News from Hindu Press International
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Posted on
2013/5/4 18:06:36 ( 916 reads )
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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.' "
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Posted on
2013/5/4 18:06:21 ( 589 reads )
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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
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Posted on
2013/5/3 18:13:45 ( 806 reads )
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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.
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Posted on
2013/5/3 18:13:39 ( 940 reads )
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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.
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Posted on 2013/5/3
18:13:32 ( 607 reads )
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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
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Posted on
2013/4/30 18:34:12 ( 794 reads )
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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.
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Posted on 2013/4/30
18:34:06 ( 773 reads )
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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.
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Posted on
2013/4/30 18:33:59 ( 699 reads )
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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
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Posted on
2013/4/30 18:33:53 ( 686 reads )
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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
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Posted on
2013/4/29 16:50:24 ( 957 reads )
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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.
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Posted on
2013/5/19 18:19:52 ( 755 reads )
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BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN, May 17, 2013 (Daily Times by Muhammad A. Notezai):
Historically, it is not clear in documents to assert how and when Hindus
originally settled in Balochistan. But after having sat with
Balochistan-based Baloch and Hindu historians and writers, all of them
agree that Hindus have been living in Balochistan since time immemorial
along with Buddhists. It is also said that in some parts of Balochistan
paganism has been the religion of the scattered tribal people. However,
Hindus ruled Balochistan before the invasion of the Arabs in 712 A.D.
(HPI note: Some people in Balochistan speak Brahui, a Dravidian language
related to the languages of South India. Its presence here, against the
Afghan border nearly a thousand miles from the nearest region speaking a
Dravidian language, is the source of the conjecture that the Indus
Civilization in the area in ancient times may have spoken a Dravidian
language. Linguists, however, believe it is of relatively recent
introduction perhaps around 1000 ce. For more, see
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahui_language)
In Balochistan, Hindus have two historical and famous sacred places that
belong to ancient times. These two sacred places are the Hinglaj Shrine,
which is located in Balochistan's Lasbela District in a hilly track, and
the other one is in Kalat town called Kali Devi, who is the consort of the
God Shiva.
At the time of partition, religious riots were rampant in the subcontinent,
but Hindus were living harmoniously and peacefully in the princely state of
Balochistan, which was under the rule of the chief ruler of the Kalat state,
Yar Muhammad Khan. He respected the indigenousness of the Hindu community.
He had also given to Hindus economic and religious freedom in Balochistan.
That is why the Hindu community did not leave Balochistan at the time of
the partition because all their rights were safeguarded.
Hindus had also been living amicably with the Baloch and Pashtuns since the
pre-partition days in Balochistan. But after the partition, due to
religious uproar and turmoil, Hindus had to leave Balochistan's Pashtun
belt to settle in Baloch populated areas or migrate to India. In 1941, the
Hindus' population was 54,000 in Balochistan's Pashtun belt, but soon it
dwindled by 93 percent after 1947.
Hindus (those that are left) have been richly contributing in Balochistan's
economic prosperity and development since pre-partition days. They have
built schools, libraries and hospitals in various parts of Balochistan. In
Balochistan, many of the Hindus are educated. They have been offering
services in health, education and other sectors. But it is profoundly
shocking that Hindus are now living dangerously in Balochistan. They cannot
even perform their religious practices freely due to the nightmarish
situation where they interminably fear for their lives, faith, honour and
property. Hindus, in spite of being Balochistan's peaceful and largest
minority, are running from their old 'motherland' to escape persecution,
because their lives are in a precarious and worsened condition these days.
More at source.
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Posted on
2013/5/19 18:19:46 ( 700 reads )
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HPI
KAUAI, HAWAII, May 18, 2013 (Hinduism Today): Our editor-in-chief,
Sadasivanathaswami, is traveling to Europe in June and July, there to make
a presentation at the Lisbon Yoga Summit. He and assistant editor
Senthilnathaswami will be traveling through Portugal, Spain, Italy,
Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and France. Their objective is to
understand the current status of Hinduism in Europe, and the trends that
lie ahead.
We are reaching out to see if you know anyone who has done research or even
blogged on the status (or history) of Hinduism in any of these nations, or
in Europe as a whole. Good, solid research will help this feature article
reflect the complex presence of Hinduism in Europe.
Please contact: sadasivanatha@hindu.org
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Posted on
2013/5/19 18:19:39 ( 683 reads )
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One should go beyond relative knowledge and abide in the Self. Your own
Self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world. Seek the
seeker.
-- Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), South Indian mystic
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Posted on
2013/5/15 18:05:25 ( 767 reads )
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TEXAS, U.S., May 2013 (by M. Vijalapuram/V. Tummala): Holi, also known as
"The Festival of Colors," is a Hindu festival that has also
become popular with people of other backgrounds and communities, with
thousands of people celebrating it each year. Holi is a joyous occasion
that commemorates the story of Prahlad, an ardent devotee of Vishnu,
prevailing over the demon Holika. Furthermore, Holi ushers in the new
spring season, and celebrates good harvests. It is observed worldwide, with
participants organizing Holika Dahan, a bonfire symbolizing the defeat of
Holika, and throwing colored powder at each other. As college students
involved with the Hindu Students Association at our respective
universities, we strive to bring together Hindus and individuals of other
backgrounds as we celebrate Holi on our campuses.
At the University of Houston the theme for this year's Holi,
"Connecting cultures through color" was truly brought to life
with the diversity of the students of all cultures who came to celebrate.
It is a holiday to unite all cultures and races together. It is a day where
no social classes exist; everyone is equal regardless of race, religion or
status.
Holi at Texas A&M University had a huge turnout of over 1,500 students,
professors and families who, seemingly strangers at first to one another,
danced together covered in color.
Holika is a Hindu program that happens every year at Bellaire High School.
The event consists of different organizations who organize a dance team
competition for all local schools. The purpose of Holika is to provide a
fun and informational event which showcases the diversity of Indian
culture. An estimated 500 students attended the event this year.
Additionally, the 3rd annual Holi at The University at Texas at Dallas had
over 500 students of different backgrounds attend their event and the HSA
branch at The University of Texas at Austin hosted their 10th annual Holi
this year attended by 6000 students and faculty.
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Posted on
2013/5/15 18:05:18 ( 723 reads )
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SRI LANKA, May 11, 2013 (New York Times by Aatish Taseer): Four years ago
this week, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam announced that their
struggle for an independent homeland in northern Sri Lanka had
"reached its bitter end." The group had been fighting on behalf
of the Tamil people for more than a quarter-century, and its defeat was
absolute.
Today, great sections of Tamil country are still a scene of devastation.
The houses are either destroyed or brand-new; the land is uncultivated and
overgrown; there are forests of decapitated Palmyra palms, damaged by heavy
shelling. And then there are the relics of war -- graveyards of L.T.T.E.
vehicles rotting in the open air.
When I first arrived there last March, I saw the loss in primarily military
terms. But the feeling of defeat among the Tamils of Sri Lanka goes far
deeper than the material defeat of the rebels. It is a moral and
psychological defeat.
For the truth is that the Tamil defeat has less to do with the vanquishing
of the L.T.T.E. by the Sri Lankan Army and much more to do with the
self-wounding ("suicidal" would not be too strong a word)
character of the movement itself. The Tigers were for so long the
custodians of the Tamil people's hope of self-realization. But theirs was a
deeply flawed organization. Under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran,
the Tigers pioneered and perfected the use of the suicide bomber. This was
not simply a mode of warfare, but almost a symbol, an expression of a
self-annihilating spirit. And it was to self-annihilation that Mr.
Prabhakaran committed the Tamils. He was a man who, like a modern-day
Coriolanus, seemed to lack the imagination for peace. He took the Tamils on
a journey of war without end, where no offer of compromise was ever enough,
and where all forms of moderation were seen as betrayal.
More at source of this insightful essay.
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Posted on
2013/5/15 18:05:12 ( 685 reads )
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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
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Posted on
2013/5/13 17:58:43 ( 839 reads )
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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.
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Posted on
2013/5/13 17:58:37 ( 745 reads )
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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.
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Posted on
2013/5/13 17:58:31 ( 623 reads )
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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)
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Posted on
2013/5/12 16:20:00 ( 1156 reads )
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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.
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Posted on
2013/5/12 16:17:22 ( 795 reads )
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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."
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Posted on
2013/5/12 16:17:15 ( 679 reads )
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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
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Posted on
2013/5/11 18:19:06 ( 770 reads )
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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.
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2013/5/11 18:18:59 ( 844 reads )
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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.
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2013/5/11 18:18:53 ( 614 reads )
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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.
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2013/5/29 18:02:22 ( 546 reads )
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Consistency is the key to the conquest of karma.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
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2013/5/28 18:37:50 ( 658 reads )
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SANAA, YEMEN, May 20, 2013 (India TV News): A Hindu temple that dates back
over 150 years, a market that sports an Indian name and love for Bollywood
reflect the India connect of the Yemeni city of Aden. The famous Hindu
temples include the Shri Tarichmerga Temple that was built in 1862, the
Shri Ram Ji Temple that was built in 1875 and the Hanuman Temple that was
built in 1882.
It is estimated that Indians in Aden numbered 8,563 in 1856 and gradually
increased to 15,817 in 1955. Now an estimated 100,000 people of Indian
origin are concentrated in southern Yemen around Aden, Mukalla, Shihr,
Lahaj, Mokha and Hodeidah. Many of them have acquired Yemeni citizenship
and become part of the country's fabric. They, however, still retain ties
with their families in India.
Since 1839 and until 1932, Aden, located in the southern region of Yemen
and overlooking the Arabian Sea, was administered by India's British rulers
from Bombay (now Mumbai), and during this period the influence of the
Indian community in the economic and financial life was very strong. Indian
customs and traditions, whether in clothing or in food, are very evident.
Buildings with a distinct Indian character can be spotted in Aden's old
quarters like Tawahi and Crater. There is also an Indian lane in Crater.
Khalil Mohammad Khalil, an artist, said Indian influences impacted the
personal and professional lives of many of his ilk. "Indian films have
had a clear impact on my personality and art," he added. Khalil said
that he did not miss any new Indian film.
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2013/5/28 18:37:44 ( 633 reads )
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, May 22, 2013 (Union Tribune): The trial concerning
the legality of a public-school yoga program in Encinitas continued
Tuesday, with testimony from a religious scholar who said the curriculum
remains religious despite efforts to strip away any spiritual elements.
"I see it all over the place," Candy Brown said when asked if she
sees religious aspects to the yoga program in the Encinitas Union School
District.
The district introduced yoga as a pilot program in 2011 and expanded it to
all nine of its schools in January. Funding comes from the KP Jois
Foundation, which champions a style of yoga called Ashtanga. Yoga is part
of the campuses' physical-education offerings, and district officials said
students are simply doing stretching exercises with no religious
connections. Families uncomfortable with the exercises can have their
students opt out.
Some parents said the district should not offer yoga at all because its
religious roots can never be eliminated. Stephen and Jennifer Sedlock are
suing the district in San Diego Superior Court; they're being represented
by attorney Dean Broyles, president of the Escondido-based National Center
for Law & Policy.
Brown, a professor at Indiana University, began her second day on the
witness stand Tuesday morning by recalling the origins of Ashtanga yoga and
how they have been modified in Encinitas schools. Quoting from the KP Jois
Foundation's literature and referring to her own research, Brown said the
very act of performing yoga moves can be considered religious. "The
purpose of Ashtanga yoga is to become one with Brahma," she said,
referring to a Hindu deity.
Brown also said there is no distinction between the physical and spiritual
aspects of yoga. Children in the district's program do not chant or use
terms associated with Hinduism, but Brown said that does not make the yoga
secular. "Jois is very, very clear that the practice may appear physical,
but that is very, very wrong," she said. "It produces spiritual
transformation."
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Posted on
2013/5/28 18:37:38 ( 469 reads )
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Go beyond science, into the region of metaphysics. Real religion is beyond
argument. It can only be lived simultaneously inwardly and outwardly.
-- Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society,
Rishikesh
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Posted on
2013/5/22 18:19:32 ( 742 reads )
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OHIO, U.S., May 16, 2013 (Cleveland.com): The Cleveland Museum of Art, like
other major American art museums, is facing a rising tide of inquiries from
countries rich in archaeological heritage over works in its permanent
collection that may have been looted. Cambodia is the latest country to
come forward with such claims.
The New York Times on Wednesday reported that Cambodian officials say a
statue of the kneeling Hindu monkey God Hanuman, a much-beloved work in the
Cleveland collection since 1982, was looted from Prasat Chen, a
1,000-year-old temple at the Koh Ker archaeological site about 15 miles
south of the border of Thailand.
The article cited unnamed experts who said thieves hauled sculptures from
Prasat Chen via oxcart over jungle trails across the border during a 20-year
civil war that started in 1970.
The article also stated that Cambodian authorities said they plan to
contact the Cleveland museum and the Denver Art Museum concerning works
said to be from Prasat Chen. The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif.,
is already cooperating with federal authorities on inquiries related to
Prasat Chen, the article said.
In a written statement sent to The Plain Dealer late Wednesday, museum
Director David Franklin said: "The museum can confirm that it has not
been approached with any information of the type mentioned in the article.
Beyond this, it is the museum's policy not to discuss publicly the
substance of these types of inquiries about objects in the museum's
collection unless and until there is a definitive resolution."
The Times article said that Cambodian officials have been encouraged in
their quest to recover looted art by the recent decision of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to return two stolen statues.
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Posted on
2013/5/22 18:19:26 ( 674 reads )
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NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 20, 2013 (ENS): India's Ministry of Environment and
Forests has decided to forbid the keeping of captive dolphins for public
entertainment anywhere in the country. In a policy statement released
Friday, the ministry advised state governments to reject any proposal to
establish a dolphinarium "by any person / persons, organizations,
government agencies, private or public enterprises that involves import,
capture of cetacean species to establish for commercial entertainment,
private or public exhibition and interaction purposes whatsoever."
The statement issued by B.S. Bonal, the member secretary of the Central Zoo
Authority of India, acknowledges that cetaceans in general do not survive
well in captivity, saying, "Confinement in captivity can seriously
compromise the welfare and survival of all types of cetaceans by altering
their behavior and causing extreme distress."
Noting that India's national aquatic animal, the Ganges River dolphin, as
well as the snubfin dolphin are listed in Schedule-I and all cetacean
species are listed in Schedule II part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act,
1972, the ministry said it is important to protect them.
The grassroots Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organization, FIAPO,
was pleased with the decision. This group took the lead in campaigning to
ban dolphinaria in India, meeting with key ministry officials and garnering
local grassroots support.
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Posted on
2013/5/22 18:19:19 ( 638 reads )
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Look at the man who walks on a tight rope. He is performing various tricks,
but his mind is only on the rope. So also, we may be doing various things,
but our minds must be on God." Sri Sri Sri Sivaratnapuri Tiruchi
Mahaswamigal ("Trichyswami") founder of Kailasa Ashram, Bangalore
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Posted on
2013/5/21 18:05:42 ( 891 reads )
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INDIA, May 14, 2013 (HAF Press Release): To believe that one's faith cannot
be openly practiced is unthinkable. However, for many Pakistani Hindus, the
slightest acknowledgement of their Hindu faith can endanger their lives.
"There is fear 24 hours a day...Hindus see themselves as
helpless," Chetan Ram states. Young girls are ripped from the arms of
their mothers, married off to strangers, and forcibly converted to Islam;
never to see their families again.
Families live in utter poverty. Even if they are employed; they are at the
mercy of the jagirdars, or landlords. The Muslim jagirdars pay Hindu
workers at their own accord, leaving many of the already impoverished
Hindus unpaid. In order to escape the dire fate they face in Pakistan, many
flee to India for safety.
In January of 2013, a team from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF),
traveled to Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Over five days, the team visited three
Pakistani Hindu refugee camps, providing medical aid to over 400 refugees.
During their time there, the team listened to one heartbreaking story after
another.
Despite fleeing from religious persecution, these individuals are still not
formally recognized as refugees by the Indian Government or the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
To view the moving video of the unresolved plight of the refugees see "source."
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Posted on
2013/5/21 18:05:35 ( 852 reads )
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SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, May 17, 2013 (India West): It was a historic week at
the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple & Community Center as thousands of devotees
and patrons participated in the inaugural celebrations of the newly
renovated temple premises. The week-long Maha Kumbha Abhishekam ceremony,
which began May 8 and continued till May 12, presented an opportunity for
the Bay Area Indian American community to experience the grand Hindu
religious festivities in a unique fashion.
"It is gratifying to see our dream of 20 years finally fulfilled with
such success," Raj Bhanot, co-founder and treasurer of the Sunnyvale
Hindu Temple, told India-West. "We have been able to create one of the
largest community temples in the heart of Silicon Valley with enormous
support from both the South Indian and North Indian community, as all
deities are worshipped here and all major religious rituals are also
performed here," Bhanot added.
What began as a modest venture in 1991 by visionaries Raj Bhanot and
Naranji Patel, amongst others, saw its first milestone being accomplished
within two years as the temple opened its doors to the public at a
3.15-acre facility in Sunnyvale on Dec. 23, 1993. Ever since, the temple
has attracted thousands of visitors every year.
With the influx of visitors continuing to grow exponentially every year,
the board of trustees embarked on a project to rebuild the temple in order
to better serve the community. Despite the estimated cost of construction
being US$3 million, the temple was able to raise more than 50 percent
through cash reserves and generous donations, and a loan for the remainder
from Wells Fargo Bank. The groundbreaking ceremony was performed on Mar.
23, 2012 and construction followed. Within a year, the temple was able to
reopen the newly renewed worshipping complex that has a seating capacity of
1,000 people.
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Posted on
2013/5/21 18:05:29 ( 661 reads )
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INDIA, February 14, 2013 (The Hindu): The 21-year-old Sri Narayani Peedam
in Thirumalaikkodi, Vellore, has added one more jewel to its crown with the
Kanthirappu Vaibhavam (Eye Opening Ceremony) of the newly designed golden
statue of Sri Swarna Lakshmi made of 154 lbs. gold at the Peedam premises.
In connection with this, a 48-day Mahalakshmi yagam commenced at the
Shanthi Mandapam at the Sri Narayani Peedam on Sunday. The yagam, marked by
the chanting of the Sri Suktam, will be held three times daily, at 8 a.m.,
12 p.m. and 6 p.m. till March 29.
After that the Swarna Lakshmi statue will be temporarily installed at the
Deepa Mandapam in Sripuram, which already houses the Sri Lakshmi Narayani
Temple (also known as the golden temple) established six years ago.
"Devotees visiting Sripuram will be permitted to perform abhishekam to
the statue of Swarnalakshmi with Thulasi Theertham," according to Sri
Sakthi Amma, Managing Trustee of Sri Narayani Peedam.
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Posted on
2013/5/21 18:05:23 ( 590 reads )
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The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body,
the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in
him--that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes,
and I am free.
-- Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
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Posted on
2013/5/20 18:24:39 ( 612 reads )
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India, Shirdi, May 15, 2013 (Press Trust of India): Saibaba Sansthan trust
has recorded Rs 1,441 crore (US$262 million) income in the last five years,
with 22 per cent higher donations received every year, Sansthan's executive
officer Kishor More said on Wednesday. Five years back, about 20,000
devotees used to visit the Saibaba's shrine daily, but presently figures
show that around 60,000 people come to visit the temple everyday and the
number goes up to about one hundred thousand on weekends. During special
festivals at least two to three hundred thousand devotees visit the famous
shrine, More said, adding that the daily income now was around $82,000, as
compared to $36,000 per day five years back.
The trust has contributed funds on building super-speciality hospital,
Shirdi's roads, water arrangements, various developmental works including
Chief Minister's Relief fund and Shirdi's airport, he said. The audited
report of the Sansthan will be tabled in the state Assembly during the
winter session for grant, he said. When asked about "hidden
donations" in boxes like gold ornaments, cash and foreign currency,
More said the trust doesn't has a separate machinery to check such things
because when devotees come to seek blessings of Saibaba they donate money,
but from where they get it is difficult to know.
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Posted on 2013/5/20
18:24:33 ( 583 reads )
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WASHINGTON, U.S., May 18, 2013 (India Times): The number of Hindus
migrating to the U.S. every year has more than doubled in the last decade,
with an overwhelming majority of them coming from India, a new study
released today said.
An average of about 30,000 Hindus were admitted each year in the 1990s, by
contrast, the US admitted an estimated 70,000 Hindu immigrants in 2012, the
prestigious Pew Research Center said in its latest report on religious
affiliation of immigrants released today.
According to the report, the great majority of Hindu immigrants come from India
and neighboring countries with significant Hindu populations, such as Nepal
and Bhutan. The share coming from the Caribbean (or "West
Indies") has decreased significantly, dropping from an estimated 16
per cent of all Hindu immigrants to the US in 1992 to five per cent in
2012, it said.
Over the same period, the estimated share of green card recipients who
belong to religious minorities rose from approximately one-in-five (19 per
cent) to one-in-four (25 per cent). "This includes growing shares of
Muslims (five per cent in 1992, 10 per cent in 2012) and Hindus (three per
cent in 1992, seven per cent in 2012).
Notably, the U.S. government does not keep track of the religion of new
permanent residents.
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Posted on
2013/5/20 18:24:27 ( 629 reads )
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NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 13, 2013 (Times Of India): Among other intriguing
properties, the sacred lotus has the ability to generate heat and regulate
its temperature like birds and mammals. This has been revealed by a team of
researchers from the University of Adelaide, who have unlocked the genetic
secrets of one of the world's most unique and culturally significant
plants, the lotus.
The work focused on its incredible ability to generate heat so that it can
keep a constant temperature of around 32-34 degrees over a 2-3 day period,
while the environmental temperature varies by up to 30 degrees - behaving
like a warm-blooded animal.
An international team has sequenced and described the sacred lotus genome,
now published online in Genome Biology. The paper sheds new light on the
evolutionary position of the lotus, one of the world's oldest flowering
plants, and facilitates further research into its unusual characteristics.
The paper stated that the lotus has been cultivated as a food crop for more
than 7,000 years in Asia and is prominent in both Buddhism and Hinduism.
The lotus is also noted for its long-lived seeds - viable for over 1,000
years - and for its water repellency and self-cleaning leaf surfaces.
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Posted on
2013/5/20 18:24:20 ( 544 reads )
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Remember, your own soul knows the reasons why you were born in this life.
It knows what you need to accomplish in this birth. As a soul, you know
what obstacles and challenges you need to face and overcome to grow
stronger and conquer past karmic patterns through fulfilling your chosen
dharma.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
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Posted on
2013/6/4 17:50:47 ( 705 reads )
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BALI, INDONESIA, June 3, 2013 (Jakarta Post): As many as 500 Hindu leaders
from across the world will be attending the second World Hindu Summit
scheduled to take place in Bali from June 13-17. The annual conference is
expected to be a milestone as it will produce the World Hindu Parisad and
World Hindu Center.
"The World Hindu Parisad and World Hindu Center will be a breakthrough
in new Hindu history
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Posted on
2013/6/4 17:50:40 ( 553 reads )
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Wake up and find out eventually who you really are. In our culture of
course, they'll say you're crazy or you're blasphemous, and they'll either
put you in jail or in the nut house (which is the same thing). But if you
wake up in India and tell your friends and relations, "My goodness,
I've just discovered that I'm God," they'll laugh and say, "Oh,
congratulations, at last you found out."
-- Alan Watts, (1915-1973), English philosopher and expert in
comparative religion
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Posted on
2013/6/3 15:43:17 ( 904 reads )
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NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 30, 2013 (New Indian Express): The newly-constructed
Lord Sri Venkateswara temple was opened in the national capital city of New
Delhi on Wednesday. Constructed in a 1.17 acre area in Udyan Marg, at a
cost of approximately US$2 million. The temple was opened amidst chanting
of vedic hymns by temple priests with religious aplomb, an official release
by the TTD said.
Speaking on the occasion, TTD Trust Board chairman Kanumuru Bapiraju said
it is indeed a pious moment to open a temple of Lord Venkateswara in the
country's capital city. "The dream has come true after 16 long
years," an excited Bapiraju said.
Stating that the TTD is contemplating beginning Nityannaprasadam (free
distribution of food) soon in this temple on the lines of Tirumala,
Bapiraju said that there will be spiritual discourses and cultural programs
every day in the meditation hall. "We are also planning to invite the
seers and pontiffs of various mutts across the country to stay a day in
this meditation hall during the auspicious Dhanurmasa (holy month which
usually occurs between December 16 to January 15)."
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Posted on
2013/6/3 15:43:11 ( 586 reads )
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MANGALORE, INDIA, May 29, 2013 (Times of India): The Kukke Sri Subramanya
temple, has again emerged as the richest muzrai (government-run) temple in
Karnataka. Figures released by the office of commissioner for religious
endowments show the temple had a revenue of US$11.8 million during the last
fiscal.
Coming in a distant second in terms of revenue is the Male Mahadeshwara
temple in Chamarajanagar district with an estimated revenue of US$5.5
million. Kollur's Sri Mookambika temple, in Udupi district, is the third
richest with an estimated revenue of US$3.5 million. Revenue figures for
the Male Mahadeshwara and Sri Mookambika temples could be slightly more
after final auditing.
Between 2007 and 2010, the Kukke temple grossed US$16.1 million by way of
revenue. This spurt in revenue is remarkable given the temple's income -
US$4.3 million during 2007-08 - reached US$6.3 million during 2009-10. This
leapfrogged to US$7.9 million during 2010-11, and touched an all-time high
of US$9.9 million during 2011-12. The audited figures for 2012-13 put this
figure at US$11.8 million.
Krishna Prasad Madthila, president of the temple management committee, says
the temple on an average receives 15,000-20,000 visiters daily. This goes
up during weekends and on Ashlesha nakshatra and Shudda shasti.
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Posted on
2013/6/3 15:43:05 ( 503 reads )
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If you are going to control your income, start by controlling your
emotions.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
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Posted on
2013/6/2 16:28:29 ( 704 reads )
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FIJI, June 1, 2013 (Fiji Times): Hundreds of people around the country are
taking the time to learn the Sanskrit language in seven days. The free
online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, describes Sanskrit as a historical
Indo-Aryan language, the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and a
literary and scholarly language in Buddhism and Jainism.
Sanskrit is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India, and it is
an official language of the State of Uttarakhand. It also holds a prominent
position in Indo-European studies.
On the invitation of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha, world renowned Sanskrit
scholar Prof. Gajendra Punda is now taking classes in Labasa before doing
the same in Lautoka. Swamy Sanyukta Nanda of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha said
classes in Suva were well attended and participants numbers had to be
restricted to 55.
"The way this course was run was easy to understand and it captured
the participants' interest and enthusiasm on the first day and they were
compelled to take time every evening for classes," Swamy Nanda said.
Participants who attended classes in Suva, agreed that the Fiji Sevashram
Sangha had provided an opportunity to get them to better understand and
learn conversational Sanskrit. Many said they never imagined they would be
able to speak a word of Sanskrit in their life.
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Posted on
2013/6/2 16:28:23 ( 580 reads )
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LONDON, May 31, 2013 (Evening Standard): A fire at a Hindu temple in west London
is being treated as suspicious and police patrols in the area have been
stepped up after traces of inflammable liquids were discovered at the
scene. Police said they are keeping an open mind as to whether the incident
was race related.
Officers were called by the London Fire Brigade following reports of a fire
at the Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple in Hillingdon in the early hours of
Tuesday morning. The fire caused significant damage to a temporary building
positioned close to the temple.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Turner said: "We would appeal for
anyone who was in the Cowley High Street area and may have seen anyone
acting suspiciously to call us. "We have already introduced additional
patrols for the area and we would like to reassure the local community, and
those who worship at the Temple that we are treating this case
seriously."
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Posted on
2013/6/2 16:28:17 ( 588 reads )
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MICHIGAN, U.S., May 31, 2013 (Free Press): Gazing at a new Hindu temple in
Novi, Anand Gangadharan reflected Thursday on what the all-granite building
means to him. "It feels emotionally right," said Gangadharan, the
temple's vice chair. "It's extremely gratifying for our community. It
makes America our home in a rock-solid fashion."
That feeling is echoed by thousands of other of Hindus across metro Detroit
this week as they celebrate the grand opening of a $10-million temple with
six days of religious ceremonies that end Sunday. The Sri Venkateswara
Temple and Cultural Center is the first one in Michigan named after a
popular deity in southern India.
It's one of several new Hindu temples being built in metro Detroit that
reflects the growth and success of the Asian Indian-American community in
Michigan. A Hindu temple in Troy opened a new $11-million center last year
and other new Hindu centers have opened in recent years in Detroit,
Hamtramck, Ada, Canton, Pontiac, Sterling Heights and Livonia.
On Thursday, 24 priests from across the U.S. and India chanted in Sanskrit
outside the 25,000-square-foot temple. About 8,000 people are expected to
attend the ceremonies over the six days.
The temple in Novi was created largely by the members of the Telugu-speaking
community, many of whom come from Andhra Pradesh, a state of about 85
million people in India. Serving about 3,000 people, the temple has had a
temporary center in Novi for five years.
There are about 85,000 Asian Indian Americans in Michigan. The community
has a median income of $86,400 compared to $48,700 overall in Michigan,
according to the U.S. Census. About 76% of Asian Indian-American adults in
the state have bachelor's degrees or higher compared to 27% among all
Michigan adults.
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Posted on
2013/5/31 17:46:21 ( 601 reads )
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The biggest sorrow is poverty. The greatest happiness is that of meeting
with a saint, which is beyond compare.
-- Tulsidas in the Ramacharitamanasa, 16th century
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Posted on
2013/5/30 17:20:54 ( 655 reads )
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VARANASI, INDIA, May 26, 2013 (Business Standard): Prominent Hindu seers
and Sanskrit scholars from across the country will meet in Varanasi
tomorrow to explore ways and means to improve the livelihood of widows
here.
A large number of widows, including elderly women from different parts of
the country, staying in Varanasi, are waiting to join these Sanskrit
scholars and Hindu saints to vent their feelings against this age old
practice, Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said. "We will urge the
eminent Sanskrit scholars to lend us a helping hand in strengthening our
campaign against widowhood," he said.
Pathak said he intends to draft a bill and hand it over to the Parliament
to address the plight of widows who are abandoned by their families.
"I strongly feel time has come for the government to enact a law for
the welfare, protection and maintenance of widows so that their living
conditions and general existence are improved," he said. "The
enormous sufferings and hardships the widows in the country continue to
face can only be changed by drafting a law for their all round
maintenance," Pathak added.
As part of Sulabh's efforts to ensure that the widows do not suffer for
lack of care Pathak inaugurated a pension scheme for them in April this
year. The non-government organisation had launched a similar monthly
pension scheme in Vrindavan a few months back. Every widow is given US$36
per month by the organisation which takes care of their health and other
needs.
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Posted on
2013/5/30 17:20:47 ( 574 reads )
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ELDORET, KENYA, May 26, 2013 (Standard Media): The Hindu community living
in Eldoret marked the 150th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Speaking during the ceremony, Eldoret Hindu Temple's chairman Deepa Bhatt
said as members of a minority group, they will continue supporting economic
programs. He said the Hindu community will make contributions in business
projects geared towards achievement of Vision 2030. "Being a minority
group, we are proud to bring elements of our culture and hard work that
have blended well with citizens of this country," said Bhatt.
Referring to Vivekananda as one of the greatest saints in India, who upheld
peace and unity, Bhatt asked Hindu faithful to remember him and continue
with his teachings. Vivekananda preached the importance of brotherhood,
peace and love, and together with other believers we extend the same good
wishes to the people of Kenya. We are proud of peaceful coexistence that
the citizens of Kenya have always maintained," he said.
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Posted on
2013/5/30 17:20:32 ( 787 reads )
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OXON HILL, MARYLAND, May 30, 2013 (Star Tribune): Arvind Mahankali has
conquered his nemesis, the German language, to win the Scripps National
Spelling Bee.
The 13-year-old from Bayside Hills, N.Y., correctly spelled knaidel, a
small mass of leavened dough, to win the 86th version of the competition.
The bee tested brain power, composure and, for the first time, knowledge of
vocabulary.
Arvind will take home $30,000 in cash and prizes along with a huge,
cup-shaped trophy.
He finished third in 2011 and 2012, eliminated both times on German-derived
words. This year, he got two German words in the finals and nailed them
both, including the winning word.
The eleven finalists advanced from a field of 281 contenders based on a
combination of a performance onstage and their performance on a
computerized spelling and vocabulary test.
Runnerup was 13-year-old Pranav Shivashankar of Olathe, Kan., who stumbled
and was eliminated on the word "cyanophycean," a blue-green alga.
(For a complete list of winners: http://public.spellingbee.com/public/results/2013/finishers/html. Eight Indian-American
kids were in the top 11 finalists.)
Last year Indian-American kids also placed 1-2-3 in the bee: http://public.spellingbee.com/public/results/2012/finishers/html
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Posted on
2013/5/30 17:20:26 ( 535 reads )
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Austerity is the powerful bath of fire and bright rays of showering light
that washes the soul clean of the dross of its many past lives, and of the
current life, which have held it in the bondage of ignorance, misgiving,
unforgivingness and the self-perpetu-ating ignorance of the truths of the
Sanatana Dharma.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
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Posted on
2013/5/29 18:30:00 ( 1166 reads )
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HPI
KAUAI, HAWAII, May 30, 2013: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami will be guest
chaplain for the US House of Representatives and give the opening prayer on
June 4, 2013. As guest chaplain, Bodhinatha will offer a short prayer just
after 12:00 noon as the House begins its session. The invitation has come
through Representative Ed Royce of California's 39th District., inspired by
the work of the Hindu American Foundation and timed to be part of their
Tenth Annual Advocacy Day. HAF will host a Congressional reception for
Senators and Representatives that same evening. Additionally, they will
conduct personal meetings with individual members of Congress to present
HAF's legislative concerns, including the mistreatment of Hindus in
Bangladesh and Pakistan, immigration reform and gun safety legislation.
Bodhinatha will be the third Hindu guest chaplain to give a prayer before
the US Congress. The first was Venkatachalapathi Samuldrala of the
Siva-Vishnu Temple of Parma, Ohio (http://www.shivavishnutemple.org), on September 14, 2000,
to open the House of Representatives on the day that the Prime Minister of
India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, addressed a joint session of Congress (see
Hinduism Today's report on the prayer: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/ ...
t&com_order=0&itemid=4019). The second guest chaplain was Rajan Zed of Reno,
Nevada, who opened the US Senate on July 12, 2007, at the invitation of
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
If you live in the area, it is possible to be present in person by coming
to the capital building that day, then going to your congressional
representative's office for a free pass to the House Gallery.
Alternatively, you can watch the prayer live on C-Span, http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN/, or at http://www.houselive.gov. The short prayer follows
immediately after the House opens at noon.
For more information on HAF's program for June 4, see http://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/dc-days-2013-reception and for June 5 see http://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/press ... nnual-human-rights-report.
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Posted on
2013/5/29 18:02:33 ( 492 reads )
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OHIO, U.S., May 21, 2013 (Cleveland.com): A local organization is doing
what it can to find homes and work in the Greater Cleveland area for
immigrants with nowhere to turn. US Together, located at 2940 Noble Road,
serves under the umbrella organization Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. It is
attempting to restore the lives of Bhutanese people made to leave their
homeland. In doing so, US Together has in recent months found 55 families
homes in Cleveland Heights, and about 17 families more in South Euclid.
"It's a very new community for the U.S.," said US Together Refugee
Relocation Program Coordinator Helen Tarkhanova. "They have a lot of
challenges, the biggest being the language, their foreign culture and
finding employment." The Bhutanese coming to the U.S. speak Nepali,
the language of Nepal
"It started a couple of centuries ago when their ancestors left Nepal
and went to Bhutan in search of good Land (to farm)," Tarkhanova said.
"Geographically, ethnically and culturally they were separate from the
rest of the country." They were also different religiously, as the
country of Bhutan practiced Buddhism, while the refugees ancestors
practiced Hinduism.
"They kept their language and traditions," she said. "In the
late '80s and early '90s, the king of Bhutan proclaimed the Bhutanization
of everyone in the country. Everyone had to be uniform. They tried to keep
their culture, but with ethnic cleansing, they went back to Nepal."
In Nepal, they were put in refugee camps, where they spent more than 15
years. In 2008, about 60,000 were able to leave for the United States. Tarkhanov
said about 400-500 refugees have been coming to the Cleveland area annually
over the past five years, while many more have gone to other parts of the
U.S.
Tarkhanov said the U.S. Department of State provides resettlement funding
for some families for a limited time. Tarkhanov said the refugees are good
for the cities in which they settle. "We believe the refugees are an
asset to the community," she said. "They re-populate the
neighborhoods and schools, they bring new ideas and perspectives."
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Posted on
2013/6/11 18:14:31 ( 518 reads )
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AIZAWL, INDIA, May 23, 2013 (Mizo News): The Assam Rifles temple inside the
Assam Rifle Compound in Aizawl was attacked on Thursday morning around 1:30
am with a gelatin bomb. No casualties have been reported in the incident.
However, the bomb destroyed 26 glass panes, sources said. As soon as the
report reached the police they rushed to the mandir and started an
investigation. A forensic expert also examined the incident on the spot. No
one has been arrested. Meanwhile, the Mizoram unit of the Congress has
strongly condemned the explosion,"If this was the act of some party,
that party should be banned," the MPCC said. The Zoram Nationalist
Party also strongly condemned the attacked and urged the government to
investigate the incident and arrest the culprits. The explosion came on the
day when the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) is organising a rally
called 'Milem Biak Duhloh Kawngzawh' or Anti-Idol Worshipping Rally.
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Posted on
2013/6/11 18:14:24 ( 457 reads )
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Capetown, South Africa, June 5 2013( SABC News): One of the iconic artworks
of people's painter, Vladimir Tretchikoff, has been sold to an unknown
buyer for US$138,000 at an auction in Cape Town, on Tuesday. The painter
lived in South Africa from 1946 to his death in 2006. The portrait, known
as "The Hindu Dancer," bears the image of a female Indian dancer
with eight hands in various positions (see "source" above for the
painting). Auctioneer Anton Welz says ironically, the painting has been up
for auction before, but drew no interest from art lovers.
"Three years ago we had the painting up on auction and it didn't sell
and then there was the big Tretchikoff exhibition at the National Gallery
which raised an enormous amount of awareness about him and his work and
earlier this year, one of his works sold in London US$1.1 million and all
of a sudden people saw big value in his work," says Welz. Tretchikoff
has been described as one of the most successful commercial artists of all
time. Once described as kitch (meaning lowbrow, popular, sentimental), Tretchikoff's
paintings have found huge favor years on. He made comfortable living
selling prints of his works, while alive, he never got recognition as a
serious artist. For his story, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Tretchikoff.
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Posted on
2013/6/11 18:14:09 ( 349 reads )
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You may develop a thousand virtues and be reckoned as the greatest in the
land. But the lotus of your heart will not blossom until you receive the
grace of the Guru, the grace of God!
-- Dada Sadhu Vaswani
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Posted on
2013/6/10 18:32:23 ( 1232 reads )
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WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2013 (PTI): Indonesia, the country with the
largest Muslim population in the world, has gifted an imposing 16-foot-high
statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of education and wisdom, to
Washington DC. The Goddess' statue, on top of a lotus, stands in front of
the Indonesian Embassy just a block away from the Indian Embassy and its
statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
Hindus constitute just three per cent of the Indonesian population. A
little over a mile from the White House, the statue is yet to be formally
inaugurated, but has already become an attraction for city residents and
large number of tourists who visit the city every day.
HPI Note: What is not explained in this PTI report is the three children
sitting in front of the statue (see the photo in source above). They are a
young Barack Obama with two fellow Indonesian students during his time in
Indonesia when he attended elementary school there.
"Devi Saraswati is one of the Goddesses in Hinduism, the primarily
practiced religion among Balinese people in Indonesia, which itself is the
world's biggest Muslim-majority country. Yet, Her representation at the
Indonesian Embassy was not decided out only of any religious grounds, but
more on its symbolized values that parallel with several key principles of
Indonesia-U.S. relations under comprehensive partnership, in particular
education and people-to-people contact," a spokesperson at the Indonesian
Embassy told PTI.
The construction of the statue began in mid-April, and was built by five
native Balinese sculptors led by I. Nyoman Sudarwa, who wrapped up the job
in five weeks.
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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)
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