News from Hindu Press International-50

News from Hindu Press International 

Sri Balagangadharanatha Swami: a Visionary Educationist Posted on 2013/1/13 11:06:09 ( 823 reads ) Source BENGALURU, INDIA, January 14, 2013 (Deccan Herald): Balagangadharanatha Swami, pontiff of Adichunchanagiri mutt, was born as Gangadharayya on January 25, 1945, in a Subedar family at Banandur in Bidadi hobli of Ramanagar district. One of the six children of Chikkalingegowda and Boramma, Gangadharayya completed his primary education at his birthplace. After completing SSLC with a first class in 1963, he joined the Government Arts and Science College in Bangalore to pursue science. His spiritual inclination drew him to pontiffs of various mutts during his student life and it prepared him for the role he played well after taking charge of Adichunchanagiri mutt at Nagamangala taluk in Mandya district. He was given diksha by Ramananda Swamy, the then pontiff of Adichunchanagiri mutt, on February 12, 1968 and was renamed as Balagangadharanatha. After he was anointed as the pontiff of the mutt on September 24, 1974, Balagangadhara went to Kailasashrama in Bangalore and Sri Jayachamarajendra Government Sanskrit School for obtaining scholarship in scriptures. The mutt witnessed a revolutionary progress under his leadership with several of his flagship projects in education, religion and social service. Hundreds of thousands of children from rural areas are studying in more than 400 schools and colleges run by the Adichunchanagiri Education Trust. The children of the less privileged are provided with accommodation, food and education, starting from pre- school to MBBS and Engineering. Besides, the students irrespective of their caste and creed, can study Sanskrit and Agama at Kalabhairaveshwara Samskrita Agama Pathashale on the mutt premises at Adichunchanagiri. Being the main pontiff of Vokkaligas, the second most dominant community in the State, Swami enjoyed immense political following. Political leaders, cutting across party lines and especially from the Vokkaliga community, called on him regularly seeking his guidance. Many political leaders would call on him before launching the election campaign or political conventions. With the association of State government and different religious leaders, Balagangadharanath Swami launched "Karnataka Vanasamvardhana Trust," to improve the forest wealth by planting five crore saplings. he mutt volunteers under his guidance took up desilting of water tanks as a part of Jalasamvardhana scheme to increase the storage capacity of tanks and improve ground water level. He also rendered yeoman service in the health sector, opening hospitals that provided free accommodations, treatment and food. Under a health programme, trained healthcare volunteers visit villages every day, educate, guide the patients and bring suffering patients to the hospital, get them treated and send them back to their places. He also introduced mass marriage system to reduce the burden on the economically deprived sections of society. Today, the mutt has its branches spread across the State, including Bangalore, Kumbalagod, Archakarahalli, Mayasandra, Mysore, Mandya, Melkote, Hemagiri, Hassan, Shimoga, Chitradurga, Sringeri, Chikkaballapur, Dasarighatta and Kanakapura. Condolences Offered: "Balagangadharanatha Swamiji's contribution to the fields of religion, education and social service are unparalleled. During the last three decades, he had built hundreds of educational institutions which have been providing quality education from primary to post-graduate level. His contribution to the field of environment through several afforestation programmes and services in reviving folklore and other rural art forms has been immense." Jagadish Shettar, Chief Minister "Balagangadharanatha Swamiji not only built the Adichunchanagiri mutt but also unified the unorganised Vokkaliga community. Through his hard work, dedication and spiritual power, he brought international recognition to the mutt. He never restricted the mutt to any one community. He believed in oneness and helped all sections of society." H. D. Kumaraswamy, JD(S) State President "His yeoman service for the betterment of the community and education sector is unparallelled." Deve Gowda, JD(S) national president "He hailed from a poor family and dedicated himself to the service of the poor and downtrodden. He was totally committed to provide free education and struggled hard over the last four decades for overall development of the State. I used to meet him whenever I was going through a crisis and he guided me suitably." B. S. Yeddyurappa, KJP president No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/13 11:06:02 ( 701 reads ) Source There is nothing amazing in the world. Your ignorance shows when you find it so. It all happened long, long ago. What can be amazing? I am you and you are me. I am eternal, birthless, deathless, changeless, secondless. -- Satguru Yogaswami, (1862-1964) Sri Lankan mystic No comment

Kumbha Mela: Slide Show and Video Posted on 2013/1/9 18:09:24 ( 1287 reads ) Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 4, 2013 (dawn.com): The Naga sadhus have arrived in religious procession towards at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, as part of the Maha Kumbha Mela festival in Allahabad, India, Friday January 4th. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in the large religious congregation on the banks of the Sangam during January 2013, which falls every 12th year. Good slide show at source above. Here also is a video of the processions: http://www.indiablooms.com/VideoDetai ... 3/videoDetails050113w.php No comment

Origin of the Malaysan Chitti Community Posted on 2013/1/9 18:09:18 ( 958 reads ) Source MELAKA, MALAYSIA, January 5, 2013 (The Hindu): In a cottage near Melaka, Hugh and Colleen Gantzer learn about a 230-year-old community of exiles -- the Chettis of Malaysia, hailing not from Chettinad but Chennai, and distinguished by their richly merged bloodlines. When we spotted the entrance arch and the board, while driving around Melaka, we stopped. An inscription said Kampung Chetti: the Chetti Village. That was odd. Chetti is the Malaysian term for the enterprising Chettiars of Tamil Nadu. But those great trading families had a tradition of sending their men to amass fortunes in Burma and South-East Asia, returning, periodically, to their families in Chettinad. There their families had lived in their ornate nattukottai mansions. Who, then, were these Malaysian Chettis? Read the balance of this long and informative article at "source" above. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/9 18:09:12 ( 761 reads ) Source It is Divinity that shapes, not only your ends, but also your acts, your words and thoughts. Your duty is to treat everybody, including yourself, as a manifestation of the Lord. -- Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society, Rishikesh No comment

8,000 Years Old Village, Haryana's Rakhigarhi, Largest Indus City Posted on 2013/1/8 17:13:08 ( 1209 reads ) Source INDIA, January 4, 2013 (Live Mint): Rakhigarhi is a cluster of two sprawling villages --Rakhikhas and Rakhi Shahpur--in Haryana, around 106 miles from Delhi. That Rakhigarhi was a large Harappan town was known in 1963, when the area was first surveyed. What archaeologists are finding out now is that it is the biggest ever Harappan city, larger and more extensive than the massive Mohenjo Daro. "The whole site is around 1.55 sq. miles, which is nearly double that of Mohenjo Daro," says Vasant Shivram Shinde, professor of archaeology and joint director of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune. "It's in critical condition because of encroachment and construction." About 40% of the Rakhigarhi site is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)--which translates to a fenced boundary wall and a guardroom with no guard. The wall is broken in several places, and the protected area is used by the villagers as a place to dry cow dung. The unprotected areas have houses and farmland. The ancient Harappan city lies buried under. "People pick up Harappan objects from their fields and sell them for as little as Rs.100," says local villager Wazir Chand Saroae. "They don't mean to do anything illegal; it's just that they have little awareness about it." All of this is set to change. The Global Heritage Fund (GHF), a non-profit organization based in the US that works to preserve the world's most endangered heritage sites, put Rakhigarhi on its project in 2012. This makes the Harappan site one of GHF's 13 projects worldwide. GHF will not only coordinate an ambitious excavation and conservation project at the site, led by Prof. Shinde, beginning this month, it will also work with the local community to develop home stays, train tour guides, and establish an on-site lab and museum with the help of the ASI, Deccan College, and other government agencies to turn Rakhigarhi into a heritage tourism hot spot. Even though the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilization is one of the three oldest urban civilizations, along with Egypt and Mesopotamia, it is the least understood. Its script is yet to be deciphered, and the knowledge of social structures and life during that period is scant. Rakhigarhi promises to change this too. It is one of the few Harappan sites which has an unbroken history of settlement starting with the early Harappan farming communities from 6000 to 4500 BC, to the mysterious collapse of the civilization around 1800 BC. Read much more of this lengthy article at source. No comment

Anglo-Indians: Is Their Culture Dying Out? Posted on 2013/1/8 17:13:02 ( 878 reads ) Source UNITED KINGDOM, January 3, 2013 (BBC): A product of the British Empire, with a mixture of Western and Indian names, customs and complexions, 2,000 Anglo-Indians are to attend a reunion in Calcutta. But their communities in both the UK and the subcontinent are disappearing, writes Anglo-Indian Kris Griffiths. Journalist Kris Griffiths was born to a Welsh father and Anglo-Indian mother. He was brought up in the Indian community of Southall, in West London. We are symptomatic of the biggest problem facing the global Anglo-Indian community - it is dying out. In the UK and the Commonwealth, it is losing its "Indianness", while back home in India its "Anglo" element is fading. The definition of Anglo-Indian has become looser in recent decades. It can now denote any mixed British-Indian parentage, but for many its primary meaning refers to people of longstanding mixed lineage, dating back up to 300 years into the subcontinent's colonial past. Most of the Anglo-Indians were more "Anglo" than "Indian." Only darker complexions betrayed their origins. Otherwise, they dress like the British, their mother tongue is English, with an accentual twang of Indian and they are Christians. They were also stereotyped as drunks in India over the years. The unique hybrid culture overarching Anglo-Indian identity is expiring, diluted through intermarriage. "I'm part of that culture now rapidly disappearing as the younger generations merge - as they should - into the mainstream of their adopted countries," says Margaret Deefholts, author of two books on Anglo-Indians, who left India for Canada. "Other than nostalgic reminiscences of an older generation, their Indian past has all but faded into oblivion." More at source. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/8 17:12:55 ( 738 reads ) Source He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined. -- Chanakya (350-275 bce), Indian politician, strategist and writer No comment

Complaints about Improper Facilities At Kumbh Posted on 2013/1/7 17:12:50 ( 835 reads ) Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 6, 2013 (India Times): In an unsettling situation on the eve of the Maha Kumbh beginning January 14, saints and seers of various akharas camping on the Mela site have come out openly against the "mismanagement and utter confusion" where they have to run from pillar to post for even basic civic amenities. "What has aggravated the matters further is the fact that hundreds of seers, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of their followers, would be descending in the Mela area during the next few days. We don't know how the Mela administration would handle the pressure in the absence of proper basic facilities like drinking water, sanitary pipelines and borewells," said a leader of a prominent sect camping on the site. Sharing his plight with TOI, an office-bearer of Panch Dasnam Juna Akhara, O. P. Gaur, said: "Our akhara is the biggest in terms of strength of sadhus, mahamandaleshwars and naga saints, but sadly the Mela authorities have failed to provide us even the barest minimum facilities like a borewell pipe for supplying drinking water inside the camp. Instead, a small pipeline which has developed leakages immediately after installation, is the only source of water supply in the camp where apart from sadhus, women and children are also staying. As a result, we are forced to fetch drinking water from roadside taps situated at a distance of 550 yards from the camp. This only one example of the mismanagement." He said that the matter was brought to the notice of Mela authorities, including the Mela Adhikari, after which some junior officials visited the spot and sent a team of laborers that only did some cosmetic repairs and the problem persists. "The tanker sent by Mela authorities visits the camp only once a day and the entire supply is exhausted within minutes given the huge demand of water in other camps also," he added. Mela Adhikari, Ashutosh Dwivedi, told TOI over phone that "the issue would be addressed on a priority basis". He assured dispatching a team of officials to resolve the issue. No comment

Juna Akhara To Appoint Officers To Keep An Eye On Foreign Visitors Posted on 2013/1/7 17:12:43 ( 849 reads ) Source LUCKNOW, INDIA, January 6, 2013 (India Times): Contrary to the earlier reports that the Shri Panchdasnaam Juna Akhara, popularly known as the Juna Akhara - has banned the entry of foreign visitors in its Akhara area at the Kumbh Mela site, officials of the Akhara have clarified that the ban remains in place only for nefarious elements, who leave no stone unturned to lure and trap the gullible sadhus. And in order to keep an eye on the activities of the suspicious elements during the religious carnival, which is beginning on January 14, the Varanasi-based Akhara has planned to appoint kotwals (police officers), who would keep an eye on the visitors coming to the Akhara area. Elaborating more about the Akhara's plan of action, Mahant Prem Giri, a senior office bearer of Juna Akhara said, "We have decided to form a team of kotwals, whose main job would be to keep an eye on the suspicious and unreligious activities of the visitors, especially the foreign ones, who come here with the intention of harming and polluting the spiritual nature of Sanatan Dharma. These kotwals would move around the ashram premises in the Kumbh area and would continuously alert and caution the saints and seers to refrain from falling into the traps laid by a few vested interests." Mahanat Prem Giri was however, quick to clarify that there warning is confined only to those people, whose sole intention is to spoil the sanctity of Hinduism. "We would welcome people of all nationalities and for good people, the doors of the ashram at the Kumbh Mela site would always remain open. However, we would certainly not entertain the anti-social elements who think that just by holding a chillum, one would become a saint, and attain sainthood. They lure the sadhus and try to inculcate a feeling of greed in the sadhus, which is certainly not acceptable."

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/20 18:07:10 ( 649 reads ) Source Seek the Infinite, for that alone is Joy unlimited, imperishable, unfailing, self-sustaining, unconditioned, timeless. When you have this joy, human life becomes a paradise; the light, the grace, the power, the perfections of that which is highest in your inner consciousness, appear in your everyday life. -- Swami Omkarananda. founder of Omkarananda Ashram, Rishikesh No comment

Nirmalanandanatha Swami To Head Adichunchanagiri Math Posted on 2013/1/17 17:25:09 ( 722 reads ) Source KARNATAKA, INDIA, January 15, 2013 (The Hindu): Nirmalanandanatha Swami took over as the 72nd Mathadhipathi of the Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Math on Monday, as willed by his predecessor Balagangadharanatha Swami. Balagangadharanatha Swami passed away at a private hospital on Sunday after a long illness and was laid to rest on Monday. The new Mathadhipathi is a native of Chirnahalli in Gubbi taluk, Tumkur district. Born as Nagaraja on July 20, 1969 to Narasegowda and Nanjamma, Nirmalanandanatha Swami had a humble upbringing. His parents had six children and the family sustained itself by cultivating its two acres. After finishing his graduation in engineering from Mysore, he went on to earn an M.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. No comment

Volunteers At Kumbh To Help Lost Pilgrims Posted on 2013/1/17 17:25:00 ( 737 reads ) Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 16, 2013 (Daily Mail): The lost-and-found family drama is an everyday experience for those at the Maha Kumbh mela. A Bhoole Bhatke Shivir ("lost and found camp") is ready to help pilgrims locate each other within hours of getting lost in the crowds at the fair. The Shivir, meant for those separated from their families at the Kumbh, is marked by two huge yellow balloons with the words Bhoole Bhatke Shivir, which the pilgrims can see from a distance and reach for help. Since January 13, a day before Makar Sankranti, people who run the service have been flooded with panic-stricken visitors from different parts of the country. The block has policemen and volunteers helping out the visitors by making announcements on microphones. The mikes are connected to speakers that blare out messages across the huge expanse of the Kumbh's 700,000 tents and the area at the edge of the Sangam. People come in with chits bearing the names of those they were with and the names are read out. "In a day we get at least 500 cases," said Pushkar Upadhyay, a volunteer. There are rarely any cases of people not finding their group members. No comment

Karnataka Plans To Monitor Astrologers Posted on 2013/1/17 17:24:54 ( 738 reads ) Source BANGALORE:, INDIA, January 14, 2013 (India Times): Soon, astrologers in Karnataka may have to register with the government. In an effort to check black magic, voodoo and witchcraft, the muzrai department is mulling over a policy in this regard. There is no law now to govern astrology, which is a huge business in the state. "A committee comprising well-known astrologers, bureaucrats and experts will be constituted to find out ways to eliminate black magic. The committee will submit a report whether astrologers need to register with the government. The final decision will be subject to the committee's recommendations," muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary told TOI. The minister said they need to monitor those who exploit people in the name of astrology, witchcraft and rituals. "We have been hearing of reports that the services of black magic practitioners and sorcerers are enlisted even to cure fever. All these should end," he said. The proposal for registering hasn't gone down well with the astrologers and rationalists. Noted astrologer Daivajna KN Somayaji, though, welcomed the objective, saying he wanted to know the criteria for registration. "Which organization will fix qualification for us? Anyone can register and hang a board stating he is a government-recognized astrologer. This will lead to commercialization of the profession," he said. No comment

Significance Of Mehendi In Hindu Marriages Posted on 2013/1/17 17:24:44 ( 906 reads ) Source INDIA, December 11, 2012 (boldsky.com): In Hindu marriages, several cultures have different customs that vary from state to state. These rituals have been passed on through the ages and still carry forward to the next generation. In Hindu marriages, you can find a few things in common. For example, engagement, mehendi, wedding and reception are ceremonies that are commonly followed in most parts of the country. Mehendi is a pre-wedding ceremony that is very popular in the Northern states of the country. However, the trend of applying mehendi on the hands and feet has become a common trend in the East, West and Southern states too. Earlier, mehendi was applied as nua (coloring fingertips and center of palm) but with the trend of drawing, it has become an art. Mehendi signifies the bond of matrimony. It is considered as a shagun (omen) in Hindu marriages. Mehendi was originally used only during weddings. But with the growing popularity and importance of mehendi, women have started applying it on special Hindu occasions and festivals like Karva Chauth, Navratri, Rakhi and Diwali. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/17 17:24:36 ( 668 reads ) Source Once upon a time a man whose ax was missing suspected his neighbor's son. The boy walked like a thief, looked like a thief and spoke like a thief. But the man found his ax while digging in the valley, and the next time he saw his neighbor's son, the boy walked, looked and spoke like any other child. -- Lao-Tzu (ca 600 bce), author of Tao Te Ching and founder of Taoism No comment

Are You Going to the Kumbha Mela from America? Posted on 2013/1/16 18:50:00 ( 799 reads ) Source WASHINGTON, D.C., January 16, 2013: The Hindu American Foundation's Jay Kansari is looking for Hindu Americans going to the Kumbha Mela in early February. He's been asked by CBS News Asia for some names of Hindus from the US for their reporters to meet and possibly interview at the Mela. If you are going and would like to help, kindly contact Jay at "source" above. No comment

Caribbean Indian Community To Revive The Tradition Of Pongal Posted on 2013/1/16 18:43:07 ( 905 reads ) Source GUADELOUPE, FRANCE-ANTILLES, January 12, 2013 (France Antilles): According to Fred Negrit, the festival of Pongal, a harvest festival, is celebrated in other places where there is an Indian diaspora (Reunion, Mauritius, etc.). The second day, the most important, is dedicated to the sun, which is offered rice cooked in milk. The third day is devoted to cows which are washed and their horns are painted. Pongal was the only vacation period granted annually to the first Indian immigrant laborers in Guadeloupe and Martinique. At the beginning of January, they enjoyed four days to celebrate the Pongal. To revive this tradition, the Guadeloupe Council for Indian languages (CGPLI) and its Tamil students decided to celebrate the festival of Pongal on Sunday, January 13, at Petit-Canal. This festival has not been celebrated in Guadeloupe since the late nineteenth century. "One of the highlights of the festivities is the cooking of rice according to the tradition of Pongal. "We know it as a rice pudding. It is made with whole milk and we add Indian spices. Moreover, the name of the festival derives from that: when the milk boils and the rice overflows, everyone shouts: "Pongal, pongal!" said Negrit, president of CGPLI. No comment

Parents Fear Hindu Indoctrination By Yoga Classes In Los Angeles Posted on 2013/1/16 18:43:01 ( 724 reads ) Source LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, January 9, 2013 (India West): Parents of school children in Encinitas, Calif., have expressed opposition to yoga classes taught at local elementary schools on the grounds that they promote the Hindu religion. According to media reports, about 60 parents expressed their concerns about the yoga classes at a recent school board meeting. The two-year-old grant-funded program, initially offered to students at Paul Ecke Central Elementary School, has now been expanded to nine schools in the Encinitas Union School District. Encinitas Union School District Superintendent Tim Baird told India-West that there has been no serious move at the school board level to terminate the yoga program. The district hopes to continue the program for as long as possible, he added. For the 2012-13 school year, EUSD received a $533,720 grant from the KP Jois Foundation to fund yoga programs for K-6 elementary school students. The foundation encourages the technique of K. Pattabhi Jois, a Mysore native who established Ashtanga yoga - the discipline that raised the ire of the parents. "We have 30-40 families...a small group that (has) expressed concern," Baird said. After a group of parents registered their objections to the Ashtanga yoga classes at a school board meeting, thousands signed petitions supporting the EUSD yoga program. Several Indian American yoga instructors defended the program to India-West, saying it provides health benefits and instills confidence in youth. Ashwini Surpur, director of yoga therapy at Yoga Bharati, stressed that yoga does not expressly support any religion, but is a method to alleviate stress and improve wellness through exercise. No comment

Hindu And Dharmic Americans And Values: Reflections On The Obama Impact Posted on 2013/1/16 18:42:49 ( 736 reads ) Source UNITED STATES, January 2, 2013 (Huffington Post, by Anju Bhargava): Having worked closely with President Obama's administration from its early days, as a community builder, now I pause and reflect on the Obama impact to the Dharmic community. When I first got appointed, my community wondered about what government supported faith-based activities meant. We learn in America that faith and politics are inseparable, and the Hindu and Dharmic communities' national infrastructures are under developed. We created HASC (Hindu American Seva Communities) and worked hard to bring our voice, through seva (community social responsibility) to the forefront and positively "Impact Change in America and Abroad." Much has been done. Now a foundational path of engaging with the government is laid, but so much more needs to be done to build capacity for community development. In this changing American landscape, we have seen a paradigm shift of inclusion occurring. Starting with the president's first inaugural speech, the inclusion of Dharmic Americans to significant posts in the administration, inclusion in the Faith Based Advisory Council, increased outreach by the White House Office of Public Engagement, and now with Tulsi Gabbard and Mazie Hirono's election to the Congress and Senate respectively, the faith glass ceiling has shattered in America and is resounding around the globe. The doors for the people of eastern traditions, not only the Hindus but the entire Dharmic Americans -- Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists -- have opened! Collectively we have demonstrated how we strengthen this country we love and call home. During the last four years the White House has recognized the contributions and traditions of our pluralistic Indian-American communities. It understood our philosophy of nonviolence, self-reliance and self-governance. Our Dharma values, largely propagated by the Bhagavad Gita and Dharma scriptures, have found an expression in addressing issues important to us, Dharmic Americans. Together we are promoting the values and benefits of yoga, nutrition, meditation and Ayurveda. We are greening our temples and bringing increased national focus on environment. Much more at source. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/16 18:42:43 ( 570 reads ) Source According as one acts, so does he become. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action. -- Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5 No comment

The Magic of India's Kumbh Mela Posted on 2013/1/15 18:22:05 ( 893 reads ) Source PRAYAG, INDIA, January 10, 2013 (BBC, by Mark Tully): The Kumbha Mela is expected to be the biggest religious gathering of humanity in the world. In my long years in India I have seen many spectacles but none so remarkable as the two Maha or Great Kumbha Melas which I attended. I have seen vast crowds assemble but none as big as the millions who flocked to the north Indian city of Allahabad to bathe at the confluence where the cloudy waters of the river Ganges meet the blue waters of the river Yamuna on the most auspicious day of those Melas. I have never been more forcefully reminded that India's age old culture survives today than I have been by those two Kumbha Melas. It is of course a great religious festival, the world's largest we are told, but there is much more to it than just the great bathing day, spectacular though that is. Most spectacular of all are the naked sadhus or holy men, who careen through the crowds dancing to the frenzied beat of drums and leaping in the air as they charge into the river to bathe. At Kumbha Melas there is much religious teaching also, and a multitude of discourses. There are the sadhus to be seen on any day performing amazing acts of asceticism. They demonstrate the wide variety of Hindu traditions, and Hinduism's tolerance too. Hindu pluralism is also shown by the different creation myths the Mela commemorates. The word Kumbha means an urn, and one of the several myths is the story of an urn filled with the nectar of immortality which emerged from the primeval waters when they were being churned by gods and demons. The urn was snatched by demons but the son of the ruler of heaven, the god Indira, recovered it. Drops from the urn fell at the Sangam and other places in India where Kumbha Melas are held. No comment

Maha Kumbha an Unfortunate Picture Of Neglect Posted on 2013/1/15 18:21:59 ( 835 reads ) Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 12, 2013 (India Times): For the beleaguered Kumbh Mela authorities drawing flak from virtually every quarter for mismanagement and insensitivity towards stakeholders, here's some more bad news. Samajwadi Party national general secretary and member of Parliament from Allahabad Rewati Raman Singh has come down heavily on mela authorities for failing to keep participants in good humour and proceeding with their own agenda. Singh said "Kumbh Mela 2013 is a picture of utter neglect and chaos in the wake of lackadaisical attitude of mela authorities who are least bothered about satisfying the participants, including sadhus, pandas, teerth purohits, boatmen and Prayagwali Sabha-the umbrella body of local priests which has a major say in the allotment of land to different Akharas and other religious organisations." Questioning the boastful claims of mela authorities of providing the best medical facilities to pilgrims and saints, Singh said "What is the use of spending so much to construct a single hospital equipped with state of art facilities. Instead, the need is to set up a hospital/dispensary at every sector so that pilgrims are saved from the ordeal of taking patients to the main hospital situated at quite a distance. Moreover, the prevailing cold wave conditions would definitely cause trouble for older persons staying in the mela area who would require being taken care of. When asked by TOI, how he planned to tackle the issue, the SP leader said he would be raising it with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav seeking his intervention in order to provide better facilities to pilgrims, sadhus and other persons involved in the mela. No comment

Hinduism Today Requests Suggestions for its Kumbha Mela Coverage Posted on 2013/1/15 18:21:53 ( 661 reads ) KAUAI, HAWAII, January 15, 2013: Hinduism Today's reporting team, journalist Rajiv Malik and photographer Thomas Kelly, will arrive at the Kumbha Mela January 28th and stay through February 12th. We would appreciate suggestions of noted swamis and sadhus to meet and interview so that we may give an expanded coverage to this great event. There are hundreds of thousands of sadhus present, and even with all of Hinduism Today's contacts, we know only a relatively small percentage of them. You may email your suggestions to ar@hindu.org, given the name of the saint you think they should meet and interview and how to contact that person in the midst of the Mela. An additional need for our team is transport around the Mela grounds when we are there, and any suggestions in this regard would also be welcome. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/15 18:21:46 ( 609 reads ) Source We do not know the various kinds of saints, how they behave, what they do and eat, etc. We only know that by God's grace they manifest themselves in this world to liberate the ignorant and bound souls. -- Shirdi Sai Baba (1838-1915)

Thaipoosam Thirunaal All Set For Fiji's Nadi Temple Posted on 2013/1/24 18:24:10 ( 704 reads ) Source FIJI, January 23, 2013 (The Jet): Nadi town will be a hive of activity from tomorrow for the next eleven days as the Sri Siva Subramanya Swamy Temple (Nadi Temple) gets all ready to host the annual Thaipoosam Thirunaal. The annual prayers draw a large number of devotees to the temple, the largest Hindu shrine in the southern hemisphere from not only all over Fiji but from other overseas countries as well. According to Gandhi Mestry, the chairman of Devasthanam Board which is the managing authority of the temple, this year's function will mark the 87th year of the annual celebrations in Nadi. "While there are many important reasons of celebrating the event, the main significance is the victory of good over evil." One of the major attractions of the annual prayers is the piercing of body parts by devotees from all over Fiji and even overseas countries. No comment

Legal Battle Over Meditation Far From Tranquil In Iowa Posted on 2013/1/24 18:24:03 ( 713 reads ) FAIRFIELD,IOWA, January 20,2013 (Washington Times): The followers of a meditation practice that has roots in ancient India say it's simple: Close your eyes, silently repeat a mantra and relax. But a dispute among rivals for control over its teaching is anything but peaceful, featuring personal attacks, aggressive lawyering and accusations of improper business practices. The feud pits the Iowa nonprofit that has taught transcendental meditation for decades against Thom Knoles, a former associate who left and built his own group of followers. The outcome could decide whether the Fairfield, Iowa-based Maharishi Foundation will continue to control the teaching of U.S. transcendental meditation -- or whether rivals can market similar services and its benefits without obtaining a license from the group. The sides are fighting for customers and to protect their reputations in a federal-court case over whether the foundation can enforce its trademark rights and claims of false advertising against Mr. Knoles and other teachers of his rival Vedic Meditation. To the foundation, Mr. Knoles and his followers are using the credibility and positive image associated with its technique to promote themselves and mislead customers. To Mr. Knoles' backers, the foundation is unfairly seeking a monopoly on a technique that's existed thousands of years. Supporters say the technique originated with the Vedas, sacred Hindu texts. Its modern incarnation was developed in India in the 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who later spread the technique worldwide. Maharishi founded a university that settled in Fairfield in the 1970s. His backers manage the foundation, which teaches classes to thousands of students annually and owns trademarks for Transcendental Meditation and its TM nickname. Sojourns in tirthas, which are meritorious and which constitute one of the high mysteries of the rishis, are even superior to sacrifices. -- Mahabharata No comment

The World Of The Kumbh Mela: Benefits from the Largest Single Gathering of Humanity Posted on 2013/1/23 17:54:48 ( 919 reads ) Source INDIA, January 15, 2013 (World Time by Ishaan Tharoor): What's billed as the largest single gathering of humanity is taking place right now in the northern Indian city of Allahabad. At the confluence of the Yamuna, Ganges and (mythical) Saraswati Rivers, as many as 100 million people will participate over the next month in an ancient Hindu festival known as the Kumbh Mela. The pilgrimage, which dates back millennia, occurs in 12-year cycles -- in 2001, the Indian government estimated a staggering 70 million congregated by the Ganges' banks to ritually bathe in its sacred waters. At first glance it is difficult to understand what would tempt anybody to join such an immense throng. On certain auspicious days, as many as 10 million to 30 million people may flock to the waters of the Sangam, the meeting point of the Yamuna, the Ganges and the Saraswati. Imagine the entire population of Shanghai--about 23 million--camping on a 4 by 8 kilometer field. Add to that mass of humanity every last man, woman and child in New York City and you're getting closer to the Kumbh's expected attendance. And imagine the pollution, the press of bodies, the baseness of camping conditions, the difficulty to simply move from one site to another. The Kumbh Melas in Allahabad have become incredible feats of mass-scale planning, and the event in 2001 was noted for its lack of incident and the smoothness of its proceedings. Some 30,000 police officers are deployed to patrol the camp grounds; the transient city that emerges is replete with cell-phone towers, makeshift hospitals, fountains and wells that pump clean drinking water, sewage facilities, a security apparatus threaded together by CCTV cameras and myriad markets and food kiosks. The scale of the operation is so unprecedented that a team of Harvard scholars have dubbed it a "pop-up megacity." According to a separate team of academics, what was once "horrid spectacle" for outsiders is now not only instructive but also actually good for you. Based on six years of studying smaller Melas on the Ganges, a group of Indian and Western researchers have published a paper in PLOS One journal arguing that the experience of participating in such mass, collective rites has long-term benefits for the individual. Compared with a sample group not attending the festival, those who did, the study found, reported improvements both in their health and broader state of well-being. The cause for that, researchers say, is not the result of being immersed in the Ganges' muddied waters, but the act of discovering oneself amid an endless sea of others bent on the same spiritual quest. No comment

Cremation Is The Hottest Trend In America's Funeral Industry Posted on 2013/1/23 17:54:42 ( 937 reads ) Source USA, Jan 2013, by Tyker Mathisen, CNBC: I have spent the past few months working on a documentary on the business of death, I've been to casket-manufacturing companies, funeral homes, mortuary science schools and the annual convention of the National Funeral Directors Association, some 6,000 funeral professionals. They were a sliver of the more than 130,000 people who work in what's come to be known as the "death care industry" - a $17- billion-a-year business in America. And what's the fastest growing part of it? Cremation. Every year in America, 2.5 million people die. In 2011, the last year for which numbers are available, 42 percent were cremated, according to the funeral directors association. That's double the rate of just 15 years ago. So why the big jump in cremations? There are lots of reasons. One is the softening of the Catholic church's views of the practice. For centuries - until 1963, in fact - the church outlawed it and now under some circumstances, bishops can permit a funeral mass with cremated remains present. . But the main reason, as you might expect, is cost. Cremation is cheaper than burial. The average cost of a funeral today is about $6,500, including the typical $2,000-or-more cost of a casket. Add a burial vault, and the average jumps to around $7,700. A cremation, by contrast, typically costs a third of those amounts, or less. In a tough economy like the current one, cost counts a lot. The average cost of a cremation including a basic memorial service, runs about $1,600. Go online and you can find prices as low as $600 or so. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/23 17:54:36 ( 783 reads ) Source For seven lives in seven bodies the grateful will remember friends who relieved their anguish and affliction. -- Saint Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural, verse 107 No comment

Famed Chennai Temple Celebrates Mahakumbhabhishekam Posted on 2013/1/22 18:20:00 ( 1140 reads ) Source CHENNAI, INDIA, January 2013 (The Hindu): The Sri Kalikambal-Kamadeswarar temple, George Town, Chennai, wears a festive look. In fact the entire length of Thambu Chetty Street where the famous temple nestles has been decorated. The spirit reflects in the way the members of Sivacharya Trust and others have involved themselves in the consecration of the temple. As the first phase, consecration of Kamadeswarar and parivara deities took place yesterday. The event was witnessed by hundreds of devotees. Mahakumbabishekam of Sri Kalikambal and the Rajagopuram will take place on January 23, from 9:00-9:45 a.m. The priest, a Sanskrit scholar who has specialized in Hindu rituals, explains the significance of kumbabishekam. "It is not just the pouring of sacred water on the kalasam that you see on the main tower. Kumbakam means retaining. The omnipresent power of Parasakti converges here. The incessant chant of mantras enhances the power that is rejuvenated every 12 years. Everything is done with the welfare of the people and nation in focus. The gramasantihomam is nothing but prayer for the good health and safety of the people, protection for the country from enemies, epidemic, famine and so on. The Trust wants everyone to visit the temple and benefit from the vibration. No comment

African Tribe of India Celebrates Obama's Inauguration Posted on 2013/1/22 18:19:34 ( 924 reads ) Source KARNATAKA, INDIA, January 21, 2013: Siddis of Haliyal taluk in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district on Sunday celebrated the re-election and swearing-in of Barack Obama as U.S. President for the second term. The function was held at Golehalli village in Haliyal taluk. Siddis are an African tribe living in the forests of Uttara Kannada. They are jubilant that an African-American whose lineage is traced to their community has been elected to one of the most powerful posts in the world. Many elected representatives, including local MLA Sunil Hegde, participated in the function. The community members took out a procession and men and women performed the traditional Phugadi dance. A huge cake was cut on the dais. Diyog Siddi, who is the brain behind the celebrations, said Mr. Obama symbolized the pride of the African-American community. Mr. Hegde released a letter written by the community to Mr. Obama on the occasion of him being re-elected. This letter would be forwarded the American consulates in Chennai and Delhi, said Mr. Diyog Siddi. For more on the Siddhas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddis For something a little different related to the inauguration, see: http://live.wsj.com/video/inaugural-b ... 9A-4DD5-8309-CF9F285E37AC It is a video report on an inaugural ball in Washington DC put on by the Indian American community in Bollywood style. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/22 18:19:27 ( 783 reads ) Source Disciple: Is it possible to cleanse India of degenerate practices? -- Swami Vivekananda: What nonsense you say, you coward! You have well-nigh thrown India into ruin by always crying "It is impossible, it is impossible!" What cannot human effort achieve? No comment

Maha Kumbh Now A Harvard Case Study Posted on 2013/1/21 15:52:59 ( 844 reads ) Source NEW YORK, U.S., January 20, 2013 (Outlook India): The Maha Kumbh Mela, considered the largest public gathering in the world, will be the subject of a case study at Harvard University, which will study the logistics and economics behind it and the "pop-up mega-city" that comes to life in Allahabad during the religious event. A team of faculty and students from Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), School of Design, Harvard Business School, School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Divinity School and Harvard Global Health Institute will travel to Allahabad for the project 'Mapping India's Kumbh Mela'. Creating this huge encampment entails multiple aspects of contemporary urbanism, including city planning and management, engineering and spatial zoning, an electricity grid, water lines and sanitation systems, food and water distribution plans, hospitals and vaccination centres, police and fire stations, public gathering spaces, and stages for entertainments and plays, the university said. The FAS team will look at various religious and cultural aspects of the event, including the kinds of religious groups present at the festival, devotional practices, tourism and environmental concerns, while the health team will study water quality, sanitation techniques, health clinic readiness and presence and networks of hospitals and public health facilities. The team from Harvard Business School will gather information on business practices of the Kumbh, including the interaction of the public and private sectors and will also examine the way in which technology, media, internet connections and cellular networks play a role in this year's logistics as never before. Much more at source. See also: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/maha-kumbh ... versity/316761-3-242.html http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013 ... mela-worth-learning-from/ No comment

World's Biggest Holy Gathering Aims Green Posted on 2013/1/21 15:52:52 ( 827 reads ) Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 17, 2013 (India Real Time): The Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering on Earth, began Monday in Allahabad, a city in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state. Between 80 and 100 million Hindus are expected to take part in the 55-day festival, bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna, sacred rivers believed to cleanse sin and enable devotees to escape the cycle of death and rebirth. Environmentalists and religious leaders, concerned about the impact of such vast numbers of pilgrims camping on 20 square miles of floodplain, are hoping to appeal to the religious consciences of the visitors and encourage them to become more eco-conscious. For the first time at a Kumbh Mela, which takes place every three years, there is a "Green Camp" for pilgrims. The camp is backed by India's newly formed Green Pilgrimage Network, which aims to protect pilgrimage sites and make them more environmentally sustainable. "We started with the concept that we should make this the green Kumbh Mela," said Chidanand Saraswati, a Hindu swami, or holy man, who is leading the eco-friendly camp -- Global Sangam -- on the banks of the Ganges. "Hindus have always cared for the environment but people have started to forget because of population growth and lack of resources," said the swami, who is also leader of the Parmarth Niketan an ashram in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. "But when they see their leaders and their gurus going in the green direction, they will follow," he told The Wall Street Journal's India Real Time. The camp is using recyclable steel plates and utensils instead of plastic. It also has eco toilets, filtered drinking water instead of plastic bottles and will organize litter picking collections and tree planting along the banks of the sacred river. The local government and the High Court in Allahabad have also banned the use of plastic bags at the festival for the first time. No comment

Life Magazine Slide Show of the 1953 Kumbha Mela Posted on 2013/1/21 15:52:44 ( 662 reads ) Source USA, January 21, 2013 (life.time.com): Few spectacles on Earth can compare to the great six-week Hindu pilgrimage, the ancient Kumbh Mela, during which literally tens of millions of people make their way to the river Ganges in order to bathe and worship. The 2013 Kumbh Mela takes place at Allahabad (Prayag) in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Sixty years ago, in 1953, LIFE photographer James Burke chronicled an earlier Kumbh Mela in a series of pictures that, for reasons lost to time, were never published in the magazine. Here, in the midst of the 2013 Kumbh Mela, LIFE.com posts a series of those images -- photos that capture something of the raw intensity and almost overwhelmingly sacral nature of the celebration's rites. Read more: http://life.time.com/culture/kumbh-me ... tival-1953/#ixzz2IfGe46mo No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/21 15:52:38 ( 631 reads ) Source Eternal, pure, groundless, death-and-birth free, pervasive, ever immaculate, distant, near, enveloping effulgence of void, the support of all, the fullness of bliss, the consciousness-form beyond thought and speech, That which thus stood, the expanse vast that generates bliss, let us contemplate. -- Tayumanavar (1706-1744), South Indian devotional poet No comment

Ancient Migration: Genes Link Australia With India Posted on 2013/1/20 18:07:28 ( 814 reads ) Source AUSTRALIA, January 14, 2013 (BBC): Australia experienced a wave of migration from India about 4,000 years ago, a genetic study suggests. It was thought the continent had been largely isolated after the first humans arrived about 40,000 years ago until the Europeans moved in in the 1800s. But DNA from Aboriginal Australians revealed there had been some movement from India during this period. The researchers believe the Indian migrants may have introduced the dingo to Australia. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say that the fossil record suggests the wild dogs arrived in Australia at around the same time. They also suggest that Indians may have brought stone tools called microliths to their new home. To study the early origins of Australia's population, the team compared genetic material from Aboriginal Australians with DNA from people in New Guinea, South East Asia and India. By looking at specific locations, called genetic markers, within the DNA sequences, the researchers were able to track the genes to see who was most closely related to whom. They found an ancient genetic association between New Guineans and Australians, which dates to about 35,000 to 45,000 years ago. At that time, Australia and New Guinea were a single land mass, called Sahul, and this tallies with the period when the first humans arrived. But the researchers also found a substantial amount of gene flow between India and Australia. Prof. Mark Stoneking, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, said: "We have a pretty clear signal from looking at a large number of genetic markers from all across the genome that there was contact between India and Australia somewhere around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago." No comment

Trinidad and Tobago Celebrates Swami Vivekananda's 150th Birth Anniversary. Posted on 2013/1/20 18:07:22 ( 803 reads ) Paras Ramoutar TRINIDAD, January 15, 2013 (by Paras Ramoutar): An exhibition of books, photos and posters is now available to academic institutions, social, cultural, religious, on request, throughout Trinidad and Tobago. It was launched at the Divali Nagar last Thursday to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the late Indian spiritual leader who is credited to bringing Hinduism to the USA in 1893. The exhibition which is now being taken to various parts of Trinidad and Tobago is being held in collaboration with the Vedanta Society of Trinidad and Tobago. In a message, to mark the occasion, President of Trinidad and Tobago, Prof. George Maxwell Richards termed Swami Vivekananda as a spiritual ambassador who was credited with, "raising interfaith awareness and with providing exposition and interpretation of the Hindu scriptures, spiritual culture and heritage." Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar noted that Swami Vivekananda revitalized Hinduism within and outside India and was the principal reason behind the enthusiastic reception of yoga, transcendental meditation, and other forms of Indian spiritual self-improvement in the West. Through his teachings and message Swami Vivekananda inspired, motivated and guided millions of youth to arise, awake till the goal is achieved. Indian High Commissioner, Shri Malay Mishra said that Swami Vivekananda's biggest contribution to world traditions was applying the theory of, "a universal religion to the universal man, thus bringing down religion to serve the basic needs of the common man, linking all through the common strain of divinity." Mishra said that Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi were all powerful souls who weaved magic into Indian imagination when fortitude was at its lowest and the proverbial soul force was still to emerge. "Tagore was the cultural emissary, Gandhi was the political visionary and Swami Vivekananda was the prophet of the new age," he said. No comment

Are You Going to the Kumbha Mela from America? Posted on 2013/1/20 18:07:16 ( 721 reads ) WASHINGTON, D.C., January 16, 2013: The Hindu American Foundation's Jay Kansari is looking for Hindu Americans going to the Kumbha Mela in early February. He's been asked by CBS News Asia for some names of Hindus from the US for their reporters to meet and possibly interview at the Mela. If you are going and would like to help, kindly contact Jay at jay@hafsite.org.

Shiva And Kali In The Square, Hindus Celebrate In Itally Posted on 2013/1/31 16:31:55 ( 1080 reads ) Source PEGOGNAGA, ITALY, January 27, 2013 (Gazzetta Di Mantova): The two-day festival of the Hindu community of the Po River Lowlands began on Saturday with the "Shoba Yatra," the procession of the divine statues, followed by a crowd of devotees through the streets of Pegognaga. The religious event, which was promoted by the "Shri Hari Om Mandir" in collaboration with the Municipality of Pegognaga, is to celebrate the installation of the divine statues which will take place today from 9 am at the Hindu temple on Martin Luther King Street in Polesine. The event involves the Indian community of the whole area and also many Italian citizens of the Lowlands, Mantua and surrounding areas. The procession, preceded by the organizers of the festival, the authorities of the Hindu community and the chariot of the Gods, started from the square of the Coop and after having crossed the Avenue San Lorenzo arrived in Matteotti Plaza, where it was greeted by the mayor Dimitri Melli and local residents. The national anthem of India was played and sung in front of the town hall because it was precisely on this day, January 26, that is Republic Day in India celebrating the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of India. The "Moorti Sthapna," the ceremony of the positioning of the divine statues in the temple, will occur on the second day of the festival. The Indian consul in Milan, Sanjay Verma, and the mayors of the towns in the surrounding region will attend. [HPI adds: See slideshow of the festival procession at source above] No comment

Vegetarians Cut Heart Risk By 32% Posted on 2013/1/31 16:31:49 ( 974 reads ) UNITED KINGDOM, January 30, 2013 (BBC): Ditching meat and fish in favour of a vegetarian diet can have a dramatic effect on the health of your heart, research suggests. A study of 44,500 people in England and Scotland showed vegetarians were 32% less likely to die or need hospital treatment as a result of heart disease. Differences in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight are thought to be behind the health boost. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The results showed the vegetarians had lower blood pressure, lower levels of "bad" cholesterol and were more likely to have a healthy weight. Heart disease is a major blight in Western countries. It kills 94,000 people in the UK each year - more than any other disease, and 2.6 million people live with the condition. Tracy Parker, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "This research reminds us that we should try to eat a balanced and varied diet - whether this includes meat or not. "But remember, choosing the veggie option on the menu is not a shortcut to a healthy heart. After all, there are still plenty of foods suitable for vegetarians that are high in saturated fat and salt. No comment

Kumbha Mela Contacts Sought for Hinduism Today Team Posted on 2013/1/31 16:31:43 ( 754 reads ) KAUAI, HAWAII, January 30, 2013: Hinduism Today's team, correspondent Rajiv Malik and photographer Thomas Kelly are settled in for the next ten days at the Kumbha Mela. They report it is an inspiring event spread over a huge area--for a few days it will be one of the largest cities in the world! We are trying to reach a wide range of swamis, saints and sadhus during our time there. If you could provide us with contact information, it would be most appreciated! Write Acharya Arumuganathaswami, Managing Editor, ar@hindu.org. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/31 16:31:37 ( 757 reads ) Source The sages, being filled with universal love for all beings, did not want to keep their enlightenment to themselves. They declared to all: "O mortals, striving and struggling upon this Earth plane, weeping, wailing, buffeted by the vicissitudes of life: we have come upon a great discovery. There is something beyond these appearances, these vanishing names and forms that go to make up this universe. There is something beyond, which is the very source and support of all these objects of the phenomenal world. Why do you search in vain for happiness outside? Come, come, happiness resides within." -- Swami Chidananda (1916-2008), president of Divine Life Society No comment

A Million Expected At New Waterfall Temple in Malaysia Posted on 2013/1/30 15:52:45 ( 922 reads ) Source GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA, January 25, 2013 (Free Malaysia Today): About a million people are expected to throng the Waterfall vicinity here to celebrate the four-day annual Thaipusam festival, the state's biggest Hindu event of the year. The Waterfall area is where several temples of Lord Muruga, the Nattukottai Chettiar community's Sri Thandayuthabani Kovil and the Balathandayuthabani Kovil, are located. The new hilltop temple, built at cost of approximately US$3.3 million, is arguably the largest ornate Hindu temple outside India dedicated to Lord Muruga Perumaan. For thousands of Hindus, this will be the first time they'll get to see the new temple, which had its grand consecration ceremony last June. The Silver Chariot procession will kick-start the festival tomorrow at 6am from Kovil Veedu in Penang Street and scheduled to reach the Thandayuthabani Kovil in Waterfall by midnight. The chariot's return trip will be on Monday evening at 6pm and scheduled to reach home at Kovil Veedu on Tuesday 8am. About 200 tanneer panthals (refreshment sheds) will be erected and thousands of coconuts will be smashed by devotees along the Silver Chariot procession route. Hundreds of devotees will carry various forms of kavadi in penance or in gratitude to Lord Muruga Perumaan for vows fulfilled. No comment

Taco Bell Pulls Super Bowl Ad Making Fun of Veggie Eaters After Veggie Eaters Complain Posted on 2013/1/30 15:52:38 ( 772 reads ) Source UNITED STATES, January 2013 (gawker.com): A Taco Bell ad chastising party-poopers who bring veggie platters to Game Day has been pulled following a Twitter campaign launched by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Veggies on game day is like punting on fourth and one -- it's a cop out," the ad's narrator sneers, before touting Taco Bell's Taco 12 Pack as a "Game Day tradition" (despite having just "introduced" it seconds earlier). Concerned that the commercial might "discourage people from eating vegetables," CSPI asked veggie lovers to tweet their complaints at Taco Bell, and the company eventually decided to pull the ad off the air. CSPI released a statement thanking Taco Bell "for responding with record speed to address nutritionists' and consumers' concern." No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/30 15:52:31 ( 689 reads ) Source Before I came on this earth, I was the same. As a little girl, I was the same. I grew into womanhood, but still I was the same. And, even now, I am the same. Though the dance of creation will ever change around me in the hall of eternity, I shall be the same. -- Sri Anandamayi Ma, (1896-1982), Bengali mystic No comment

National Highways Authority of India Spares 1,300-Year-Old Temple Posted on 2013/1/29 18:16:06 ( 769 reads ) Source CHENNAI, INDIA, January 22, 2013 (The Hindu): The Siva temple at Panaiyapuram in Tamil Nadu was to be demolished to make way for widening the Vikkiravandi-Thanjavur highway. When the plans to widen the NH-45C, cutting through the temple, became public, residents of Panaiyapuram, Pappanapattu, Mundiyampakkam, Kappiyampuliyur and Thuravi forgot their caste and class divisions and rose as one to protest against it. For the widened highway would have shot like an arrow through the ancient Siva temple and its sanctum sanctorum for Panankateesvarar, and the shrines for his consort Satyambikai, Ganesa and Muruga would have been razed to their foundation. Inscriptions belonging to Rajendra Chola (regnal years 1012 CE to 1043 CE), his son, Rajendra Chola II, Adhi Rajendra, Kulotunga I, Jatavarman Sundara Pandiya I, Vikrama Pandiya and others would have disappeared. This enraged the villagers, who were determined not to allow the temple demolition to go through. They petitioned Villupuram Collector V. Sampath, National Highways Authority of India officials and Union Ministers. The State government's land acquisition officer feared the issue would lead to a law and order problem. The NHAI officials informed their headquarters about the protests. The NHAI has now decided "to restrict the proposed ROW [right of way] width to avoid acquisition of the ancient temple near Panaiyapuram village by restricting the extent of land acquisition up to the existing compound wall of the temple on the LHS [left hand side] of the temple portion only." The NHAI has stated this in a letter, dated October 6, 2012, to the Competent Authority and the Special District Revenue Officer (LA), National Highways-45C, Villupuram. In an earlier communication also, dated September 20, 2012, the NHAI said the "four-laning of NH-45C will be accommodated between the existing compound wall of the temple and the existing Veeranam pipeline on the other side." When contacted, an NHAI official said: "The temple will not be touched." No comment

'Indra Aunty' Prays For Utah--And Utah's Hindus Posted on 2013/1/29 18:15:59 ( 851 reads ) Source SOUTH JORDAN, UTAH, January 19, 2013 (Deseret News): When a member of Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's staff first contacted Indra Neelameggham about giving the invocation for the governor's inaugural ceremony earlier this month, one thought came quickly to her mind. "You must be looking for our priest," said Neelameggham, one of the stalwarts of the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah. She was told the governor wanted a lay person, not a pastor, to say the invocation. Staff members sent out feelers to Utah's faith community, and Neelameggham's name kept cropping up as an exemplary person of faith. A list of several possibilities was presented to Herbert, and he personally selected Neelameggham for the honor. "I have been told that I am the first Hindu and the first woman to offer a prayer at a Utah governor's inauguration," she said, noting that President Barack Obama's second inauguration on Jan. 20 will also feature a prayer by a woman who is, like her, a lay person. She said she took several lines from several Hindu prayers and then included some language of her own in her invocation. "It is a prayer for peace, happiness, harmony and contentment," she said. "Sen. (Orrin) Hatch and (former) Gov. (Jon M.) Huntsman both told me after the ceremony that they thought my prayer was inspiring, so I guess it went pretty well." For Neelameggham, being asked to offer the inaugural invocation was an acknowledgement that "we are a very diverse state." "So many people believe that in Utah we are just a Mormon community," she said. "Certainly that is the predominant religion, but we are so much more than just that. And I think they wanted someone to represent that diversity." Today, Indra estimates there are about 5,000 Hindus from Brigham City to Cedar City. "Whenever there was a Hindu festival I would make a big celebration and invite all the Hindus I knew to my home to celebrate the festival," she said. "Our home was always open to the Indian students at the university. It was always a place they could come to get a meal, or to sleep, or to just be with a family at home." The students started calling her "Indra Aunty," a name by which she continues to be known by many in the local Hindu community. No comment

Daily Inspiration Posted on 2013/1/29 18:15:52 ( 727 reads ) Source Years ago, I used to walk for miles to meet my Guru. The distance appeared no longer than a few furlongs. -- Dada J.P. Vaswani No comment

Borneo Hindus Set to Celebrate Thaipusam Posted on 2013/1/25 11:18:56 ( 966 reads ) Source MIRI, BORNEO, January 26, 2013 (The Borneo Post): The Miri Hindu Society is all set to celebrate Thaipusam tomorrow (Jan 27). Its chairman Selvaraj Grapragasem said that some 60 devotees would join the celebration to be held at the Raghavan Building, Brooke Road here starting 8am. "Only this number of devotees is expected as some have gone home to celebrate in their respective home towns," he said. On this day, the devotees will carry pots of milk from the ground floor to the rooftop of the Raghavan Building. There, the pots will be placed at the Kamini Durga Easwari Amman alter with a special pooja for Lord Muruga. "This will be followed by annathaanam or food to be served to the devotees," Selvaraj said. The activities will end at noon. Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). It is not only observed in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where the communities are smaller, such as Malaysia. The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. According to Selvaraj, it will be celebrated nationwide on Jan 27. "This is an important religious occasion among the Indians where devotees will pay homage and offer prayers to Lord Muruga". While expecting for a good crowd to witness the event, Selvaraj hoped for good weather on the day, otherwise the devotees and everybody would be drenched. No comment

Chinese At Home in Hindu Temples Posted on 2013/1/25 11:18:50 ( 986 reads ) Source PENANG, MALAYSIA, January 25, 2013 (The Hindu, by S. Muthiah): Thai Poosam is celebrated by Tamils everywhere, but in Penang, the Chinese join in too. A few months ago, I was in Penang to attend the Sashtiapdaboorthi (60th birthday celebrations) of a friend. It was conducted in a grand manner in the largest temple in Penang, the Dhandayuthapani Temple, work on which was started by the Nattukottai Chettiar settlers in the town in 1854 and which was consecrated in 1857. A striking temple rich with teak, hidden behind a typical kittangi (Chettiar bank-cum-residence) frontage, it hosted about a thousand guests of all faiths on this happy occasion. But sitting in a corner, removed from the action, I watched, fascinated, a procession of a different sort. In a corner of the outer circumambulatory corridor, away from the rear of the main temple, is a small shrine to Lord Ganesha. It was to this shrine that the procession I watched all morning headed briskly. It was a procession of Chinese, in their favored workday clothes of shorts and T-shirts, heading straight for Lord Ganesha, either singly or in family groups. And there they made their offerings, prayed with all the fervor of any Hindu and left with ash and kumkum on their foreheads. Some then stopped to pay their obeisance to Lord Dhandayuthapani; no one looking embarrassedly like an intruder even for a moment not only in the temple but also amid the ceremonies going on. Watching me focussed on this Chinese presence, a trustee of the temple, Dr. S.N.A.S. Narayanan, laughed as he told me, "Many of them are more regular than we are when it comes to communing with Lord Ganesha here. They have immense faith in Him and feel if they pray to Him before they leave for work, their businesses will prosper." And then he added, "I'll bring you here on another day and you can see them performing paal (milk) abhishegam." And he did and I watched a score and more Chinese arrive with pots of milk to bathe their benefactor. As we were leaving, Dato Ramanathan, another Trustee, turned to me and said, "You never accept our invitations for Thaipusam. That's really something to see. Hundreds of Chinese and persons of other faiths...Sikhs, Christians, many a foreigner...they all break coconuts along the processional route and seek Lord Muruga's blessings. Many of the Chinese break coconuts in the hundreds." No comment

 

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(Continued...) 

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