News from Hindu Press International
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/23 18:33:37 ( 640 reads )
|
Source
Waste not a minute. Be bold. Realize the Truth, here and now!
-- Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society,
Rishikesh
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/19 17:58:52 ( 854 reads )
|
Source
UNITED STATES, April 2013 (The Atlantic): Jai Subedi still doesn't know why
Mitra Mishra killed himself. Subedi, a case manager for Bhutanese refugees
at Interfaith Works Center for New Americans in Syracuse, NY, was with the
20-year-old Mishra at Schiller Park the evening of July 3, 2010. "We
played soccer just the previous day until 6 p.m. and he was totally
fine," Subedi said. On Independence Day, early morning walkers found
Mishra's body hanging from a tree at the soccer field.
Mishra's death is part of a troubling pattern among Bhutanese refugees
resettled in the U.S. The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
began to notice a pattern. Ultimately, 16 suicides were confirmed among
U.S. resident Bhutanese refugees as of February 2012. The International
Organization for Migration (IOM) had noticed a similar trend among the
Bhutanese in the camps in Nepal. IOM documented 67 suicides and 64 attempts
between 2004 and 2010. The numbers were high, but without a statistical
comparison, it was hard to know how bad the problem was.
ORR tasked the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Refugee
Health Technical Assistance Center of the Massachusetts Public Health
Department with investigating. By interviewing close contacts of the
deceased (typically family members), the study team performed
"psychological autopsies" on 14 of the 16 U.S. suicide victims.
They also did a broader survey of the general Bhutanese refugee population
to determine the rates of suicidal thinking and mental health conditions.
The study team confirmed the government's suspicions; the problem was
endemic. The global suicide rate per 100,000 people--how suicide rates are
calculated--is 16, and the rate for the general U.S. population is 12.4.
The Bhutanese rate is much higher: 20.3 among U.S. resettled refugees and
20.7 among the refugee camp population. A handful of suicides were reported
among other refugee groups during the same period as the CDC study, but
nothing like the number among the Bhutanese.
The rate of depression among the Bhutanese surveyed was 21 percent, nearly
three times that of the general U.S. population (6.7 percent). In addition
to depression, risk factors for suicide included not being the family's
provider, feelings of limited social support, and having family conflict
after resettlement. Most of the suicides were within a year of resettlement
to the U.S. and, in all cases, the victims hanged themselves.
Post-migration difficulties that the victims faced offer clues about their
possible motivations. Most are unable to communicate with their host
communities. Many were also plagued by worries about family back home and
over the difficulty of maintaining cultural and religious traditions. Most
of the victims were unemployed. While few had previous mental health
diagnoses, mental health conditions were probably significantly
under-diagnosed in the camps where medical care was basic at best.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/19 17:58:46 ( 747 reads )
|
Source
WALES, April 15, 2013 (BBC): An organisation to promote Hindu culture,
religion and values in Wales has been officially launched. The Hindu
Council of Wales (HCW) was established to give Hindu communities "one
voice" and to promote better understanding of the culture. The council
will also aim to work with other faiths to promote "mutual understanding."
There are more than 10,400 Hindus living in Wales, according to latest
figures. The HCW chair Vimla Patel, secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Temple
in Splott, Cardiff said the organisation was much needed. She added:
"There are other temples and groups all across Wales, but there was no
one voice to speak on our behalf."
Radhika Kadaba, secretary of the HCW, said eight organisations currently
made up its membership and two people from each group could sit on the
council. "The members are not elected and have been selected initially
because we wanted a working committee to set up the council," she
said. "Over the coming months we will have proper elections according
to our constitution."
Mrs. Kadaba said the council was made up of temples, Hindu charities and
community centres. Cardiff's Shree Swaminarayan and Sanatan Dharma Mandal
temples are also members of the HCW.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/19 17:58:34 ( 707 reads )
|
Source
Respect, don't suspect.
-- Swami Tejomayananda, head of Chinmaya Mission
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/16 18:30:23 ( 914 reads )
|
Source
BOLIVIA, March 23, 2013 (La Patria): The Grand National Festival of Indian
Dance will be held today, displaying the best of that culture, in terms of
dance and dress, which will be shown by dance groups coming from La Paz,
Cochabamba, Potosi, and Oruro.
The Hamesha Hindu Cultural Center, celebrating its fifth anniversary, has
coordinated the event which will to be held in the Oruro Municipal House of
Culture from 15:00 hours.
One of the organizers, Esdra Lafuente, owner of the Indi Dil Shop, said
that in promoting this activity they've seen that the Bolivian youth really
enjoy Indian culture, and that through the Bollywood movies from India,
they learn a lot about family and community values, patriotism, relations
with neighbors, and more.
Indian dance has influenced several East Asian cultures through the course
of history as well as dances like flamenco, jazz and contemporary dance. It
has acquired world wide recognition as one of the finest folk dances.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/16 18:30:16 ( 832 reads )
|
Source
CANADA, April 6, 2013 (The Globe And Mail): Mr. Benisasia runs a South
Asian-focused funeral home on Derry Road in Malton and wants to open a
crematorium beside it. The land, money and demand is there, he says.
For more than three years, he's waited for his rezoning application to be
approved by the City of Mississauga. But a new Mississauga bylaw passed in
March says new crematoriums must be a minimum of 300 metres from
residential properties, due to concerns over the health effects from their
emissions. Since Mr. Benisasia's business is less than 300 metres from several
nearby houses, he won't be opening that crematorium any time soon.
But the battle isn't over. He plans to take his case to the Ontario
Municipal Board. As part of religious practice, many South Asians cremate
their dead - namely Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. For him, this goes beyond
business owner versus city: This is a cultural and religious issue.
"If we have a funeral home that is catering to the needs of that
community, but does not have access to their own crematorium services, then
it limits their ability to serve the community," said Pandit Roopnauth
Sharma, the priest at Mississauga's Ram Mandir, the city's largest Hindu
temple.
As Mississauga's ethnic and religious minority population grows, so too do
calls for services that cater to their needs. In keeping with the shift,
more Ontarians are choosing cremations over burials. In 2006, 48 per cent
of people who died in the province were buried and 52 per cent were
cremated, according to Ontario's ministry of consumer affairs, which
oversees the province's crematoriums. By 2011, it had shifted to 41 per
cent burials and 59 per cent cremations.
More at source.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/4 18:06:36 ( 914 reads )
|
|
HPI
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, May 2, 2013: Swami Guhabaktananda, head of the
Divine Life Society here at Batu Caves, passed away yesterday. Swamiji had
been very ill, and did not survive a third heart attack. He previously had
bypass surgery. Swamiji was the first Malaysian-born monk to lead the local
DLS mission. He was a close friend of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, his
successor Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and all those associated with
Hinduism Today and HPI. He will be missed.
According to the DLS website: "Our patron and spiritual adviser is His
Holiness Sri Swami Guhabhaktananda Saraswati Maharaj. Swami Guhabhaktananda
was born on 27th Oct, 1943, and was initiated in 1985 by His Holiness Sri
Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj. He is the head of the Peetam and leads the
Divine Life Society of Malaysia, headquartered at Batu Caves over 15 years.
Full of energy in listening to people and full of praises for others work,
Swamiji's optimism in all good efforts endears him to everybody. Swamiji's
favorite words are 'Have God in your heart and do your work. How
insurmountable it may be, it will come to fruition.' "
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/4 18:06:21 ( 588 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
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/3 18:13:45 ( 803 reads )
|
Source
MINNESOTA, USA, May 2, 2013 (Farmington Independent): If things work out
the way Satya would like them to, Farmington may soon be a center of Hindu
culture in Minnesota. Satya Balroop is the treasurer of a group called
Minnesota Hindu Milan Mandir, which has been in the city for nearly a year
now, housed in a building that for many years was home to Farmington
Lutheran Church. Balroop helped found Minnesota Hindu Milan Mandir, a local
branch of an international organization founded in India in 1917, when she
moved to the state in 2002. Minnesota Hindu Milan Mandir hosts regular
services on Sundays. But it is also a kind of cultural center, hosting both
religious services and community events. On May 4, there will be a
fundraising concert featuring local and national Indian musicians, food and
information. The public is invited to attend. "We're hoping to get the
word out to Hindus to come forward," Balroop said. "You'd be
amazed to see how many caucasians are really embracing this type of
lifestyle and wanting to know more about it and even practice it in their
daily lives. Especially yoga and meditation."Balroop hopes to start
making changes soon.She would like to bring in two monks to serve the
community from the building, and she would like to make Minnesota Hindu
Milan Mandir much more a part of Farmington. Changes will come, Balroop
said, as time and money allow.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/3 18:13:39 ( 937 reads )
|
Source
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, April 30, 2013 (New York Daily News): Public School 244
in Flushing is the first public school in the nation to serve
all-vegetarian meals for breakfast and lunch, according to city education
officials. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott says the all-vegetarian food
system should be replicated at schools across the city and nation.
Chefs at the Active Learning Elementary School have swapped chicken, turkey
and ham for black beans, tofu and falafel, and kids are digging in with
delight. On the menu is black bean and cheddar quesadillas with salsa and
roasted potatoes. The kids are digging into the vegetarian fare with gusto.
"This is so good!" squealed 9-year-old Marian Satti. The students
are pioneers in a citywide effort to make healthy food a staple of every
child's day.
A-rated PS 244 partnered with nonprofit New York Coalition for Healthy
School Food to design recipes for appetizing plant-based grub. "We
believe that, if we taught kids to make healthy choices, it would help them
to grow as students and well-rounded children," said Principal Robert
Groff, who helped found the school in 2008.
City public schools have undergone a "revolution" in cafeteria
fare since Mayor Bloomberg took office, according to Eric Goldstein, chief
executive of the Office of School Support Services for the city Education
Department. The ongoing evolution of cafeteria grub has led schools to
serve only whole-grain breads and pastas. Salad bars have been installed in
1,000 schools, and they'll be a fixture at all 1,800 facilities by the end
of the next academic year.
HPI Note: They don't mention it in the article, but serving vegetarian food
also solves issues about halal or kosher diets, as vegetarian food is
acceptable in both systems.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/3 18:13:32 ( 605 reads )
|
Source
The whole path is a total surrendering. All four sects of Hinduism meet in
surrender, prapatti, to the Divine.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/30 18:34:12 ( 793 reads )
|
Source
PUNE, INDIA, April 28, 2013 (Times of India): Close to 40,000 manuscripts
from the period 1600 to 1900 AD have been digitized in the city, while
around 145,000 have been documented in the state, recent data from the
National Mission for Manuscripts has revealed. With a budget of US$1.75
million this year, the mission also plans to start a national digital
library in the country, which would contain all Indian manuscripts in a
digital format.
Dipti Tripathi, director of the mission, who was in Pune recently, told TOI
that the mission is planning to increase the number of manuscript resource
centers (MRC) and manuscript conservation centers (MCC) in Maharashtra,
especially in remote areas.
"Languages other than Sanskrit and Marathi will also be given emphasis
here. The mission already has manuscript resource centres in Maharashtra,
including two in Pune, one in Kolhapur and another in Nagpur. There is one
manuscript conservation centre at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute (Bori) in Pune. Increasing the number of centres will depend upon
the financial situation as well as local needs," said Tripathi.
The MRCs include well-established Indological institutes, museums,
libraries, universities and non-governmental organizations, which act as
the mission's coordinating agencies in their respective regions. They are
responsible for survey and documentation of every manuscript in their area.
The MCCs undertake manuscript conservation, among other things.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/30 18:34:06 ( 770 reads )
|
Source
NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 30, 2013 (Ministry of Home Affairs): Shri Sushil
Kumar Shinde, Union Home Minister released the Primary Census Abstract-Data
Highlights of Census 2011 in a function organized by the Office of the
Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India here today.
Shri Shinde also expressed his happiness that the growth rate of population
has come down during the last decade and literacy has increased
significantly, particularly the female literacy. He further said that all
this information would go a long way in assessing the ongoing schemes and
planning appropriate interventions in rural and urban areas.
Some of the salient features of the data released are as below:-
Total population of the country is 1.21 billion showing an increase of
181.96 million persons in absolute numbers of population in India during
the decade 2001-2011. During this decade, population of India grew by 17.7%
as against 21.5% in the previous decade.
As per Census 2011, 833.5 million persons live in rural areas and 377.1
million persons lives in urban areas. Thus, more than 2/3rd of total
population of India lives in rural areas.
Child population in the age group 0-6 years in 2011 Census is 164.5 million
as against 163.8 million showing an increase of 0.4% in the last decade.
Sex ratio in Census 2011 is 943 females per 1000 males as against 933 in
2001 Census.
Population of Scheduled Castes in this Census is 201.4 million as against
166.6 million in 2001 registering an increase of 20.8% whereas Scheduled
Tribes population increased to 104.3 million in 2011 from 84.3 million in
2001.
As per Census 2011, number of literates is 763.5 million as against 560.7
million in 2001.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/30 18:33:59 ( 698 reads )
|
KAUAI, HAWAII, April 30, 2013: The leadership of HMEC, one of America's
most effectual and collaborative Hindu institutions, plans a special event
called "Threads: Sutra." The gathering will take place, most
likely, in the Spring of 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. It is to be akin to
the TED Talks events, but with an emphasis on dharma. Their action
statement explains:
"The goal of Threads: Sutra is to provide a platform to those who have
achieved excellence, who adhere to the principles of dharma. The series
will synthesize ideas from East and West and weave together trends and
cultural/intellectual forces to inspire and guide humanity for generations
to come."
The emphasis is on achievement and impact in the Americas, North and South.
The organizers will invite a few dozen of the leading Hindus who have made
a difference, impacted the American culture, in a wide spectrum of fields:
science, medicine, entertainment/media, business, high-tech, politics,
literature and invention. The gathering will showcase the important
contributions of dharma-minded leaders in these fields and invite them to
share their cutting-edge work.
Hinduism Today has been invited to assemble a preliminary list of these key
innovators and trailblazers. We seek input from our HPI readers as we build
the list, and invite you to send the names of candidates you deem worthy.
Please include information about their achievements, if known.
Send candidates' names to: sadasivanathaswami@hindu.org
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/30 18:33:53 ( 684 reads )
|
Source
Devout Hindus meet a satguru and in seeing him, draw the darshan vibration
from him, absorbing it into themselves. When we say someone is holy or
saintly we are feeling the radiations of that divine energy flooding
through him and out into the whole world.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/29 16:50:24 ( 956 reads )
|
Source
MUMBAI, April 27 2013 (DNA India): The Siddhivinayak Temple trust has
decided to set up a state-of-the-art dialysis centre close to the
Prabhadevi temple, where patients can have a dialysis done at just US$4.61
per cycle (compared to an average cost in the United States of
$500/treatment). At present, patients have to shell out $22 to $28 for each
cycle of dialysis. The temple has tied up with an NGO, Shri Veera Desai
Jain Sangh, which runs a similar dialysis centre in Andheri, to get its
22-bed centre put together.The NGO, which has a budget of $553,000, will
also appoint the health experts needed to run the centre. "We will
charge patients the minimum fee. The rest of the expenses will be borne by
the temple and us," explains Chetan Vora, trustee of the NGO. The
Sangh and the temple administration have signed a memorandum of
understanding to have the centre up and running by July. Mangesh Shinde,
CEO of the temple administration, says the decision was spurred by the
realization to have a sub-centre within Mumbai for conducting dialysis
procedures.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/29 16:50:17 ( 693 reads )
|
Source
VARANASI, INDIA, april 18, 2013 (Times Of India): Banks are in vogue. They
always were and will be. Almost all of them transact in worldly currencies
but some are exceptions. The Ram Ramapati Bank situated in Dashashwmedh
area is one of those rare exceptions. Here the owner of the bank lends not
money but paper, pen and ink that are used by its customers to inscribe
"Ram." These papers are then deposited in their respective
accounts in the bank.
The bank celebrates its 86th annual function on the occasion of Ram Navami
on Friday. It has a deposition of over 19 billion Ram naam scripted on
papers. Counting is done in January every year. The bank, started by Das
Channulal Ji, in 1926 as a family and friends business now has an
international presence, many of the account-holders are NRIs.
Like all banks, Ram Ramapati Bank also has rules for its transactions.
Anybody, irrespective of caste, gender, religion and even nationality, can
be its member. The only prerequisite is that the person should have a firm
belief in Lord Ram. "It doesn't matter who you are and where you come
from, you can be a member of this bank if you have faith in Ram and are
ready to follow conditions laid by the bank," said Das Krishna Chand,
manager of the Ram Ramapati Bank.
Conditions include the first phase deposition of 150,000 Ram naam in eight
months during which no alcohol and nonvegetarian food is allowed. It is
interesting to know that though most of the account-holders are devout
Hindus and followers of Lord Ram, but there are a few members of other
religions too who have deposited their scripts in the bank.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/29 16:50:11 ( 601 reads )
|
Source
COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, April 28, 2013 (News Track India): To overcome a
chronic power shortage, a Ganesha Temple at Coimbatore has set up solar
panels to generate its own power. A priest at the temple, Shivasri Vagesha,
said they decided to use solar energy for sustaining the regular activities
in the temple. "The electricity generated is useful for all parts of
the temple and used for all the appliances such as tube lights, focus
lights and fans. This is the first temple that runs on solar energy,"
said Vagesha.
The entire state of Tamil Nadu faces an acute shortage of electricity
throughout the year and this has affected the day-to-day activities of
people and the functioning of the industries. Coimbatore is one of the
worst affected cities due to the power cuts and reportedly, this industrial
city faces unscheduled power cuts to the extent of 16 hours every day.
On account of the power shortage, the temple used to remain closed in the
evenings and deprive the devotees of offering prayers and worship. These
trends prompted the temple authorities to tap new means of a constant power
supply and opted for setting up solar panels.
Rathina Vinayagar Koil is a 75-year-old temple situated in the heart of the
city where thousands of devotees visit it almost daily. However, in the
wake of severe power crisis, the number of devotees visiting the temple for
early morning prayers also had drastically dropped prior to the setting up
of solar panels.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/29 16:50:05 ( 876 reads )
|
Source
OMAHA, NEBRASKA, APRIL 29, 2013 (press release): The two-day Sanatana
Dharma Conference will be a historic gathering of dedicated devotees of the
Sanatana Dharma religious tradition with the purpose of laying out the
future of the Vedic spiritual tradition for the 21st century and beyond.
This conference is designed to greatly further our understanding of the
Vedic path, to deepen our own personal spiritual experience, and to share
with the entire world the life- changing teachings of Vedic spirituality.
This unique Vedic conference will bring together the spiritual, aesthetic,
health, social-political and sadhana (practice) aspects of Dharmic culture
in a very practical and immediate manner.
Join for two days of profound spiritual practice and experience, inspiring
discourses by advanced Dharma teachers, meditation and Yoga sessions, puja
and yajna (sacred fire ritual) ceremonies, an initiation (diksha) ceremony,
as well as spiritual workshops and activities designed to help bring about
the new Golden Age. For more information, click source above.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/29 16:49:59 ( 596 reads )
|
Source
Like a tortoise withdrawing five limbs into its shell, those who restrain
the five senses in one life will find safe shelter for seven.
-- Tirukkural 126
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/4/28 17:35:53 ( 864 reads )
|
Source
SWITZERLAND, March 18, 2013 (Solothurner Zeitung): On Sunday, hundreds of
Tamil Hindus from around the region gathered to inaugurate the new Sri
Manonmani Ammbal Hindu temple in Trimbach. It is the largest of its kind in
Switzerland.
In front of the main shrine of Manonmani Ammbal a kind of pergola was
built, which was decorated with garlands of flowers and leaves. In the
center of this wood frame there were richly decorated vases filled with
holy water. In the many rituals that were performed, offerings were
distributed and incense was burned on small altars. The ceremonies were
performed by ten priests headed up by the chief priest Somas Kandar from
Jaffna (Sri Lanka). During the rituals four musicians played on their
traditional instruments, the Nathaswaram (a double-reed horn related to the
oboe) and the Thavil double-headed drum.
In a procession the priests took the vessels of holy water up onto the roof
of the temple and blessed the main tower. Then the main shrine and the
numerous side shrines were consecrated by the priests. The statues of
Deities were adorned with garlands of flowers and draped with precious silk
fabrics. After the ceremony, Vasanthavajan Ramalingam, president of the
Association for the Advancement of Tamil Culture in Switzerland, Guenter
Hildebrand, architect of the temple, and Shtapathi Nagaraj, chief of the
Silpakala Nilayam temple architects firm in Chennai, were honored. The
inaugural festivities will continue, on a smaller scale, for the next seven
weeks.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/15 18:05:12 ( 683 reads )
|
Source
Youth is not a time of life--it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of
ripe cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is a temper of the will, a
quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions. It is freshness of the
deep springs of life. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years.
People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but
to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
-- Swami Bua, famed yogi who lived approximately 120 years
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/13 17:58:43 ( 836 reads )
|
Source
VIETNAM, May 1, 2013 (Tuoi Tre News): The Ponagar fest, the biggest
cultural event held by Cham people in the south of the central region, kicked
off on April 30 in Khanh Hoa's Nha Trang coastal city. The event also
earned the recognition as an intangible national heritage the same day.
From April 30th to May 2nd when the festival takes place, the
1,200-year-old Ponagar tower is open free of charge to tourists. Roughly
60,000 pilgrims and visitors, almost double last year's number, are
expected to join the four-day festival. The festival features such rituals
as dressing up the Ponagar Goddess, requiems, floating flowers and colored
lanterns, processions and offerings to the Goddess and Cham traditional
dances.
The fest, held annually in the third month of the lunar calendar, is to pay
tribute to Goddess Yan Po Nagar, or Thien Y Thanh Mau in Vietnamese, who is
identified with the Hindu Goddesses Bhagavati and Mahishasuramardini. As
legend has it, Thien Y Thanh Mau taught locals how to do farming, weaving
and knitting along with several other vocations to fend for themselves and
safeguarded them from calamities and wars.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/13 17:58:37 ( 742 reads )
|
Source
MARTINIQUE, May 2013 (martinique.franceantilles.fr): The 160th anniversary
of the arrival of Indian workers in Martinique was celebrated in
Basse-Pointe during the first weekend of May 2013. The festivity was the
second edition of the "Days of Indianness." It was an opportunity
to showcase all those who are contributing to the preservation of the Indian
cultural contribution to Martinican society.
Among the activities were an exhibition "History of Indianness in
Martinique" at the town hall and a walking tour of the two small Hindu
temples in the area. There were also seminars and exhibitions of Tamil
language, cuisine, traditional dress, jewelry and medicinal uses of plants
of Indian origin that are growing on the island. There was a seminar on
important Indian historical figures and an honoring of the elders.
To honor the event the town named a street after Antoine "Zwazo"
Tangamen, who was a respected Hindu priest, one of the last fluent Tamil
speakers on the island, and widely recognized for helping to insure the
survival of Hindu tradition in Martinique. The event was organized by the
tourist office in Basse-Pointe in collaboration with the Martinique-India
cultural association.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/13 17:58:31 ( 620 reads )
|
Source
Man arrives at immortality by breaking beyond the limitations not only of
his physical self, but of his mental and his ordinary psychic nature into
the highest plane and supreme ether of the Truth: for there is the
foundation of immortality and the native seat of the triple infinite.
-- Sri Aurobindo (1879-1950)
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/12 16:20:00 ( 1155 reads )
|
Source
Though Pakistan was established as a state for Muslims, the original vision
of its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was of a place of tolerance and
inclusion. "You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to
your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan.
You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do
with the business of the state," he said in speech in August 1947.
Yet Jinnah's vision has steadily been eroded. Today, as Pakistan prepares
for a historic election on 11 May, its Christians and Hindus, which
together comprise perhaps 3 percent of the population, face persecution and
assault. Some have fled. "If people have any resources, they want to
leave here," Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, of the Pakistan Hindu Council,
said from Karachi.
The Pakistanis who have made their way to the village of Bijwasan, not far
from Delhi's international airport, all belong to the same low Hindu caste
and come from the same part of Sindh province. They have applied
unsuccessfully for visas to India for years and hit upon the idea of asking
to visit the Kumbh Mela festival, the most auspicious date in the Hindu
calendar. "Getting a passport is not so difficult. But getting a visa
is very hard," said 35-year-old Hanuman Prashad, another fruit trader
from Hyderabad, explaining how they told the Indian authorities they wished
to attend the festival.
The Hindus, who came in three groups, said their biggest motivation to
leave was the challenge of educating their children. There was
discrimination in government schools, where they were referred to as
"kafirs," told to go and work in the fields and obliged to recite
the six kalimas, or tenets, of Islam.
They said the situation had become worse since the rule of the military
leader General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who seized power in 1977 and for the
next decade oversaw an increased Islamisation of Pakistan. Following the
notorious destruction of India's Babri mosque by a Hindu mob in 1992, the
Hindus of Pakistan were often the victims of revenge attacks.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/12 16:17:22 ( 793 reads )
|
Source
PHUKET, THAILAND, May 8, 2013 (The Phuket News): Despite having already
served the Thai-Nepalese community for more than a decade, the
Thai-Nepalese temple on Patong Hill was officially opened on April 19. The
event attracted hundreds from the local Nepalese community, many of whom
work in the tailor industry in Patong and other tourist areas, as well as a
select group of politicians and local government representatives.
Phanuphong 'Daniel' Limbuprasertkul, president of the Thai-Nepalese
Association, took time to speak to The Phuket News. "We have many VIP
guests here today, including nine Hindu priests from Nepal and of course
the Ambassador of Nepal," Daniel said, as we watched the lighting of
incense sticks and offerings of food.
The whole bright and colorful celebration had begun a few days before, with
the initial offering of donations that included water, milk, honey, butter
and rice to several newly installed statues. "These objects represent
life," explained Omjee Khodomkul, just one of the devotees wearing
traditional dress, "and on this day we give these things back to those
from whom we received life."
Although similar to Buddhist ceremonies in certain aspects, Hindu events
are also very different, with such as the ritual walking in circles by
devotees around the new statues. "This reminds everyone that we are
constantly going around the universe by dying, being reborn, and dying
again," said Daniel.
Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa, representing the island's
government at this culturally significant ceremony, expressed the
importance of the Nepalese community to Phuket. "There are around
1,500 Nepalese in Phuket and they do business very well and are important
for Phuket industry - they are especially very good at tailoring."
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/12 16:17:15 ( 677 reads )
|
Source
When I came out of the spacecraft (Discovery) for a space walk, I had this
feeling that Ganesha was looking over me.
-- Sunita Williams, astronaut, the second Indian-American to orbit
the Earth
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/11 18:19:06 ( 765 reads )
|
Source
MAJULI, INDIA, April 14, 2013 (New York Times): Not too long ago, Ganesh
Hazarika grew rice, vegetables and peas near the edge of the Brahmaputra
River on a small plot that provided him a livelihood and a safety net. Then
one day the river took it away. Steadily and mercilessly, it had chewed at
the banks until his tiny farm fell into the water.
Landlessness is a rising problem for farmers across India, but Mr.
Hazarika's situation is unusual: his plot was located on Majuli, one of the
world's largest "inland" islands, an ancient religious center
that is home to about 170,000 people and dozens of monasteries. The same
river that has encircled the island and sustained it for centuries is now
methodically tearing it apart.
For many environmentalists and scientists, the Brahmaputra is a critical
laboratory in studying the impact of climate change, with much of the
attention focused on the mouth of the river in Bangladesh, where rising
waters are expected to radically reorient one of the world's most important
estuaries and potentially displace millions of people in the coming
decades.
But many miles upstream, the Brahmaputra is also proving difficult to
predict or constrain. Seasonal flooding, always a problem, has intensified
in recent years in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. Erosion is a
concern across Assam, as the huge river regularly shifts course while
carrying sand and other sediment from the Himalayas in a simultaneous
process of construction and destruction: new sandbars appear even as old,
inhabited places are battered by the currents of the river.
Climate change is contributing to these upstream changes, some scientists
say, though the Brahmaputra is naturally unstable because of seismic
activity and the river's braided shape. The erosion of Majuli has become
the most drastic example of the river's ruthless power, and local
officials, trying to protect the monasteries and the island's growing
population, have responded by building embankments and other protective
measures.
Since the 15th century, Majuli has been a center of Vaishnavism, a
monotheistic branch of Hinduism centered on the God Vishnu and His avatar
Krishna. Today, there are 36 monasteries, known as satras, yet erosion has
forced several of them to relocate within the island. Another 28
monasteries have been moved off the island altogether.
Much more at source.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/11 18:18:59 ( 839 reads )
|
Source
TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, April 26, 2013 (Guardian): Quick action by a 27-year-old
lover of historical buildings saved a Hindu temple in Reform Village,
constructed in the 1940s from gobar (cow dung) and other materials, from
possible demolition or modification by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. Liam
Boodoo, a Spanish teacher at Couva East Secondary and also a photographer
and budding historian, made a determined bid to save what he is referring
to as scarce East Indian-built heritage in T&T.
He said the Reform Village Hindu School is on the same property as the
temple and the Maha Sabha, which runs the school, wanted to build an
addition which would have affected the structure of the mandir. He got the
intervention of the National Heritage Trust by seeking to have the building
listed as a protected site. Boodoo said plans to demolish the temple or
modify it have since been halted.
He said the temple was constructed by Reform Village residents in the early
1940s and designed by a craftsman from the Sidoo family of Debe, during a
period of transition from indentureship to small peasant proprietorship.
The land was paid for in advance for 100 years by members of the community.
Boodoo said the temple was patterned after those found in the central
states of India and was plastered on the inside with gobar, and reinforced
with sand and gravel from the Guaracara River and stones from the San
Fernando Hill quarry. The Shiva Mandir was opened on March 2, 1946, Maha
Shivratri night--an auspicious night on the Hindu calendar--Boodoo told a
gathering of members of Citizens for Conservation at the Medulla Art
Gallery on Fitt Street, Woodbrook, during a presentation on the temple
recently.
"Any modification to the temple will destroy the original
structure," Bodoo said. He said in an attempt to stave off the plan,
he spoke to architects Geoffrey Maclean and Rudylyn Roberts, of CFC, and
they suggested he do a dossier of the temple and submit it to the National
Heritage Trust for listing as a protected building. "I got a reply
from the National Heritage Trust last Monday and was told they contacted
the relevant parties and it was agreed plans would be revised so as not to
negatively impact the mandir," he said.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/11 18:18:53 ( 613 reads )
|
Source
OTTAWA, CANADA, April 8, 2013 (National Post): -- A growing number of
Canadians are identifying themselves as having no religious affiliation,
although more than two-thirds of the country's population says they're
Christian. Statistics Canada's voluntary National Household Survey (NHS)
released Wednesday also shows immigration is contributing to the growth of
non-Christian religions, including Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist.
The NHS shows nearly one-quarter (about 7.85 million people) of the
Canadian population had no religious affiliation -- a sizable increase from
16.5% a decade earlier. Roman Catholics easily remain the largest Christian
group, with more than 12.7 million people identifying themselves as Roman
Catholic, or approximately 38.7% of Canada's population.
Nearly half a million people said they're Hindu (1.5% of the population),
with about 455,000 people identifying themselves as Sikh, and 366,800 as
Buddhists. Most of the recent Hindu or Sikh immigrants came from India,
while most Buddhists came from China. Ontario was home to 73.6% of the
total Hindu population in 2011.
Immigration is responsible for the growing popularity of some religions in
Canada and absence of faith among others, according to the National
Household Survey. Among immigrants who arrived in Canada before 1971, only
2.9% identified themselves as Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist. However,
these religions accounted for 33% of immigrants who arrived between 2001
and 2011.
In the latest survey, 16% of immigrants who came to Canada before 1971 had
no religious affiliation, but that proportion rose to 22% among immigrants
who came between 2001 and 2005, and 19.5% of recent immigrants.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/11 18:18:47 ( 587 reads )
|
Source
As a dog, let loose after being tied up for some time, is energetic and
active, so one, who learns to remain summa, or still, gets increased energy
which can be put to good use.
-- Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna (1872-1964)
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on 2013/5/5
17:57:37 ( 942 reads )
|
Source
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, RUSSIA, April 30, 2013 (Indrus.in): Golden domed temples
and tastefully landscaped lawns have replaced dilapidated wooden houses in
the riverside region of Nizhny Novgorod (about 200 miles east of Moscow, on
the Volga River). A picturesque monastery complex now exists where there
used to be an abandoned village. About a decade ago, a handful of Russian
Hindu monks led by Swami Vishnudevanand laid the foundation of Divya Loka
Ashram. They sought to expand the reach of Sanatana Dharma and to lead a
life guided by the Vedas.
'Veda' in Sanskrit means 'knowledge.' The Vedas are ancient Indian
scriptures which form the basis of Hinduism. When Vishnudevanand, still a
young boy, didn't find an explanation for his spiritual questions in the
works of great philosophers such as Berdyaev, Solovyov, Schopenhauer, and
Voltaire, he turned to the ancient wisdom of Hindu literatures. He found a
confirmation for his internal divine surge in the Gita, the Bhagwat Purana,
and philosophical texts of Sri Sankracharya, who was the principal exponent
of Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism.
In 2010, during the Kumbh mela in Haridwar he was conferred the title of a
mahamandaleshwar of Juna Akhara, which is one of the major sects of sages
in India. A mahamandaleshwar is a high ranking monk of an akhara who is
granted special authority and responsibility for the propagation of Hinduism.
"This title is a blessing from the saints. It's an honour which has
opened many new possibilities. It enables me to serve Sanatana Dharma in
Russia, to support and protect it," the swami describes what being the
first ever Russian mahamandaleshwar means to him. Following Swami
Vishnudevanand's footsteps, his disciple Anandlila Giri became the first
Russian woman to be ordained such at the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad earlier
this year.
Considering an enhanced interest in spirituality in Russia, this academy
works as a catalyst for promoting Indian values. Ilya Kurylenko, a disciple
of Vishnudevanand, suggests that Russians are especially interested in yoga
and Vedic practices. "Many people read the books of Adavaita teachers
such as Sri Ramana Maharishi, his disciple Papaji, Ramesh Balsekar, and Sri
Nisargadatta," he says. The academy reports that their recent Congress
of Advaita Vedanta hosted in Moscow was attended by about five thousand
people. The Vedic film festival held in St. Petersburg and Vedic literature
festival celebrated in Yekaterinburg were also heavily attended.
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/5 17:57:31 ( 926 reads )
|
Source
ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA, May 4, 2013 (The Hindu): Remains of Buddhist
sculptures are still being worshipped as Lord Siva in all the major temples
within the radius of 10 km of Nidumolu village in Movva mandal of Krishna
District. These are the places where Buddhism once flourished during 1st
and 2nd Century ce and its remains are still available on the premises of
as many as 11 temples till today and are being conserved by the locals.
The Buddhist sculptures under the control of locals are pillars, bricks and
half-lotus medallions standing witness to the emergence of different stages
of Buddhism.
"Worshipping Ayaka Pillar or Ayaka Mantapa, made of Dachepalli green
stone, as Lord Siva Linga is a common feature in these 11 Siva
temples," Krishna district-based historian Mohammed Silar told The
Hindu.
The temples at Ghantasala, Pamarrru, Pedamuddali, Mantena, Manzuluru,
Kruthivennu, China Muttevi, Mallavolu, Pedakallepalli and Nidumolu are now
flourishing as famous Siva temples in Krishna district.
An Ayaka Pillar worshipped as Lord Siva accompanied by two half-lotus
medallions at Pedakallepalli is mute witness to how Hindu temples were
built on the Buddhist sites.
Considering the two half-lotus medallions as Satya Pillars, the villagers
confess their sins before them.
Sri Sanni Siddheswara temple of Nidumolu, 16-km away from Machilipatnam,
remains a classical example of how temples were built on Buddhist sites
(HPI note: following the decline of Buddhism in South India).
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/5 17:57:22 ( 696 reads )
|
Source
There are three kinds of devotees. The inferior devotee says, "God is
out there" and thinks God is different from His creation. The mediocre
devotee says, "God is antaryami, the inner guide who dwells in
everyone's heart;" thus the mediocre devotee sees God within. But the
superior devotee sees that God alone is everything, for He has become the
twenty-four cosmic tattvas. That devotee finds that everything, above and
below, is filled with God.
-- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
|
|
No comment
|
|
|
|
|
Posted on
2013/5/4 18:06:42 ( 757 reads )
|
Source
UNITED KINGDOM, April 1, 2013 (Huffington Post by Pratik Dattani): As a
young, modern British Hindu, I'm one of a confused bunch of people. Our
Sanatan Dharma represents the oldest religion in the world. Our Vedic texts
introduced philosophy to the world. That's our heritage. But almost every
young Hindu I know plans to marry in lavish multi-day long ceremonies not
because it's so Hindu, but because it's so Bollywood. And most of us won't
know the meanings of any of those ceremonial wedding rituals. So most of us
will be Hindu in name only, at major festivals and weddings.
A research report by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a cross-partisan
British think-tank, said earlier this year that Hindus were
under-represented in the media in Britain. Out of 3,945 articles they
surveyed over 10 years, the HJS found almost all of the Hindu
representation in mainstream media were to do with three issues: opposition
to the slaughter of a cow in Wales in 2007; asking Royal Mail to remove
Christmas stamps featuring Hindu deities in 2005; and finally a case
against Newcastle City Council asking for land to be dedicated for open air
pyres.
While these may have been important issues, there were almost no Hindu
opinions expressed in the media with relation to foreign policy,
international aid, community cohesion, discrimination, defense,
environment, justice, anti-terrorism, economic policy, employment, family,
immigration and abortion. According to report author Hannah Stuart,
"Hindu claims were often more specific, and not about wider society
and contributions to public policy."
Hindu community leadership in Britain is at a crossroads. Young British
Hindus care about many of the same issues as other young Britons -- pop
music, the credit crunch, Bollywood, the environment, inflation, cultural
identity and football. When community leaders do not speak the same
language as the next generation, they begin to lose relevance. Many second
and third generation Hindus, whose parents are from East Africa or India,
have already begun to see their linguistic and cultural heritage dilute
over time.
This month gave a sneak peek into what the future may hold. The British
government passed legislation to specifically ban "caste"
discrimination as part of the Equalities Act 2010, something that was
likely to happen since the Act originally came into force on 1 October
2010. Hindus condemned any discrimination based on caste (obviously), but
many had serious concerns about the consequences and practicality of such
legislation, and the impact it may have on entrenching the outdated notion
of caste-based discrimination in Britain.
In saying the notion was outdated, community leaders were likely in sync
with what most, especially young, Hindus thought. MPs and community leaders
alike, speaking in hushed tones, said it was the first time they could ever
remember the Hindu community coming together in such a united voice.
More at 'source.'
|
|
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami ji,
Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
Today dot com for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
No comments:
Post a Comment