After Maha Kumbh, A Look At The Rise Of Religious Tourism
This issue of Outlook looks at the phenomenon of religious tourism in the country in the wake of the Maha Kumbh and the various concerns it raises in an atmosphere charged with Hindu nationalism.
Behind The Rise Of Religious Tourism In India
The obvious global rise in pilgrimage and religious tourism is driven not just the growing religiosity across societies, but also choices made by governments on the kind of infrastructure to develop. This trend has the backing of a market-driven push for commodification of faith and the Right-wing strategy of religion-based mass mobilisation
The Spiritual Disconnect In Today’s Commercialised Pilgrimages
Religious tourism has moved from the spiritual to the transactional
In Bageshwar Baba's Land, A City Built On Religious Tourism
The advent of social media changed life in the sleepy town of Gadha, where a 28-year-old Dhirendra Krishna Garg aka Bageshwar Baba, has amassed an unbelievable following who believe he has supernatural powers
Kumbh And The Phenomenon That Is The Indian Mela
Modern intellectuals are yet to appreciate the specialness of melas
Ayodhya: Then And Now
From a backwater town to a religious tourism hotspot, Ayodhya’s transformation story has positives as well as negatives
In Search of Dwarka That Krishna Built
As the underwater search continues for relics from the mythical Dwarka of Lord Krishna submerged under the Arabian Sea, are ecological threats to the still-inhabited city on the Gujarat shore getting less attention than they deserve?
Char Dham Region Under Stress With Unchecked Tourism, Reckless Development
Pilgrims are being fast-tracked into ‘spiritual tourists’. This places impossible demands on the vulnerable Himalayan region
Bihar Elections: As Sitamarhi Goes To Polls In Phase II, town Awaits Nitish Kumar's 2023 Promise
With Sitamarhi in Bihar included in the central government’s Ramayan Circuit list, Sita’s birthplace may finally get the same stature as Ram’s in Ayodhya
How Hajj Became a Billion-Dollar Industry
What is lost through the glitz that Mecca has acquired is the subtlety of the spiritual experience
Kumbh Mela: How Religion Becomes A Spectacle Of Size And Scale
The new shubh-laabh suits those seeking power as well as profit
Is India’s Foreign Policy Being Subordinated To US Interests? | MarginSpeak
India’s foreign policy initiatives in recent years have shown signs of giving in to pressure from the United States
How Jharkhand Has Turned A Cradle For Hockey
Unconditional love for the sport and systemic support have resulted in Jharkhand turning into a nursery of hockey players, especially for tribal girls
Banu Mushtaq: "I Am The Critical Insider, The Most Dangerous Position To Be"
'Heart Lamp' by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi from Kannada, has won the 2025 International Booker Prize, becoming the first short story collection to be awarded the prize. Mushtaq spoke to Vineetha Mokkil when 'Heart Lamp' was longlisted for the prestigious prize in March.
The Fairy Tale Of The Bengali Tea Stall
All across West Bengal are countless tea stalls where people sit, weaving dreams and fairy tales.