Oil lamps light up hundreds of millions of Indian homes during Diwali, a festival celebrating the victory of good over evil and “finding the light within.” This religious celebration is a public holiday in many countries. There are prayers invoking the Hindu goddesses and stories are told of Hindu gods fighting between good and evil, symbolizing every person's struggle. Families decorate with colorful decorations and lights, and perform ritual prayers. Listen to learn more about this holiday from a family that celebrates this tradition in the United States.
Story Length: 2:39
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August 19, 2020
3:05
A teen in India has become a celebrity after bicycling across the country carrying her dad. Fifteen-year-old Djoti made the trip when she and her father found themselves close to starvation and desperate to return to their home village. Djoti rode roughly 100 miles a day on a bicycle with no gears. Listen to hear the young athlete describe how she felt during the long journey, and learn how sports officials responded to her incredible feat.
Read MoreSeptember 6, 2017
6:32
The Caste systems plays a major role in Indian society. It a system that divides people into categories, giving privileges to higher castes and denying them for lower castes. The family you are born into can determine your job, where you live, and whom you marry. Even after discrimination based on the caste system was banned in the 1950s, it has certainly not been forgotten. One woman born into the untouchable caste, the lowest caste in Indian society, moved to America and became a subway conductor in New York. Listen to her story of discrimination and how the caste system still follows her.
Read MoreNovember 4, 2015
8:01
In northern India, arranged marriages are normal. Some girls are married very young, as young as 10 years old. But they aren’t sent to live with their husbands until they turn 15. One charity started a school for child brides. They offer a deal to rural families: delay married life and get a free education. At the school, girls stay in dorms and attend many classes throughout the day. If they don’t pass a tough test at the end of their schooling, they are sent home to their husbands to be housewives. Listen to this story to hear more about the lives of these young girls in India and how different their lives are from young girls in the United States.
Read MoreFebruary 24, 2010
3:50
Holi, a traditional festival of Spring in India, is celebrated with water balloons, water fights, and of course, tons of different, bright colors. Now, the festivals are large attractions at universities across America.
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