Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to adityahridayastotra.com ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your information.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have regarding your information.

By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the website.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our website, you may voluntarily provide:

• Contact form submissions: Your name, email address, topic, and message when you write to us through our contact form
• Email communications: Any information you include when emailing us at contact@adityahridayastotra.com
• Feedback and corrections: Any text-based content you share when reporting issues or suggestions

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically:

• Device information: Browser type, operating system, screen size, and device type (mobile/desktop)
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent, links clicked, scroll depth, and referring website
• IP address: Approximate location derived from your IP (country, region — not exact location)
• Cookies and similar technologies: See the Cookies section below for details
• Language preference: Which language version of the stotra you view

Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not collect financial information, payment details, or credit card numbers
• We do not require account registration or passwords
• We do not collect government IDs, biometric data, or sensitive personal identifiers
• We do not collect information about your religious beliefs, practices, or affiliations

How We Use Information

We use the information collected for the following purposes:

• Operate the website: Display content correctly, maintain functionality, and improve user experience
• Respond to inquiries: Reply to your contact form submissions or emails
• Show relevant advertisements: Display ads (including personalized or interest-based ads where applicable) from our advertising partners
• Analyze usage: Understand which content is most useful so we can improve our offerings
• Detect and prevent abuse: Identify spam, fraud, or malicious activity
• Comply with legal obligations: Respond to lawful requests by authorities or courts
• Send important notices: Notify you of significant changes to our policies (if you have communicated with us by email)

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences and how you interact with content.

Types of Cookies Used

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function (e.g., remembering your language and theme preference). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics). These are anonymous and aggregated.
• Advertising cookies: Used by our advertising partners (such as Google AdSense and other ad networks) to display relevant advertisements. These may track your activity across other websites.
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences (such as dark mode, language, or font size).

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

• Block all cookies (note: some features may not work)
• Delete existing cookies from your browser
• Set your browser to notify you when cookies are being placed
• Use private/incognito browsing mode

For more information, visit your browser's help section: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, or Brave.

Advertising & Ad Networks

Our website displays advertisements to support the costs of providing free devotional content. We work with various advertising partners and ad networks to serve these advertisements.

Google AdSense

We may use Google AdSense, an advertising service provided by Google LLC. Google AdSense uses cookies (such as the DoubleClick DART cookie) to serve ads based on:

• Your previous visits to our website and other websites
• Your general interests and browsing behavior
• Your approximate geographic location
• Demographic information inferred from your activity

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings at google.com/settings/ads, or opt out of third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalized ads at aboutads.info.

Other Advertising Networks

We may also work with other advertising networks and platforms, which may include but are not limited to: Media.net, Ezoic, Mediavine, AdThrive, Amazon Publisher Services, Taboola, Outbrain, PropellerAds, AdSterra, and other reputable advertising service providers.

Each of these networks has its own privacy policy and may use cookies, web beacons, pixels, or similar technologies to:

• Display targeted advertisements based on your interests
• Measure ad performance and effectiveness
• Prevent fraudulent clicks and impressions
• Provide aggregate reporting to advertisers

Direct & Sponsored Advertisements

We may also display direct advertisements, sponsored posts, or promotional content from advertisers who pay us directly. When content is sponsored or contains paid advertising, we will clearly label it as such (e.g., "Sponsored," "Advertisement," or "Ad").

Your Advertising Choices

You have the right to control how advertising works for you:

• Opt out of personalized ads: Visit optout.aboutads.info or youronlinechoices.com
• Use private browsing: Incognito/private mode prevents cookies from persisting
• Install ad-blocking software: Although this may affect our ability to provide free content
• Mobile devices: Adjust ad-tracking settings in your phone's privacy settings

Affiliate Disclosure

Our website may participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission when you click on or make a purchase through certain links on our website.

Affiliate Programs We May Participate In

We may participate in affiliate programs including but not limited to:

• Amazon Associates Program: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated Amazon sites (including Amazon.in)
• Flipkart Affiliate Program and other major e-commerce platforms in India
• Devotional product retailers selling religious books, puja items, malas, idols, and related items
• Publisher and bookseller affiliate programs (such as Gita Press, religious book publishers)
• Other reputable affiliate networks related to spirituality, wellness, and devotional content

How Affiliate Links Work

When you click on an affiliate link on our website and make a purchase, the affiliate network may use cookies to attribute the sale to us. We may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price you pay. The price is the same whether you use our link or not.

Our Commitment

We only recommend products or services we genuinely believe would benefit our visitors. Our editorial content is not influenced by affiliate partnerships — we feature what we consider valuable, regardless of whether commission is available.

Analytics Services

To understand how visitors use our website and to improve our content, we may use third-party analytics services.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect anonymous information about:

• Number of visitors and pages viewed
• Time spent on each page
• Country and city of visitors (approximate)
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• How visitors arrived at our website (referrer)
• What language version of content they prefer

This data is anonymized and aggregated — we cannot identify individual visitors from this data. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Other Analytics Tools

We may also use other analytics or measurement tools that operate similarly, such as Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar, or similar services. These services may also use cookies and similar technologies and are governed by their respective privacy policies.

Third-Party Services

Our website may use the following third-party services that may collect or process information:

• Google Fonts: For loading typography used on our site
• Form processing services: Such as Formspree, for handling our contact form submissions
• Web hosting providers: Hostinger, which stores and serves our website files
• Content delivery networks (CDNs): Such as Cloudflare, for faster page loads
• Embedded content: If we embed YouTube videos, social media posts, or similar content, those services may collect data per their own policies

We carefully select third-party services but have no control over their data practices. We encourage you to review their privacy policies for more information.

Information Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With service providers: Companies that help us operate the website (hosting, analytics, advertising) — bound by their own privacy commitments
• For legal reasons: If required by law, court order, or to protect rights, property, or safety
• To prevent abuse: To detect, prevent, or address fraud, security issues, or technical problems
• With your consent: When you have explicitly authorized sharing for a specific purpose
• Business transfers: In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction
• Aggregated or anonymized data: Statistical data that does not personally identify you

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at contact@adityahridayastotra.com and we will take steps to delete such information.

Your Rights (GDPR/CCPA)

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information under laws such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), or India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act.

Rights You May Have

• Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to restrict processing: Request limitation of how we use your information
• Right to data portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Right to object: Object to processing of your information for certain purposes
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint: With your local data protection authority
• Right to opt out of sale of personal information (CCPA): We do not sell your information, but you have the right to confirm this

How to Exercise These Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please email us at contact@adityahridayastotra.com with your request. We will make reasonable efforts to respond within a timeframe consistent with applicable law (typically within 30 days where required by GDPR, or as soon as reasonably possible in other cases). We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests to protect your information from unauthorized access.

Please note that some requests may be limited by legal requirements or operational realities. For example, we may need to retain certain information for legitimate business purposes, legal compliance, fraud prevention, or to enforce our agreements, even after a deletion request.

Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.

• Contact form submissions and emails: Retained as long as needed to respond and maintain a record of our communications, typically up to 24 months
• Analytics data: Aggregated data retained per Google Analytics defaults (typically 14–26 months); individual session data is anonymized
• Advertising cookies: Retention is controlled by the respective ad network's policies, typically ranging from days to 13 months
• Server logs: Standard web server logs retained for a limited period (typically 30–90 days) for security and operational purposes
• Backup copies: May exist for a longer period before being fully deleted from backup systems

When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymize it (so it can no longer be associated with you) in accordance with our retention practices and applicable law.

Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal feature, which sends a request to websites you visit not to track your online activity. Currently, there is no industry standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals.

At this time, our Website does not respond differently to DNT signals. However, you can still control tracking through:

• Browser cookie settings (block or delete cookies)
• Ad network opt-out tools (such as optout.aboutads.info)
• Private/incognito browsing modes
• Ad-blocking browser extensions
• Mobile device privacy settings

Cookie Consent

By continuing to use our Website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this Privacy Policy. If we display a cookie consent banner or notice on the Website, your choices on that banner will apply.

Users in jurisdictions that require explicit consent for non-essential cookies (such as the European Union and the United Kingdom) may be shown an additional consent prompt before non-essential cookies are placed on their device. You may withdraw consent at any time through your browser settings or by clearing your cookies.

Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we collect, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted to and from our website
• Secure web hosting infrastructure
• Limited access to personal information by authorized individuals only
• Regular review and updates of our security practices

However, please note that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

International Users

Our website is hosted in India and may be accessed by visitors worldwide. By using our website, you consent to the transfer, storage, and processing of your information in India and other countries where our service providers operate.

Different countries have different data protection laws. Some countries may provide a different level of protection than your home country. By using our website, you acknowledge and accept this.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Continued use of the website after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us:

We take your privacy seriously and will respond to all legitimate inquiries promptly. Thank you for taking the time to read our Privacy Policy.