a common phrase in civil procedures. It refers to the part of a legal complaint where the people filing the lawsuit list the 'damages or remedies' they're seeking, per Cornell's Legal Information Institute. 'Prayer for relief is also called demand for relief,' Cornell's article explained. In the Justice Department's religious freedom lawsuit against Troy, Idaho — a case I covered last week — the prayer for relief section includes requests for a ruling saying that Troy leaders violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, as well as that the church seeking to meet in the town's downtown district should have its request granted. The Trump administration is coming to the defense of schools being pressured to stop using Native American mascots, according to The New York Times. I really loved The New York Times' coverage of the wedding of one of the internet's favorite couples. My friend, Holly Meyer, dove into the world of Sacred Harp singing in her latest story for The Associated Press. Sacred Harp groups bring together people from a variety of religious backgrounds, including people of no faith and people from non-Christian traditions. 'There's no other experience to me that feels as elevating,' one singer told Holly, 'like you're just escaping the world for a little while.' Last week, I stumbled on coverage of a fascinating situation at Harvard: A professor known for her research on honesty and ethical behavior has lost her job — for being dishonest. Also last week, Chris Del Conte, Texas' athletic director, shared a relatable explanation for not wanting Texas football to play a Sunday night game: He said, 'I just said no to Sunday. I gotta go to church.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Veterinarians make disturbing discovery after analyzing elephant's cause of death: 'This is so sad'
An elephant died in Tamil Nadu, India, after scavenging at a trash heap. Veterinarians who tried to save the animal found plastic bags and aluminum foil in its intestines during a necropsy, the Hindu reported. The trash included single-use bags and polythene snack packaging. The elephant, which was 12-15 months pregnant and accompanied by a calf, was seen near Bharathiar University in Coimbatore. After it collapsed, a Forest Department team tried to save it, providing hydrotherapy, fluids, and other treatment for three days. Officials attributed the creature's death to multi-organ failure caused by septicemia. They noted its heart and liver were unhealthy. "This is so sad," one X user said. "Heartbreaking," someone else wrote. "Ban single-use plastic bags. Bring in strict fines for those who break the rules. We also need to run strong public campaigns on how plastic harms animals, marine life, spoils beaches, and affects our health." The improper disposal of plastic and other waste causes the deaths of countless beings every year. It also pollutes the environment and affects humans in a number of ways, as people rely on nature's biodiversity for food as well as stable climate systems. The Asian elephant is one of the largest land mammals in the world. They are highly intelligent, socially adept, and endangered. The three subspecies may number less than 50,000 individuals, as human development for communities, infrastructure, and agriculture limit wildlife habitat around the world. This increases encounters between wild animals and humans, leading to dangerous situations for all involved. The dump where the elephant is thought to have consumed garbage is near a forest, per the Hindu. It was cleared and fenced off, as the news outlet's reporting led to a remediation effort. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. You can take similar steps to protect wildlife and clean up your community. Use less plastic by ditching single-use bags, water bottles, food containers, and more for reusable alternatives. Contact local authorities about illegal dumping, and organize litter pickups by spreading word among family and friends. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Yahoo
'Our love is frowned upon, but we push through': Navigating religion and relationships
It was love at first sight for Adarsh Ramchurn. "I couldn't control it," he says of his flourishing affection for Nav Sangha. But their relationship is "frowned upon" by some in their communities, they say, as Adarsh is Hindu and Nav is Sikh. They've been an item for three years and say they receive hateful comments on social media when posting about their life together. They are also abused because Adarsh, 24, has a darker skin tone than Nav, a form of prejudice known as colourism. India's interfaith couples on edge after new law 'My parents' interracial marriage caused a global scandal' "We push through it," says Nav, 22. "There are also people who are very supportive and that are in similar situations." Data compiled by YouGov in January suggests 45% of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK believe there is a God, or believe there are Gods. The next highest figure, 36%, is for the over-65s. BBC News spoke to Nav and Adarsh as well as a Christian from Married At First Sight (MAFS), a Muslim from The Only Way is Essex (Towie), and a former Jehovah's Witness for the Sex After documentary series. During a discussion between the participants, Nav was asked what the hardest bit about being a Sikh was. "Probably getting the backlash of being with a Hindu," she said. She and Ardash knew their interfaith relationship could be an issue for their parents, so spoke to them early. "I know it's different for every family, there can be difficult dynamics," says Adarsh. "But if you can have the open discussion [about] dating outside of your religion… I'd always say [you should]." Something Adarsh's parents were quick to ask him about was marriage. The couple say, if they were to wed, they would probably do a Sikh and a Hindu ceremony. "If we have kids, I feel like it's important that they learn about both religions and faiths," Nav adds. Adarsh agrees and says he's "looking forward to it". Junaid Ahmed's parents were not as accommodating. His fear of being rejected by them took hold at a young age. Junaid knew being gay contravened the Islamic beliefs he and his family shared. "When I did finally come out [aged 18], I did expect the worst and… [it] did happen," he tells us. "They threw me out; they disowned me." He says he doesn't blame his parents for ostracising him. "I genuinely don't - it's made me the person I am today." Junaid, now aged 26 and a star of Towie, says he often gets abuse online from other Muslims because he is open about his sexual orientation, but "that [has] never changed my relationship with God". He says he is grateful for his religious upbringing and still prays everyday. Like Junaid, Martin Riley - who was brought up a Jehovah's Witness - was also ostracised by his family. However, in his case, it was because a few years ago he was expelled from his religion completely, in a process called disfellowshipping. For Riley, as he is known to his friends, this meant being shunned by other members of his congregation - including close friends and family. His first marriage, which lasted 20 years, had broken down a few months before he was expelled. He was a particularly strong believer and, while dating after he was expelled, he abided by the rule of not having sex before marriage. It was only when Riley began dating the woman who is now his wife, that he began seriously considering whether he wanted to continue adhering to the religion that he'd been part of for 40 years. His wife is not a Jehovah's Witness. "I realised that I did not want to have a future that didn't include her, whether that meant returning to the religion or not." After having sex with her for the first time, which he describes as being, "like in the movies", he recalls: "I was actually surprised by how guiltless I felt about the whole thing." Riley, 48, now considers himself an atheist. Looking back at his expulsion from the religion aged 42, he says: "It was devastating for me, at the time. Now I think it is probably one of the best things to ever happen to me." Unlike Riley, Sacha Jones did not grow up devoutly religious, but was baptised as a Christian last year after finding her faith. She has vowed to remain abstinent until she marries. "I haven't slept with anyone since my baptism," she says. "So I'm fresh in the eyes of the Lord!" Sacha, 30, also says the culture around dating today makes it difficult to form a long-term relationship. Last year she participated in MAFS, but split up with her partner following the show. "It's the absolute trenches out here in the dating world… it's difficult to trust a man anyway, but then to trust someone that doesn't fear God as well?" She says she doesn't miss sex as much as she might do because she isn't dating anyone at the moment. She believes the wait will be worth it - once she's married. "I no longer lack purpose or peace," says Sacha, who isn't the "party animal" she once was. "I'm happier than I've ever been." What the data says about love and marriage in India Young US men are joining Russian churches promising 'absurd levels of manliness' 'I couldn't stop watching': Personal stories of how porn obsession takes over lives
