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FLUSHING, NEW YORK, September 2011 (by Lavina Melwani): This isn't Kashi or
Prayag but thousands of devotees clog the streets, dancing and chanting as
Ganesha's Ratha Yatra takes place - in Queens, New York. Yes, this
pilgrimage spot happens to be in Flushing, Queens, and Hindu-Americans came
to celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi from as far as California, Florida, Texas,
Atlanta - and even India!
Ganesha Chaturthi is the 9 day Hindu festival celebrating the birth of this
joyful deity and is one of the most colorful national festivals of India.
In India, after rituals, chanting and prayers, thousands of clay images of
Ganesha are taken out in joyous processions in the streets before being
immersed in the ocean in a rite called Visarjna. The festival is especially
big in Maharashtra, but is now being celebrated in many parts of the Indian
Diaspora.
Appropriately, the very first Hindu temple to be built in America was the
one dedicated to Ganesha, who is after all, the Lord of New Beginnings. The
Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam, also known as the Hindu Temple
Society of North America, in Flushing, New York is a magnificent temple in
the South Indian tradition. It is here that Ganesh Chaturthi was first
celebrated in America in 1977 and has been a major annual event ever since.
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinaya Chaturthi, is celebrated on the
chaturthi or fourth day after the new moon in the Tamil month of Avani
(August - September.)
It is Lord Ganesha's birthday and everyone is invited to this giant block
party. Over 50,000 lunches are prepared; there are hundreds of pounds of sweets
and hundreds of gallons of rose milk. About 20,000 people turn up over the
course of nine days at this temple. On the 9th day, Lord Ganesh is bathed
and decorated and readied for the ceremony. At 1 p.mHe is taken in the rath
or chariot out into the streets of Flushing, with devotees pulling the
ropes, accompanied by musicians and drummers. Along the route merchants in
the area ply the masses with food, water and drinks, as thousands of
worshipers throng around.
In the evening as the sun sets in Hindu communities around the world,
thousands of clay images of Ganesha are taken in procession to be immersed
in the ocean in countries across the diaspora. Says Dr. Uma Mysorekar,
president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, "When the clay
dissolves in the water, the energy of Ganesha is spread all over, floating
across the oceans to bless the entire universe."
Here, due to environmental concerns, the temple's clay Ganesha cannot be
submerged in a river but is immersed in a plastic swimming pool in the
temple's backyard. Once the clay melts into the water over a period of
several days, this holy water is sprinkled on the lawn.
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Posted on 2011/9/6 16:33:18 (
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www.hinduismtoday.com
KAUAI, HI, USA, September 6, 2011: The October-November-December, 2011,
edition of Hinduism's award-winning spiritual magazine, Hinduism Today,
has been released in digital form and is now available for free on your
desktop. This issue introduces you to our Hindu of the Year. Get ready
for a lesson on Hindu history and for a journey to the Goa your mother
never told you about!
Our feature article goes into Goa, that smallest Indian state,
often thought to be mostly Christian. Turns out, that is just one
stereotype Goa fails to live up to. Delhi correspondent Rajiv Malik
does his magic again, going over the walls and under the radar to
discover what Goa is like today. Turns out, there exists a dramatic and
vibrant Hindu majority there despite a horrific history under the boot
of Muslims and then the Portuguese. Follow Rajiv, and learn.
The Hindu of the Year 2011: He is a monk and a scholar. Perhaps
one of India's most learned Sanskritists. Meet Jagadguru Sri Sri
Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, head of the prestigious Sringiri Peetham in
Karnataka state. We happened to be at his 61st Vardhanti (birthday) in
early April to present the Hinduism Today Renaissance Award, so the
story is rich with that celebration--which culminated with 1,100 Vedic
priests performing a historic fire offering. Though he loves his
monkish life, Swamiji is a world leader and a force within Hinduism.
For those who love the visual, this issue does not disappoint. Our team
has assembled a 20-page photo tour of India's entire history, complete
with fact-filled captions. If you want the overview of the complex,
nearly endless history of the subcontinent, get it here in less than an
hour and impress friends with your background.
One of the most popular pieces we ever did in our 32-year history was a
little pamphlet called "Ten Questions People Ask About
Hinduism." It's gone around the world, into Jewish libraries and
Christian seminaries. It's helped tens of thousands of people answer
the tough questions we get asked every day of our life. Now comes the
sequel, Four More Questions People Ask About Hinduism. The new
answers are here in this issue for you to steal and call your own.
Memorize the short response, study the long explanations, and forever
remain fearless when associates, neighbors and dinner party
troublemakers as you about your religion. Oh, what are the four new
hot-button questions? They explore, in detail: Is yoga a Hindu practice
or not? How do you Hindus look at the other religions? Why do some of
your Hindu Deities seem to have animal bodies? And what is this I hear
about cremating the dead instead of burying them?
We love to preach the merits of vegetarianism, as our readers know.
This issue we called upon Pooja Patel to write about trying to be a
veggie in US colleges. Pooja explored the university scene, interviewed
students for their personal trials and successes and wrote a revealing
piece. Oh, did we mention Pooja is fourteen? Check out her budding
journalism skills.
Our publisher, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, is in Trinidad as we
write this, uplifting the Hindus there, and in nearby Guyana. In this
issue's Publisher's Desk, he comes home, to your home, to teach you how
to make it God's home. Right, the traditional shrine room, under some
pressure from our busy lives, turns out to be an essential part of
creating a stable family and a sustainable spiritual practice. He tells
us just how to make it happen.
You are an engineering academic, and your salary is not plush. Would
you bequeath a $7,000,000 fortune to establish a foundation that
supports the study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism? Well,
Professor Mahinder Singh Uberoi did just that. This inspiring article
by Katharine Nanda examines Dr. Uberoi's vision of promoting true
understanding, religious tolerance and open communication among the
diverse perspectives of the world, as well as the legacy that to this
day is alive and active. Being aware of the vast mountains of
misinformation, even at the university level, the Uberoi Foundation is
pushing forward to bring an accurate understanding of these four major
religions.
There's more, of course. A reincarnation cartoon, an opinion piece on
three rules of thumb for visiting a Hindu temple (by Deepa Iyer, also
published in the Huffington Post), as well as a few surprises found in
our quotes and letters. It's all there in the current issue of Hinduism
Today, where you go to stay in touch with Sanatana Dharma. In print and
online. Read it here!
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Posted on 2011/9/6 16:33:12 (
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Bliss is the dance-stage, bliss is the lyric;Bliss are the diverse
instruments,Bliss is the meaning;The supreme felicity of the universe
is bliss,For he who yearns for His dance of bliss
-- Tirumantiram, a sacred mystical treatise by Rishi Tirumular,
verse v. 2725
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Posted on 2011/9/3 15:59:28 (
2031 reads )
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INDIA, July 27, 2011 (by T.R. Ramesh): Tamil Nadu's government claims
to be secular, but it treats Hindu temples and institutions differently
from those of any other religion. The Hindu Religious & Charitable
Endowment Department administers 36,425 temples, 56 mutts, 47 temples
belonging to mutts, 1721 specific endowments and 189 trusts. It claims
to be supervising the "secular aspects" of these
institutions, but it applies this policy to no other religion--only to
Hindu religious institutions.
Only the apathy and ignorance of Hindus have enabled Tamil Nadu's
government--encouraged by Christian missionaries and agencies--to
assume this control.
Around 1840, the then British Government started asking prominent mutts
in Tamil Nadu to look after certain important temples and endowments.
The heads of these mutts were careful to get written documents or
"Muchalikas" from the British Government, which assured them
that they would not take back the temples from the mutts.
The mutts ran these temples ably and efficiently. Funds meant for the
upkeep of temples and conducting of rituals were properly utilized,
thus supporting worship, the primary purpose. But thousands of other
temples were handed over to the respective trustees, with the
government providing little or no superivision.
In 1925, the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1923 (Act I of
1925) was passed by the local Legislature with the object of providing
for better governance and administration of certain Hindu religious
endowments. This Act was amended many times--systematically
consolidating the government's power to take over and administer Hindu
temples--even before Independence. After Independence, the Act was
widely expanded.
Hindus should remember that it is not the duty of a secular government
to manage the affairs of Hindu temples or institutions, particularly
when the same government keeps away from mosques and churches. Hindus
should join together and petition the government and the courts to
bring back outside agencies to audit the HR & CE Dept. Hindus
should take legal action against the government to restore the temples
back to the trustees or to appropriate Hindu associations.
The article at source is much longer and more detailed; click for a
full read. It includes an enlightening section on "What Hindus
Should Do Now" to counter the encroachment of the government in
religious affairs.
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Posted on 2011/9/3 15:59:22 (
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INDIA, August 12, 2011 (BBC): Based on fears of law-and-order problems,
a new movie addressing the controversial issue of education quotas for
low-caste people has been banned--at least temporarily--in Uttar
Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra, despite being passed by India's Censor
Board.
Critics say the film Aarakshan (Reservation) uses objectionable terms
to describe low-caste Hindus. In addition, some Dalit groups have
objected to the casting of actor Saif Ali Khan, a Muslim royal, as a
low-caste Hindu.
Director Prakash Jha, who is known for making films on controversial
social issues, defends his film: "In India there are people who
benefit from this policy [of quotas] and there are those who have
missed an opportunity because of the policy. It is almost an
India-versus-India situation; and by showing this in my movie, I am trying
to bridge the gap."
Acting legend Amritabh Bachchan, who stars in the movie, also questions
the ban. "Without any knowledge of what the film contains, without
any desire to determine the trust and the most basic principles of law
of democracy, it has merely strengthened my and many others' fear of
the weakness it conveys of our belief in governance and its
ethics," he wrote.
Under the quota system, seats in colleges and government jobs are
reserved for socially disadvantaged groups. Backers say it helps open
doors into highly-rated educational institutions to people who have
long been denied access, providing equal opportunities to the poorest
and most marginalized in India. But critics of the system say
reservation promotes mediocrity and divides people on the basis of
caste or region.
For additional details on the bans, see Source above.
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Posted on 2011/9/3 15:59:16 (
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USA, August 25, 2011: Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., Professor of Neurology
at Harvard Medical School, explains the benefits of eating a meat-free
diet. His research focuses on Alzheimer's Disease. Watch the short
video of this brilliant professor here
and learn one more reason to go vegetarian.
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Posted on 2011/9/3 15:59:10 (
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UNITED KINGDOM, August 31, 2011: Sales of meat have slowed to a crawl
around the world, thanks in part to the growing number of
'flexitarians' - that murkily-defined group of part-time vegetarians -
and public health warnings outlining the perils of red meat
consumption.
According to an August report from Euromonitor International, meat was
one of the worst performers over the 2005 to 2010 period, with sales
growing less than 14 percent over the six-year period. Only vegetables
fared slightly worse, with a growth rate of 11 percent. The global trend
is a reflection of the growing movement away from meat consumption, the
report pointed out.
Red meat in particular has been getting a bad rap from scientists,
public health authorities and governments around the world. Earlier
this year, a groundbreaking study found a direct link between the
consumption of red meats and processed meats and the increased risk of
colorectal cancer. The findings prompted public health authorities in
the UK to advise cutting meat consumption to 70g a day.
Celebrity-led crusades championing animal welfare and environmental
advocates have also made an impact on the meat market, the report said,
as a growing number of consumers have either adopted a vegetarian diet
or significantly reduced their meat intake - a population of semi-vegetarians
also known as 'flexitarians.'
The report also pointed out that while one percent of US citizens
described themselves as vegetarians in 1971, that percentage grew to
3.4 percent in 2009. India has the largest non meat-eating population
in the world with an estimated 31 percent of that country's largely
Hindu population described as lacto-vegetarians: they consume milk and
honey, but no other animal-derived products. Vegetarianism was also
found to be fairly common in Taiwan, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland,
Italy, Israel and the UK.
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Posted on 2011/9/16 17:14:26 (
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You may turn your bones to fuel, your flesh to meat, letting them roast
and sizzle in the gold-red blaze of severe austerities. But unless your
heart melts in love's sweet ecstacy, you never can possess my Lord
Siva, my treasure-trove.
-- Tirumantiram Verse 272
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Posted on 2011/9/15 17:19:34 (
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, September 06, 2011: (Hindustan Times): The
committees appointed by the Supreme Court regarding the Sree Padmanabha
Swamy temple met jointly Tuesday and decided to create a special agency
for valuing the treasures found in the temple vaults, estimated to be
worth nearly USD 21.5 billion.
Of the temple's six vaults, five have been opened, based on a petition
filed by a former Indian Police Service (IPS) official. Tuesday's
meeting did not address the matter of whether vault B, which is
believed to contain priceless treasures, should be opened.
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Posted on 2011/9/15 17:19:28 (
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BERLIN, GERMANY, August 30, 2011 (thehindu.com): Before long--if not
already--a baby will be born who will take the global population above
7 billion for the first time. No one is sure; no statistician would be
prepared to say exactly when this event takes place.
The rate of population growth has soared over the course of recorded
history. When Jesus was born, there are thought to have been around 300
million people on earth. The one-billion mark was reached only after
1800. As many as a billion have been added in just the last 11 years.
David Bloom of the Harvard School of Public Health speaks of the
multitude of unpredictable factors in estimating future population
growth: "Among them are infectious diseases, war, scientific
progress, political change and our capacity for global
cooperation."
It is generally assumed that population growth will tail off, with U.N.
predictions for 2050 ranging from 8.0 to 10.5 billion. Assuredly the
proportions will shift among the continents, driven by high birth rates
in Asia and Africa. India (now at 1.2 billion) will soon take the lead
from China (currently at 1.3 billion). Nigeria, Africa's most populous
country today with 162 million, is expected to have almost 750 million
by the middle of the century.
Increasing population creates greater pressure on land, food and energy
resources, already a source of contention between countries. Water wars
are predicted between neighbouring countries. The environmental
organization WWF estimates that with current usage patterns, the
population of 2050 would require the resources of three planets. We
will be forced to change our habits. "In the next 40 years we will
have to produce the same amount of food as over the last 8,000
years," the WWF's Jason Clay believes. He notes that far too much
is still thrown away in the industrialized world.
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Posted on 2011/9/15 17:19:22 (
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August 27, 2011 (Hindu American Foundation via the Huffington Post):
"Every day, my Hindu-ness makes me a better American because...
" This opening sentence presented the essay challenge that the
Hindu American Foundation posed to the next generation of Hindu
Americans. HPI will feature is proud to feature the three excellent
first place winners and applauds the intent and result of HAF's fine
contest, one a day, for the next three days.
Western Fire, Eastern Wood
By Faren Rajkumar
To be a true American is to be patriotic and persevering. A good
American citizen understands the constitution and is aware of and
protects their rights to free speech, press and religion. "If the
freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led,
like sheep to the slaughter," said George Washington. None value
and exert this right more than those who spill their souls onto paper
for the whole world to read.
The words I write are a mere extension of who I am. I am an American. I
am aHindu. I am a writer, and every distinguished writer has a raison
d'etre; a justification for their chosen path, a burning passion that
causes their fingers to itch when they are separated from a pen. There
is a flare of that cause in every word they inscribe, defining them as
an power in their chosen realm. My religious beliefs are the fuel to my
printed fire. Without a religion so pervasive and unwavering, my
presence in the world of journalism would be invisible. Every story and
poem, every news article and review, is underlain by whispers of the
timeless wisdom found between the covers of our holy scriptures. My
pride in and dedication to my way of life instills in me a deep
patriotism no different than the fervor felt by the leaders of this
great nation and has made clear my place in the world, my dharma.
Dharma instills, above all other lessons, that true happiness and one's
moral duty are inseparable. Because I have learned to be strong, from
and for my religion, and have found bliss in doing so, I possess little
hesitation in doing the same for the country that has provided me
endless opportunity and freedom.
Because no man, bird, tree or stone is exempt from divinity, Hinduism
has nurtures a firm sense of respect, humility and understanding.
Often, my generation's constant dissatisfaction with America's state of
affairs, coupled with our desire for rapid change alienates us from
this primal sense of gratitude. We fail to realize that by hastily
declaring ourselves unfaithful to our leaders and unhappy with our
country, we are becoming part of the problem, not the much needed
solution. About one year ago, I witnessed a sharp decline in the
simplest means of political activity among my peers. Standing for the
pledge of allegiance is the smallest, but easiest way to offer support to
our nation, and for those who are not of voting age and cannot do much
more to help this country, I wondered if it was really too much to ask.
I delivered a furious tirade to my peers via the school newspaper,
scolding, "If you do not stand for the pledge of allegiance, you
do not stand for this country. And if you do not stand for the very
soil you live on, then what do you stand for?" I was Krishna,
demanding no less than everything from Arjuna. I was a Hindu demanding
selfless service from those who failed to realize their Dharma, calling
my peers to their simplest of obligations. It is essential that one's
duty is fulfilled without hesitation or expectation; it by this
fundamental Hindu ideal that I live.
The ideals that govern the way I live my everyday exist in beautiful
mutualism. A true American will proudly claim their way of life in the
face of adversity and will not accept an offense without making an
endeavor to correct it. My way of life is so often affronted by
misconceptions and myths, and the perpetrators of these falsehoods have
unknowingly motivated me to do the American thing -- defend my rights.
After years of enduring a wild, savage portrayal of India and my
religion in school, I finally complained. The entire world listened via
an editorial in Hinduism Today. When I witnessed an image of God being
defiled and subjected to the whims of commercialism as a marketing tool
to sell mere hamburgers, I did not look away. I wrote to the CEO of
Burger King, asserting the right to protect my religion. When asked to
identify and research a controversial topic for a term paper, I chose
an issue that resounded loudly within me -- the plague of conversion in
India under the guise of humanitarian aid. When asked to write an
opinions piece on the possibility of vegetarian school lunches, I made
a clear stand in the Sun-Sentinel Teenlink on the right to religious
practices guaranteed to every American student, including
vegetarianism. The instances go on; the influence Hinduism has had on
my role as proud citizen of this nation is clearly steadfast.
The depths of my soul are expressed through my written words, and with
each that I inscribe, I strive to inspire and move, and Hinduism has
created a niche within the scholastic world for me to exert my right to
speak freely. Similar to a force of nature, printed words possess a
power that can shake and move the foundation of any empire and cannot
be stopped by any man or nation; it is by this fundamental American
ideal that I live. I am fearless and strong on paper. I never waver in
my dedication to my spiritual life, and Hinduism gives me reason to be
American. If my fire is of the West, the wood sustaining the flames is
forever imported from the East.
Faren Rajkumar, 17, currently resides in Plantation, Florida and is a
senior at South Plantation High and editor-in-chief of the school
newspaper. She is an avid writer, photographer and journalist,
currently a staff member for the Sun-Sentinel Teenlink and a Cappies
theater critic, and has been published in Hinduism Today. Faren hopes
to freelance and write fiction while pursuing a career in medicine.
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Posted on 2011/9/15 17:19:16 (
1328 reads )
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If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred
days of sorrow.
-- Chinese proverb
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Posted on 2011/9/14 20:09:32 (
1869 reads )
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DENPASAR, BALI, January 29, 2011 (The Jakarta Post): In the Bali
Cultural Agency's office in Denpasar, a team of dedicated experts are
working to repair centuries-old lontar palm leaf manuscripts containing
precious literary assets.
Bali's rich literary tradition includes ancient texts composed in
Sanskrit and the old Javanese language of Kawi. Many are based on the
famous Indian epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. Ranging from the sacred
to the ordinary, they include texts on religion, holy formulae,
rituals, family genealogies, law codes, treatises on medicine (usadha),
arts and architecture, calendars, prose, poems and even magic.
These works were mostly recorded on dried and treated palm leaves,
incised in both sides of the leaf with a sharp knife. The script was
then blackened with soot. The leaves are held and linked together by a
string that passes through the central holes and is knotted at the
outer ends. But over the centuries, many of the lontar have become
damaged by insects and humidity. Once repaired, the manuscripts will be
scanned and uploaded into a digital library accessible to all. The
project is set to upload 3,000 lontar stored in the agency's library
and some from Gedong Kirtya lontar library in Singaraja.
Led by Ron Jenkins, a theater professor at Wesleyan University in the
US, the team includes Balinese scholars I Nyoman Catra and Dewa Made
Dharmawan, both lecturers at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI)
Denpasar, Elizabeth Ridolfo from the Internet Archive Foundation and a
number of staff from the agency. Jenkins has been studying lontar in
order to more fully understand Balinese literature and theater. He and
Catra have written a book, Invisible Mirror, which contains Siwaratri
Kalpa -- a lontar of Siwaratri, the night of God Siva.
Priest Ida Pedanda Ketut Kencana Singarsa has been working hard for
five years to pass on the wisdom of lontar to the younger generation and
to local and international scholars. Every Sunday evening, he recites
lontar scripts containing religious teachings, poems and other subjects
and translates them into Balinese.
"Lontar scripts are rich in philosophy and wisdom, which guide
people to understand good and bad deeds," he explained, adding
that the lessons contained in lontar can help people neutralize
invisible enemies, such as greed, lust and anger, which dwell inside
all humans.
The full article at source includes a photograph of lontar.
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Posted on 2011/9/14 20:09:26 (
1494 reads )
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MUMBAI, INDIA, September 05, 2011 (Mid-Day.com): Pilgrims have endured
a 16-hour wait in line for a glimpse of Ganapati at Lalbaugcha Raja.
Devotees queueing up at Abhudya Nagar in the Navasachi line--for
devotees who seek Ganapati's blessings to obtain specific goals--at
2:00 pm Saturday received their glimpse of Ganesha only at 6:00 am
Sunday.
The authorities had thoughtfully lined the queue with chairs, since the
line failed to move for hours at a stretch. Devotees did what they
could to help one another. For awhile, a group of college students
entertained the other devotees with songs and dances. Devotees who had
brought tea shared it with others. Sometime after 7:30 pm, in the
twelfth row, volunteers served a welcome snack of poha; and at 2:30 am
Sunday, separated from the pandal by only ten more divisions and a
bridge, devotees found clean toilets.
Children in the queue became exhausted and wept copiously. A class III
student, Aditya Pai, persevered: "I came here to see Lord
Ganapati, and I won't sleep a wink until I see him. I am a strong
boy."
At precisely 6 am, the devotees in this part of the queue obtained
their glimpse of Ganapati.
Rajendra Lanjwal, treasurer of the Mandal, later explained, "You
received darshan after the protracted wait because we had shut the VIP
entry. The distance from Kalachowki to the Lord's feet is a good 12
km."
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Posted on 2011/9/14 20:09:21 (
1497 reads )
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Source
May 31, 2011: The HPI staff was captivated by this charming report
linking children's willpower and ability to delay self-gratification
with later success in life. Willpower is a key foundation for sadhana
and yoga, which all Hindus should cultivate in themselves and their
children.
Watch the video here.
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Posted on 2011/9/14 20:09:15 (
1519 reads )
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Religion News Service
WASHINGTON D.C., September 2011: Americans consider religious freedom a
cornerstone of society, but fall short in their tolerance of Muslims,
according to a poll released Tuesday (Sept. 6) that probes Americans'
attitudes toward immigrants and the nation's safety 10 years after
9/11.
The "What It Means to Be American" poll found that a small
majority (53 percent) say the country is safer now than before the 9/11
attacks. Attitudes toward Muslims, however, are far less
straightforward. More than 8 in 10 Americans say that self-proclaimed
Christians who commit violence in the name of Christianity are not
really Christians. By contrast, less than half (48 percent) say that
self-proclaimed Muslims who commit acts of violence in the name of
Islam are not really Muslims.
The biggest differences in perceptions about discrimination emerged
between those who most trust Fox News and those who most trust public
television, with nearly seven in 10 Fox News fans saying that so-called
reverse discrimination is as big a problem as traditional
discrimination, compared to less than one in four public television
viewers.
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Posted on 2011/9/14 20:09:08 (
1416 reads )
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These men who strut about in their finery, having got all their money
grinding the poor wretches, so long as they do not do anything for
these millions, are no better than savages.
-- Swami Vivekananda
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Posted on 2011/9/10 17:33:46 (
2562 reads )
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HPI
KAPAA, HI, USA, September 10, 2011 (HPI): September 11 was the day
Swami Vivekananda gave his opening address to the Chicago Parliament of
Worlds Religions, many years before. In it he mentions violence and
intolerance, and the grief they bring to the human race. A message of
harmony and humanity on this 10th anniversary of the attacks.
WELCOME ADDRESS - Chicago, September 11, 1893.
Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm
and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of
the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name
of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and
millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who,
referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these
men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to
different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a
religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal
acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept
all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has
sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all
nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in
our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern
India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy
temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong
to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant
of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few
lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest
boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings:
"As the different streams having their sources in different paths
which men take through different tendencies, various though they
appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever
held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the
wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me,
through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through
paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its
horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful
earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and
often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations
to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society
would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and
I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of
this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions
with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings
between persons wending their way to the same goal.
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Posted on 2011/9/10 17:33:40 (
1713 reads )
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"There is no intrinsic evil." Satguru Yogaswami
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Posted on 2011/9/9 21:33:41 (
2495 reads )
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CHENNAI, INDIA, September 8, 2011 (Ibnlive): Renowned sculptor and
architect V Ganapathi Sthapati passed away on Tuesday evening. He was
84. The architect, known for his mastery of the Vasthu Shilpa Shastra
and a Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away due to multiple organ
dysfunction at a private hospital in the city.
Sthapati's famous works of architecture and design include the Valluvar
Kottam in Chennai and the 133-feet high statue of Thiruvalluvar off the
coast of Kanyakumari, which he designed to signify the 133 chapters of
the ancient Tamil ethical treatise Thirukkural.
Sthapati is also known for his design and oversight of the construction
of the Tamil University in Thanjavur. His death comes even as work on
the famed Iraivan Temple in Hawaii (at the headquarters of Hinduism
Today magazine), which he designed and directed, moves towards
completion. Sthapati is also remembered to his contributions to the
modern understanding of the Agama Shastras with respect to Shilpa and
Vasthu Shastras. He had served as the principal of the Government
College of Architecture and Sculpture and has been known for pushing
measures to bring academic acceptance to the traditional architectural
codes and disciplines of India. He is survived by wife Dakshnavathi.
Sthapati was born in 1927 to sculptor Vaidyanatha Sthapati and Velammal
in Pillayarpatti, a village near Karaikudi. He hailed from a family of
sculptors. His ancestors built the famous Brihadeeswara Temple in
Thanjavur. He authored many books on the philosophical principles of
Sthapatya Veda and offered practical examples of the rhythm and
creation of rhythm-bound forms that give rise to structures.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi condoled the master builder's demise. "I
offer my condolences to the family of Ganapathi Sthapathi. His death is
a great loss to the world of architecture and sculpture," the
former CM said.
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Posted on 2011/9/9 21:33:36 (
1979 reads )
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USA, September 9, 2011: As of his passing, this is a summary of
Wikipedia's article about Ganapati Sthapati:
Vaidyanatha Ganapati Sthapati (1927-2011) was a Sthapati and head of
the College of Architecture and Sculpture in the Vastu Shastra
tradition ascribed to the sage Mamuni Mayan.
Sthapati was born in 1927 to sculptor Sri Vaidyanatha Sthapati and Smt.
Velammal in Pillayarpatti, a village near Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India.
He was born into a Vishwabrahmin family. His family tradition claims
descent from the architects who created the Brihadeeswara Temple of
Tanjore, TN, India.
Sthapati attended Dr. Alagappa Chettiar College, Karaikudi, and
graduated with a degree in mathematics. After his graduation, he became
a Sthapati at Palani Murugan Temple, Palani, TN, India. He resigned
this post after the death of his father, who had served as principal of
The School of Architecture and Sculpture at Mamallapuram from 1957 to
1960. He succeeded his father as the Principal of the Government
College of Architecture and Sculpture.
From the 1980s, Sthapati campaigned to restore and elevate the status
of traditional Hindu architecture in modern Indian society, by
affiliating courses to the University of Madras and offering degree
courses, bringing about a revival of Vastu Shastra.
After retirement from government service, he established the Vaastu
Vedic Trust and the Vaastu Vedic Research Foundation, aimed at
research, development, and globalization of Vaastu Shastra. He is also
the head of the professional guild named "V. Ganapati Sthapati
& Associates." Dr. Sthapati initiated the development of The
American University of Mayonic Science and Technology as an authorized
institution to teach this body of knowledge in the western world.
Sthapati served as architect for several buildings and sculptures,
foremost among them:
- Sculpture of Tamil poet and saint
Thiruvalluvar--Thiruvalluvar Statue at the southern tip of India
at Kanyakumari, TN, India
- Design and Construction of University buildings
including the Administrative block and library for Tamil
University in Tanjore.
- Design and Construction of Valluvar Kottam in
Chennai, TN, India.
- The Rajagopuram of Sri Ramar Temple and Sri
Ganesh Shiva Durga Temple at The
- Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago complex Lemont,
Illinois, USA.
- Sri Murugan Temple, Nadi-Fiji islands.
- The San Marga Iraivan Temple, Kauai, Hawaii.
- Granite sculpture of the Madhavi--heroine of
the Tamil epic Silappathikaram, erected in an Art Gallery in
Poompuhar, Chennai, TN, India.
- Buddha statue in Hussainsagar Lake, Hyderabad.
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Posted on 2011/9/9 21:33:27 (
1979 reads )
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HPI
KAUAI, USA, September 9, 2011: The article "A Birthday Celebration
For Lord Ganesha in New York" by Lavina Melwani, published
yesterday on HPI, had an invalid link..
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