Hinduism
India Is Upholding Its Beef Ban During the Most Meat-Centric Muslim Holiday
The bovine ban is having a bigger impact on Muslim than on Hindu communities, and is stirring longstanding ethnic tension.
In Photos: India's Holy Men Wash Away Their Sins
VICE News went to Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious gathering, where millions of people gather to wash away their sins. Many of the pilgrims are naga sadhus, Hindu holy men who go naked.
Soul Food: Govardhan Puja
Kiran explores the practices of Hindus and Hare Krishnas, and the mountains of blessed homemade vegetarian Indian food at two concurrent Krishna celebrations in Los Angeles.
Cow Retirement Homes Are Booming in India — Here's Why
Hindu nationalist groups fighting for the protection of India's cows have succeeded in expanding statutes against slaughter, which have increased cattle smuggling as well as the need for cattle shelters.
The Rise and Fall of India's Original Burger King
When international fast-food empire Burger King entered the Indian market last year, an extant mom-and-pop restaurant also known as Burger King was forced to change its name. Now, it's simply known as Burger.
Here's What Religious Experts Have to Say About Faith and GMOs
VICE News speaks with experts on the world's major religions about whether GMOs are permissible under Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, Judaism, and Hinduism.
An Indian State Is Now Keeping Mugshots of the Area’s Cows
The police department of a mid-sized Indian city will soon boast quite a collection of images of handsome bulls and shapely cows. Maybe officers there are trying to start a local offshoot of Tinder for horny cows.
Human Stampede Kills 10 During Hindu Bathing Ritual in Bangladesh
A rumor about a collapsing bridge caused a stampede at an event that draws nearly a million Hindus each year to a holy site on the banks of the Brahmaputra River.
'How Can the Government Say What We Cannot Eat?': Mumbai Muslims Are Stung by Beef Ban
Members of Maharashtra's Muslim minority control its beef trade, and complain that they have increasingly been targeted with threats since the BJP's electoral victory last May.
Meet Priya, a Comic Superhero Fighting the Social Stigma of Rape in India
The storyline of 'Priya's Shakti' defies India's overarching misogynistic and patriarchal views and seeks to redefine attitudes and beliefs toward sexual violence against women.
Will a Comic Help Change India's Attitudes Toward Rape?
Priya's Shatki is a comic about a girl who is raped and then tries to change the world with the help of the gods, flipping Indian patriarchy like a pancake.
Meeting Nepal's Living Goddesses
Rooted in both Buddhist and Hindu tradition, a select few prepubescent girls in Nepal’s Kathmandu region are chosen to become “living goddesses,” or Kumaris, until being replaced before their first menstruation. Critics argue that the tradition robs...