Lauren Frayer

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds an outsize influence on national policy. Its goal: to redefine India according to the Hindu faith.

India wants to grant citizenship to refugees from nearby countries — unless they're Muslim. Critics say making religion a criteria for citizenship violates India's secular character.

Founded in 1925, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, runs scout camps and charities. A profile of the paramilitary group which draws comparisons to Europe's far-right.

Ayurvedic products and treatments based on ancient Indian healing practices are part of a multibillion-dollar industry. A yoga guru with ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has built a retail empire.

A barefoot, bearded yoga guru is behind a booming retail empire in India. Baba Ramdev sells Ayurveda, wellness products based on Hindu healing. It's all the rage amid a wave of Hindu nationalism.

The 16th century Babri mosque's destruction marked a turning point in Indian politics. Thousands, mostly Muslims, died afterward in riots. The prime minister vows to build a Hindu temple on the site.

The picture emerging of the perpetrators of Sunday's attacks that killed more than 350 people is one of relative privilege. The country's defense minister says one bomber had studied in the U.K.

Officials have been altering names to become more Hinducentric. "It is very dangerous for national integrity and unity," says a historian. The changes accelerated ahead of this year's elections.

In 1992, Hindu extremists tore down a 16th century mosque, igniting Hindu-Muslim riots that killed thousands. India's Hindu nationalist ruling party wants a temple to a god built on the ruins.

Here are some key things to know about Sunday's deadly attacks, the group that Sri Lanka blames for perpetrating them — and the country's complicated history.

Sri Lanka is blaming a Muslim militant group for the Easter attacks that left nearly 300 dead and wounded 500 others. The nation has a complex ethnic and religious tapestry and a history of conflict.

Government officials in Sri Lanka say that a little-known Islamist extremist group is responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks that killed almost 300 people. No group has claimed responsibility.

As India's economy has opened and grown robustly, so has Hindu pride. A lifetime after India cast off colonial rule, it's embracing a new identity and its majority Hindu faith is playing a big part.

More than 200 people were killed in a series of attacks on Sri Lankan churches and hotels on Sunday.

At least 130 people have been killed in coordinated bombings in Sri Lanka that targeted luxury hotels and churches, as people gathered for Easter services.

At least 130 people have been killed in coordinated bombings in Sri Lanka that targeted luxury hotels and churches, as people gathered for Easter services.

The country's oldest private airline once boasted the largest fleet in the subcontinent. But it lost altitude in recent years amid fierce competition from regional low-cost carriers.

Many see India's election as a turning point in which the country may seek to redefine itself via Hinduism, its majority faith. Secularism has become "a four-letter word," says one expert.

The world's biggest election is underway in India. Polls opened Thursday, with five weeks of voting. Vendors are cashing in with election-themed fashion, including saris with the prime minister's face.

Polls have opened in 18 Indian states and two union territories. It is the first day of a seven-phase election staggered over more than five weeks in the country of 1.3 billion people.