The Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) is an umbrella body of 83 rationalist, atheist, skeptic, secularist and scientist organisations in India.
Narendra Achyut Dabholkar was an Indian physician, social activist, rationalist and author from Maharashtra, India. In 1989 he founded and became president of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. Triggered by his assassination in 2013, the pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance was promulgated in the state of Maharashtra, four days later. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri for social work.
Sarvadaman D. Banerjee is an Indian film and television actor known for his works in Hindi, Bengali and Telugu language films. He is best known for playing Krishna in Ramanand Sagar's hit television series Krishna (1993). He played the title role in films such as Adi Shankaracharya (1983), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and Swami Vivekananda. In the 1986 film Sirivennela, he played a blind flutist. He has played the role of PKR in the 2022 Telugu film Godfather.
The Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice, other Inhuman and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013 is a criminal law act for the state of Maharashtra, India, originally drafted by anti-superstition activist and the founder of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), Narendra Dabholkar (1945-2013) in 2003. The act criminalises practices related to black magic, human sacrifices, use of magic remedies to cure ailments and other such acts which may exploit people's superstitions.
Chandrashekhar Janrao Deshmukh ; born 9 February 1956) is an Indian farmer, politician, and senior BJP leader.
Vishal Singh is an Indian social worker. His organization serves almost 900 attend to patients at three hospitals daily. In addition to Balrampur Hospital, Singh runs a similar free kitchen at King George's Medical University and at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.
Urmilesh Shankhdhar was an Indian Hindi-language poet, writer and lyricist. He was one of the popular poets of contemporary Hindi literature. He was awarded Yash Bharti, the highest award of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, posthumously in 2007. Shankhdhar was a professor of Hindi department in Nehru Memorial Shivnarayan Das Memorial College, Budaun.
Sahani Upendra Pal Singh was an Indian writer. He was one of the prominent writers in the Nagpuri-language in the modern period. He translated "Ram Charit Manas" in Nagpuri. He wrote around 20 books in nagpuri. He was awarded "Jharkhand Ratna", "Praful Samman", "Seva Ratna" and "BCCL Koyal Bharti Rajbhasha award".
Arvind Singh Bhadoria is an Indian politician and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has served as the Minister of Cooperative and Public Service Management in the Government of Madhya Pradesh since 2 July 2020. He was elected as a Member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly for a second term for the Ater constituency of Bhind district.
Sadguru Riteshwar Ji Maharaj is an Indian spiritual leader, motivational speaker and author.
Dhirendra Krishna Shastri also known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar or Maharaj, is a Hindu Spiritual Guru and the peethadhishwar of the Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, a religious Hindu pilgrimage site in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Shastri recites stories at Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur. Shastri has been accused of tricking people using mentalism.
Muhammad Kaif Raza Khan, is an Indian Islamic scholar, activist and cleric who belongs to the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat Movement. Khan is a descendant of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi. He is the president of Dargah Ustad E Zaman Trust.
Maa Janaki Janmbhoomi Mandir or Punaura Dham is a proposed grand temple of princess Sita in Mithila at her birthplace. The site is located at the Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi district of Bihar in India. The site is considered as the appearance place from where Sita was found closed in a box from a farm field while the King Janaka was ploughing the farm field. Ramayana Research Council has proposed the construction of the world's tallest 251-feet statue of Mother Sita at Sitamarhi. There is a plan to build Janaki Dham in Sitamarhi on the lines of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. A grand campus known as Janaki Dham will be built on 57 acres of land near Punauradham. It is expected that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will laid the foundation stone of the Janaki Dham before upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024. The foundation stone of the Janaki Janmasthali Mandir was laid by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of Bihar on 13 December 2023 at Punauradham in Sitamarhi, the place of manifestation of Goddess Janaki.
Narayan Bareth is an veteran Indian journalist, political analyst and the former State Information Commissioner of Rajasthan. As a journalist, he has been associated with various news groups including BBC, The Asian Age, and The Pioneer. He has served as Professor of Journalism at both the University of Rajasthan's Centre for Mass Communication and Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Parwati Das is an Indian politician. She is currently serving as a member of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from the Bageshwar Assembly constituency. She is the ninth female MLA in the assembly and the fifth MLA of the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Bageshwar constituency. She is the wife of former MLA Chandan Ram Das.
Mandan Bharti Dham is a historically significant site and a residential location associated with the Indian Vedic philosopher Mandana Mishra. It is situated in Mahishi village, within the Saharsa district in the Mithila region of Bihar, India. This site holds great reverence as a Hindu pilgrimage destination. Notably, it was the location where a significant Shastrartha occurred between two eminent Indian scholars, Adi Guru Shankaracharya and Mandana Mishra, within the Sanatana tradition. In this Shastrartha, the wife of Mandana Mishra was chosen as the impartial judge to adjudicate the philosophical discourse. Moreover, this location served as an educational center for the study of the Mimansa Shastra in the Ancient Mithila University. The Mimansa Shastra is one of the six schools of Indian philosophy.
Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was an Indian social activist who was the president of Karni Sena, a right-wing group. He was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jaipur on 5 December 2023. The incident took place in the Shyam Nagar area. The Lawrence Bishnoi Gang claimed responsibility for the murder.
Swaroop Puranik is an Indian film producer and director, best known for his web series Journey of a Queen. He has been honored by the Governor of Maharashtra for his remarkable contributions to the education sector. He is the founder of The International Glamour Project (TIGP).He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. He is a TEDx Speaker. Swaroop Puranik is also an athlete who has won the title of Ironman.
Bageshwar Dham Balaji Temple is a renowned Hindu temple dedicated to Hindu God Hanuman, situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Nestled amidst the serene environs of the region, this temple holds profound religious significance among devotees of Lord Hanuman, also known as Balaji, a revered deity in Hinduism worshiped.
Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj popularly known as Premanand Ji Maharaj is an Indian Hindu spiritual guru, saint, and philosopher. He is a worshipper of Radha Krishna. His Ashram is Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj in Vrindavan. He has gained an iconic social media presence due to his aversion to publicity and refusal to treat his celebrity devotees differently from others.
