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Posted on
2013/7/10 11:41:52 ( 566 reads )
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BALI, INDONESIA, July 6, 2013 (Jakarta Post): Dozen of Indonesian Hindu
Students Association (KMHDI) members protested against the provincial
administration's lack of attention to the fate of confiscated sacred
objects currently in storage at the government-owned warehouse.
The protest, held in front of the Bali Legislative Council building in
Denpasar on Friday morning, called on the Bali government to process the
stolen goods and to return them to their places of origin or display them
in local museums. "The confiscated sacred objects have been in storage
for three years without any follow-up actions. We are afraid the kept
objects will be taken away by Roberto Gamba," the students protested.
Hundreds of sacred objects that were stolen from various temples in Bali
were confiscated during a police raid in 2010. A number of locals were
arrested for involvement in the thefts. Italian citizen Robert Gamba was
also arrested for buying and storing the stolen objects. The police legally
processed the case, confiscated the stolen goods and stored them in a
government's warehouse on Jl. Ratna in Denpasar.
Most of the stolen objects were pretima, or small effigies made of precious
wood, usually bedecked with gold and gemstones. Balinese Hindus consider
these items valuable as they believe they are an earthly, physical presence
of their gods. For Balinese Hindus, the loss of a pretima cuts deeply into
the psyche of the community, which feels violated by the theft and, at the
same time, abandoned by the grace and protection of their deities.
The students also questioned the capability and willingness of the Bali
Police to solve the theft of sacred objects, which is now thriving again. A
massive number of sacred objects have been stolen from 16 major temples
across the island since January 2013. Similar cases occurred in 2012 and
have yet to be solved.
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Posted on
2013/7/10 11:41:45 ( 520 reads )
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NEW YORK,USA, July 6, 2013 (Shaila Dawan,New York Times): As a racial
classification, the term Caucasian has many flaws, dating as it does
from a time when the study of race was based on skull measurements and
travel diaries. It has long been entirely unmoored from its
geographical reference point, the Caucasus region. Its equivalents from
that era are obsolete -- nobody refers to Asians as
"Mongolian" or blacks as "Negroid." And yet, there
it was in the recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. The
plaintiff, noted Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in his majority opinion,
was Caucasian.
The Supreme Court, which can be more colloquial, has used the term in
only 64 cases, including a pair from the 1920s that reveal its
limitations. In one, the court ruled that a Japanese man could not
become a citizen because, although he may have been light-skinned, he
was not Caucasian. In the other, an Indian was told that he could not become
a citizen because, although he may have been technically Caucasian, he
was certainly not white. (A similar debate erupted more recently when
the Tsarnaev brothers, believed to be responsible for the Boston
Marathon bombing, were revealed to be Muslims from the Caucasus.)
The use of Caucasian to mean white was popularized in the late 18th
century by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German anthropologist, who
decreed that it encompassed Europeans and the inhabitants of a region
reaching from the Obi River in Russia to the Ganges to the Caspian Sea,
plus northern Africans. He chose it because the Caucasus was home to
"the most beautiful race of men, I mean the Georgians," and
because among his collection of 245 human skulls, the Georgian one was his
favorite--this all according to Nell Irvin Painter, a historian who
explored the term's origins in her book "The History of White
People."
In 1889, the editors of the original Oxford English Dictionary noted
that the term Caucasian had been "practically discarded." But
they spoke too soon. Blumenbach's authority had given the word a
pseudoscientific sheen that preserved its appeal. Susan Glisson, who as
the executive director of the William Winter Institute for Racial
Reconciliation in Oxford, Miss., regularly witnesses Southerners
sorting through their racial vocabulary, said she rarely hears
"Caucasian." "Most of the folks who work in this field
know that it's a completely ridiculous term to assign to whites,"
she said. There is another reason to use it, said Jennifer L.
Hochschild, a professor of government and African-American studies at
Harvard. "The court, or some clever clerk, doesn't really want to
use the word white in part because roughly half of Hispanics consider
themselves white." She added, "White turns out to be a much
more ambiguous term now than we used to think it was." Doubtless,
this society will continue to classify people by race for some time to
come. And as we lumber toward justice, some of those classifications
remain useful, even separate from other factors like economic class.
Caucasian, though? Not so much.
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Posted on
2013/7/10 11:41:39 ( 518 reads )
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KAUAI, HAWAII, July 10, 2013: Hinduism Today is preparing a short
survey of the ways in which Hindu temples, youth groups and other
organizations are using Facebook. If you could let us know of groups
doing so in successful, innovative ways, please email jaya@hindu.org. We're looking in
particular for organizations that coordinate most of their activities
and share most news with their members through Facebook.
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Posted on
2013/7/10 11:41:33 ( 480 reads )
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There the eye goes not, nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot
understand how He can be explained. He is above the known, and He is
above the unknown. Thus have we heard from the ancient sages who
explained this truth to us.
-- Sama Veda, Kena Upanishad 1.3
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Posted on
2013/7/6 17:55:44 ( 597 reads )
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INDIA, July 5, 2013 (Business Ghana): A total number of 3,068 people
who went missing in floods in India's northern state Uttarakhand last
month will be be presumed dead if not found by July 15, the state's
chief minister said Thursday. Vijay to the news channel Bahuguna NDTV
that this would enable the government to start paying compensation to
the families of the victims.
Thousands of pilgrims visiting holy Hindu shrines in the Himalayan
region, tourists and locals were caught in heavy monsoon rain in
mid-June, which prompted devastating landslides and flash floods.
Official have put the death toll at 900. Bahuguna had earlier said the
exact total may never be known. Bahuguna said many people went missing
in the Kedarnath valley and bodies could still be buried. "We will
only know when the debris is removed," Bahuguna said.
The meteorological department has warned of heavy showers in the region
over the next few days which are expected to hamper operations to clear
debris, find and cremate bodies and reach an estimated 1,200 villages
which remain cut off, officials said.
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Posted on
2013/7/6 17:55:38 ( 729 reads )
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BANGKOK, THAILAND, July 4,2013 (Bangkok, Post by Peerawat
Jariyasombat): A brick shrine towers up among fragrances of incense and
flower offerings. The fast rhythms of tabla playing and the
multi-colored decorations on buildings and indeed all around make me
think that I am somewhere in India. In the middle of nowhere amidst the
rice paddies and the fruit orchards of Doi Lo district, the God Ganesh
is seriously worshipped.
The Ganesh Museum is a privately-owned venture founded 10 years ago by
Pandara Theerakanond. It exhibits all things Ganesh and a worshipping
ceremony is held every Sunday.
"It all started with a private collection When I stayed in Chiang
Mai city, my growing collection of Ganesh replicas interested people
and I lost my privacy when they visited my house to view these statues.
So I decided to build a shrine and a museum a place to keep my
collection" says Pandara.
The shrine is located in a soi, around 3.1 miles from the main road,
and Pandara explains that it is the best location to get spiritual
power from Doi Inthanon, which can be seen from the shrine "Doi
Inthanon is the last tip of the Himalaya range which connects to
India," he says. When he was a kid the first Ganesh he collected
was a small replica as a gift from his father. Thirty-six years later,
he found that he had more than 2,000 statues of Ganesh
His museum comprises two buildings, displaying Ganesh replicas in
different styles, as well as regalia and decorative items from many
Asian countries where the deity is worshipped. Visitors are educated
about the style of Ganesh statues, of which there are 32, ranging from
one to five heads and two to 16 arms.
More at 'source.'
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Posted on
2013/7/6 17:55:32 ( 547 reads )
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Not to do what you feel like doing is freedom.
-- Swami Chinmayananda
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Posted on
2013/7/4 15:30:00 ( 846 reads )
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LONDON, ENGLAND, July 5, 2013 (The Daily Mail): Vegetarians are to be
offered cheaper life insurance because, it is claimed, they are
healthier and less likely to die early. The AFI insurance agency has
devised the Vegetarian Term Life policy to reward non meat-eaters with
lower premiums. The company claims that the wider industry has failed
to catch up with the reality that vegetarians are a better insurance
risk. They are, it says, less likely to suffer from the sort of serious
or chronic illnesses that shorten lives.
According to the Vegetarian Society, the risk of some cancers is
reduced by up to 40 per cent and of heart disease by 30 per cent. The
chance of developing kidney and gall stones is also lower, it says,
while the threat of diet-related diabetes and high blood pressure is
minimised. The prospect of getting the human form of Mad Cow Disease
becomes much more remote, it is argued, while there is also less danger
of food poisoning. The new policy, underwritten by the Liverpool
Victoria Life Company, offers a 25 per cent reduction on monthly
premiums in the first year only.
But AFI - which stands for Animal Friends Insurance - is arguing for
the entire industry to deliver long-term discounts to vegetarians. They
gave the example of a 45-year-old female non-smoker.
She would pay US$16.48 a month for a $150,458 policy over 15 years with
the company's vegetarian policy, compared to an average figure of
$24.66 and a top rate of $27.68. A spokesman for the Vegetarian Society
said: "This is an important first step. We hope insurance
companies will take seriously the fact that vegetarians are less likely
to die young from cancer and heart disease."
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Posted on
2013/7/4 15:26:32 ( 656 reads )
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DAMAK, NEPAL, June 28, 2013 (NY Times by Vidhyapati Mishra): Before my
family was expelled from Bhutan, in 1992, I lived with my parents and seven
siblings in the south of the country. This region is the most fertile
part of that tiny kingdom perched between Tibet and India, a tapestry
of mountains, plains and alpine meadows. Our house sat in a small
village, on terraced land flourishing with maize, millet and buckwheat,
a cardamom garden, beehives and enough pasture for cows, oxen, sheep
and buffaloes. That was the only home we had known.
After tightening its citizenship laws in the mid-1980s, Bhutan
conducted a special census in the south and then proceeded to cast out
nearly 100,000 people -- about one-sixth of its population, nearly all
of them of Nepalese origin, including my family. It declared us illegal
immigrants, even though many of us went back several generations in
Bhutan. It hasn't let any of us move back.
The enormity of this exodus, one of the world's largest by proportion,
given the country's small population, has been overlooked by an
international community that is either indifferent or beguiled by the
government-sponsored images of Bhutan as a serene Buddhist Shangri-La,
an image advanced by the policy of "gross national
happiness," coined by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in the 1970s.
Bhutan even helped inspire the United Nations last year to declare
March 20 the International Day of Happiness -- a cruel irony to those
of us who were made stateless by the king, who was an absolute monarch
when we were expelled.
Many of our ancestors were recruited from Nepal in the mid-19th century
to cultivate the arable land of southern Bhutan. We are known as
Lhotshampa -- literally, people of the south. The Drukpas, the Buddhist
elite, and the Hindu Lhotshampa had coexisted, largely in peace, until
1989, when the king introduced a "One Nation, One People"
policy imposing Drukpa social norms on everyone. The edict controlled
the smallest details of our public lives: how we ate, dressed and
talked. The Nepali language was banned in schools, and Hindu
patashalas, or seminaries, which teach the Sanskrit scriptures, were
closed.
Much more at 'source.'
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Posted on
2013/7/4 15:26:15 ( 567 reads )
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Silence is the highest eloquence.
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), South Indian mystic
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Posted on
2013/7/24 18:14:20 ( 463 reads )
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The sun can give heat and light to the whole world, but he cannot do so
when the clouds shut out his rays. When egotism veils the heart, God
cannot shine upon you.
-- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886), guru of Swami
Vivekananda
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Posted on
2013/7/20 18:56:56 ( 601 reads )
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NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 14, 2013 (New Kerala): The thoughtful
construction style of the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand saved the
11th century structure from any serious damage during last month's
devastating floods, says an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
official, adding that a barrier would be constructed to protect the
shrine from any future calamity.
"The safety of the structure despite this calamity is because of
its orientation and style of construction. The domes of the temple are
interlocked with each other using iron clamps; that is why they are
intact. Only loose and cracked stones of the temple have come
out," B.R. Mani, ASI additional director general, told IANS in an
interview.
"Another aspect of this temple is its north-south orientation.
Mostly temples face east or west. But this temple is facing south,
which is a rare phenomenon. It may be possible that in the 11th century
the people had thought of the stones rolling down from the north or
such calamity; hence they structured it like this," he added.
The "Himalayan tsunami" last month killed hundreds of people
and thousands are missing. Thousands of houses were uprooted, hundreds
of bridges and roads washed away or destroyed in landslides and gushing
rivers. Amidst this devastation, Mani says, on a scale of hundred the
temple is 99 percent safe.
Standing majestically tall at an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea
level, the Kedarnath temple has been built in the Rekha-Sikhara style
with three different horizontal divisions. Despite the fact that the
Kedarnath temple doesn't come under ASI-protected sites, due to the
religious sentiments attached with this holy shrine, restoration has
been entrusted to them.
"Conservation is a slow process. It is not rebuilding a structure
but it is conserving the structure as per the original. For that we
have to use the same material to keep it close to the original. We
would also be using more iron than mortar," Mani pointed out.
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Posted on
2013/7/20 18:56:50 ( 609 reads )
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DEHRADUN, INDIA, July 2013 (Times of India): A series of advisories
sent out by the Met department on June 14, 15 and 16 to various
authorities in Uttarakhand warned not only of "very heavy
rains" but also urged that people be "moved to safer
places" and that the Char Dham yatra be "postponed."
These advisories, accessed exclusively by TOI, provide the most damning
evidence that the devastation in Uttarakhand could have been averted
and thousands of lives saved had the warnings been heeded.
The warnings had been sent to a slew of top officials, including the
state's chief secretary and the district magistrates (of the districts
where the Char Dham yatra takes place). The warning, issued by the
state meteorological department, was not picked up in right earnest
even by its own headquarters, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD), which could perhaps have alerted the Centre and the state
government on the impending danger.
A special advisory related to the Char Dham yatra was issued by the Met
department on June 15 which had specifically predicted "heavy to
very heavy rains" for June 16 and June 17 and had clearly
mentioned the danger: "Warning - Char Dham yatris are advised to
postpone yatra by four days." This advisory was for the Badrinath,
Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamnotri and Joshimath regions -- all of which
suffered majorly in the subsequent landslides and rains which became
violent on the night of June 16.
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Posted on
2013/7/20 18:56:43 ( 614 reads )
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COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, July 9, 2013 (The Hindu): The Madhya Pradesh
government is all set to start building a Sita temple, designed in the
South Indian architectural style, at Divurumpola in Sri Lanka. Sita is
believed to have undergone her agni pareeksha (test by fire) at this
spot. The design has been finalised. Divurumpola is near Nuwara-Eliya,
in the central part of the country.
The State government has been pursuing the proposal with Sri Lanka
since 2012. Early this year, it commissioned a Bangalore-based firm of
architects to do the design, and assigned the State Tourism Department
to coordinate the project.
The architects concerned, who did not want to be identified, told The
Hindu they had chosen the Vijayanagara style. The proposed complex
would comprise three shrines, a tank and an ornate pillared hall.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism officials said the estimated cost is about US$4
million. Tenders would be invited shortly.
Since 2007, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has been
promoting sites associated with the Ramayana. It had identified about
50 such sites and proposed plans to develop them to attract Indian
tourists.
However, a few Sri Lankan historians had objected to this project
because they thought it distorted archaeological evidence and alleged
that these sites were mere inventions.
The Sri Lankan press had earlier reported that Ravana Balaya, a
Sinhalese Buddhist organisation, had demanded that a statue for Ravana,
the mythical Lankan king associated with the Ramayana tale, should be
built before constructing a Sita temple.
They explained that they are not opposed to the construction the
temple, but wanted the government to honour Ravana first.
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Posted on
2013/7/20 18:56:37 ( 459 reads )
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Sugar is sweet at all times, even in the dark. So remains devotion for
the devout, in times of comfort or discomfort, praises or insults, darkness
or enlightenment.
-- His Divine Holiness Pramukhswami Maharaj, spiritual head of
Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
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Posted on
2013/7/18 15:43:02 ( 620 reads )
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NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 15, 2013 (The Hindu): Jurists, advocates and
other civil society leaders expressed concern over "illegal"
government control of Hindu temples and analysed the constitutional
rights of their administration and management at a symposium organized
in the Capital on this issue on Sunday.
Swami Paramatmanandaji, secretary of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha
(HDAS), which organized the symposium, said HDAS had filed a writ
petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity
of the different State Acts used for controlling temples. Supreme Court
advocate Pinky Anand argued that provisions in the law for take over of
temples by the government were invalid and not tenable.
T.R. Ramesh, president of Temple Worshippers Society, said thousands of
temples having assets worth millions of dollars in States like Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry had been taken over by the
government. "In spite of the fact that the Supreme Court in 1954
struck down the "illegal" provisions of the Madras Hindu
Religious and Charitable Endowment Act 1951 related to the appointment
of executive officers in temples, the same provisions were brought back
by legislating the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment
Act in 1959," he said.
Former acting Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Vishnu Sadashiv
Kokje argued that the issue of government control over temples cannot
be solved in the Apex Court, so Hindus needed to take routes of
agitation and pressure building. K.N. Bhat, the Supreme Court lawyer
who represented Lord Ram in the Ram Jamnabhoomi case, cautioned that
legal remedies were fraught with uncertainties.
Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, HDAS convenor, said Hindus should unite to
take back control of the temples from the Government. This was the only
way the Hindus can find the money to propagate the religion and
withstand the onslaught of conversions by other religions.
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Posted on
2013/7/18 15:42:56 ( 634 reads )
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INDIA, July, 15th July, 2013 (by R. Sujatha, The Hindu): (HPI Note:
readers wishing to comment on this report may email ar@hindu.org).
Subadra Muthuswami, who has a master's degree in public health from Columbia
University, hoped to pursue her interest in Hinduism when she returned
to India but discovered that no university in India offers a
comprehensive course in Hinduism studies. Her quest to conduct research
in Hinduism has remained in limbo
She discovered that the University of Madras has programs in
Vaishnavism and Indian philosophy. She enquired with universities such
as Madurai Kamaraj, Annamalai and Sastra, but without success. Finally,
she went to Madras Sanskrit College in Mylapore, where she was informed
that she could register as an independent research candidate or seek
help from the University of Madras. "While you may study Indian
philosophy in the philosophy department or Vaishnavism or Saiva
siddhanta, which is in Tamil medium only, you cannot study the religion
in all its constituent parts in India," she said. She learnt that
even Banaras Hindu University has a department in philosophy and
religion but nothing specific to Hinduism.
According to Siniruddha Dash, head of Sanskrit department at University
of Madras, there are six different philosophies in Hinduism and to
master each of them, one may need 10 to 20 years. All philosophies are
studied separately, just as in the learning of languages. Vaishnavism
is a widely-practiced aspect of Hinduism, one of the reasons the
University offers the programme, Dr. Dash added.
S. Panneerselvam, head of the department of philosophy said it is only
a matter of nomenclature. "We offer 12 papers at the master's
level including Advaita and Hindu social philosophy. Senior professors
say universities are secular places where Hinduism as a religion cannot
be taught.
Sources in the University said when the department wanted to offer a
paper in yoga (which is also a shastra) last year, the move was opposed
on the grounds that it was endorsed by a political party. The
University do have separate departments for Christian and Islamic
studies.
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Posted on
2013/7/18 15:42:50 ( 477 reads )
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Every two miles the water doth change, and every four the dialect.
-- Hindi proverb on India's languages
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Posted on
2013/7/17 17:51:16 ( 1424 reads )
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Hinduism Today
NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 15th, 2013(Rajiv Malik, Hinduism Today
Correspondent):
"Government control of Hindu temples should end and Hindus
themselves should be allowed to manage them."- Swami Dayananda
Saraswati.
At a day-long symposium on the subject- "Government Control Of
Temples- Constitutional Issues," organized by the Hindu Dharma
Acharya Sabha [HDAS] at New Delhi's prestigious India International
Centre on Sunday, July 14th, 2013, eminent jurists and top legal
luminaries made impassioned presentations on the different aspects of
the constitutional provisions governing the administration of temples
by Government. Kamla Devi Conference Hall, the venue, was packed to its
capacity with over one hundred participants including members of legal
fraternity, leaders of a number of Hindu organisations, NGO's, social
workers, political personalities and media persons.
Swami Parmatmananda, secretary, HDAS, welcomed the gathering and
explained the objectives of the symposium and the role of Hindu Dharma
Acharya Sabha, a representative body of heads of different
denominations of Hindu society. Addressing the gathering, Swami said,
"The Acharya Sabha has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court
questioning the constitutional validity of the different state acts
controlling temples. The purpose of the symposium is to bring awareness
on the constitutional position and legality of state controlling all
aspects of the administration of the Hindu temples."
In his address, Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Convener, HDAS,
recalled how, many rulers and devotees endowed different temples with
enormous land and wealth to sustain worship. Swami said, "Each
temple had a unique Deity and it is the Deity who owns the property
endowed. The Deity in the Chidambaram Siva Temple is Nataraja; in
Thiruvaraur, the Deity is Thyagaraja; in Mannargudi, it's Lord Vishnu
as Rajagopala. Each temple therefore has a unique Deity and set of
practices, and they are the repository of our culture. Now all the
wealth is not properly utilized for the worship of the Lord or for
propagation of the denomination of the temple." Swami also
maintained that Hindus should unite to take back control of Hindu
temples from the government. He felt this is the only way the Hindu
community can find the money to propagate the religion and withstand
the onslaught of conversion by other religions.
Eminent Supreme Court advocate Aman Lekhi, walked the gathering through
evolution of the laws that govern the temple administration. However he
concluded his speech by saying, "I would say temples need to be
regulated when there is an occasion or a justification for it. If the
machinery of the state is there to help us to regulate the temples,
that is appropriate. But then we have to use it for our purpose.
Because the machinery of the state would be the best machinery
available to us for the purpose of managing the temples. That said, we
cannot concede to those who control, the right to take over. However in
the guise of control, the temple cannot be consumed and this provision
would be there in the act."
Sitting Rajya Sabha member, Ex Governor of Jharkhand, past Chief
Justice Punjab and Haryana High Court Rama Jois in his speech explained
the concept of dharma and how it was the font of secular thought.
"It is incorrect to term dharma to be a religious concept."
It is a universal concept, he asserted. He observed, "Law is
punitive and is there in the picture after the offense is committed;
dharma is preventive, it prevents offense." He went on to share
the Dharmic Administration he drafted for the Karnataka Government. The
eminent former justice also stated, "Archakas in temple must have
Godly personality which increases the 'bhakti' and faith in temple
worship. These human feelings are the basis of temple worship and this
is therefore recognized as a basic human right. This devotion to God
constitute the very foundation of all the religions. Dharma is a code
of righteous conduct and religions are different mode of worship of God
by all the believers."
Eminent Supreme Court Advocate Ms. Pinky Anand speaking on
constitutional rights argued that provisions in the law for take over
of temple by government, approval of funding of religious rituals are
all invalid and not tenable. She lamented that though there were
several Supreme Court judgements against government, these were not
implemented.
Sri K.N. Bhat, eminent Supreme Court Advocate who has practiced for
more than 50 years and has the privilege of having represented the
Deity, Lord Ram, in the Ram Janambhumi case, sharing his thoughts said,
"Legal remedies are fraught with uncertainties. Governments are
attracted to temples only because of their properties and also for what
they can take away from the temples." According to him,
"Hindus were being treated as second-class citizens. While there
are a number of laws and judgements, only a strong society, with a
strong government can redress the wrongs." He concluded by saying
that control must be there for all religions and not selectively only
for the majority community.
Later in the day, Justice Kokje, Sri M. N. Krishnamani and Dr.
Subramaniam Swamy addressed the gathering. The predominant assertion
was that constitutionally and on the basis of various Supreme Court
judgements, take over of temples was totally illegal.
Sri S. Gurumurthy who could not personally make it to the event, stated
his views in a written message, " Making Hindu religious
institutions part of the secular state and making the secular state perform
religious functions of the Hindus have led to different denominations
of the Hindus claiming to be not Hindus - for example the Arya Samaj,
Jains, Lingayats and the like. This will lead to the disintegration of
not only the Hindu society but the nation itself. India will ultimately
end up as nation of minorities with no majority!"
One of the highlights of the event was a slide show presentation by
Temple Worshippers Society [www.templeworshippers.org] which highlighted
how the government control of temples in many cases was leading to
conversion of Hindu Temples into commercial ventures and political
instruments. They highlighted several instances of subversion of law,
looting of temple properties, destroying and defiling of temples which
were being regulated, managed and controlled by government through its
official machinery.
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Posted on
2013/7/17 17:51:10 ( 619 reads )
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SAO PAULA , BRAZIL(by Shoban Saxena, Times of India): Alameda Sarutaia
is a quiet street just off Avenida Paulista, the main avenue that runs
through the center of this megalopolis. Cross a couple of buildings,
you come across an old villa and the sounds coming from inside, tabla
beats mixing with the strains of sitar and an Indian voice singing an
old song devoted to a God -- make you stop. A step closer to the gate
and you smell incense. This is the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) of Sao
Paulo. The ICC has a decent auditorium, but it is overflowing, with
people sitting on the floor, on the steps or standing just standing
outside the hall. When you see such a large number of Brazilians at an
Indian cultural event, it's impossible not to ask what attracts them to
Indian dance and music and culture. The two countries have been
geographically as well as culturally so far from each other that there
hasn't been much cultural exchange between them.
But at least here is Sao Paulo, the scenario has changed in the past
couple of years. With the opening of the centre less than two years
ago, the ICC has become Little India, where anyone interested in any
aspect of Indian culture can drop by and get immersed in Indian dance,
music, spiritual traditions or in the impressive collection of books in
the library. But if the centre has become a thriving hub of Indian
culture in such a short span, it's because of hard work and dedication
of some people--Indians and Brazilians.
Iara Ananda, who teaches Bharata Natyam at the center is one of them
She is a young Brazilian dancer who is equally at home in classical
traditions as well as in Bollywood dancing. The next person is
Gyaneshree Karahe, the Kathak instructor at the centre she is a
disciple of Kathak legend Birju Maharaj, Gyaneshree. Silvana Duarte is
the Odissi teacher at the center, she is a disciple of Odissi legend
Kelucharan Mahapatra. A few months ago, Sonia Galvao, who also learnt
Odissi from the great Kelucharan Mahapatra, gave a performance at the
ICC, the auditorium was packed to its capacity with only a few Indians
in the crowd. The evening ended with food--a mixture of Indian
Brazilian cuisine. The programme was held under the umbrella of Brazil
India Club, a brainchild and initiative of Indian consul-general, G V
Srinivas, and the ICC director, Kamaljit Singh.
The center is always buzzing with activity. Walk through its three
floors and you see Brazilians learning Indian dances, music, Hindi and
yoga. And it's all free. As one Brazilian said, "In a city where
the only thing free is air, it's unbelievable that you can learn so
much without paying anything." But it's not free courses that has
made the centre so popular. The director of the centre, Kamaljit Singh,
brings amazing energy to the place. He organises events, invites
people, addresses the gatherings, moves chairs and even makes coffee
for his guests, all this with a smile on his face. It's his tireless
work that has made the centre a Little India in the heart of Sao Paulo.
[HPI adds: The ICC has also proved to be a convenient venue for
celebrating the now-annual Durga Puja. For events see its Facebook
page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indian-
... Sao-Paulo/264620656923828
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Posted on
2013/7/17 17:51:03 ( 490 reads )
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Shouting to make your children obey is like using the horn to steer
your car, and you get about the same results.
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Posted on
2013/7/13 18:30:00 ( 543 reads )
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UNITED KINGDOM, July 11, 2013 (The Independent): Landmark legislation
to ban caste discrimination in Britain is being deliberately thwarted
by the Conservative equalities ministers in charge of getting it on the
statute book, a leaked document indicates.
Discrimination on the basis of caste was outlawed in April as part of
the Equality Act, after Business Secretary Vince Cable secured a
last-minute amendment. The Act was supposed to mean the estimated
400,000 Dalits - so-called untouchables - who live in the UK would have
legal protection from discrimination by other Hindus. But in a letter
to Hindu groups opposed to the legislation shown to The Independent,
equalities minister Helen Grant says a safeguard has been introduced so
the caste legislation can be removed from the statute book if reviews
show it is not appropriate. She urges the groups to submit evidence
against the law to an ongoing consultation "as we remain
convinced" legislation is unnecessary.
Politicians and equality campaigners say the letter appears to be a
fishing exercise, designed to gather support for the view that the new
legislation is not needed. They also believe it shows that she has
"prejudged" the consultation.
The issue of caste discrimination divided the Coalition, with Liberal
Democrats supporting the addition to the legislation and Conservatives
opposed. Liberal Democrat Lord Avebury said: "It's entirely
improper that the minister who's supposed to be implementing the
legislation - and initiating the consultation - is making it clear
she's opposed to the whole process."
Meena Varma, director of the Dalit Solidarity Network UK, said:
"Until this legislation is passed, the thousands of Dalits who say
they are discriminated against will have no recourse to justice.
Grant's tactic seems to be to kick the whole thing into the long grass
until five years have passed and the Government can scrap the
legislation."
A Government spokeswoman said: "Parliament has said that
legislation needs to be passed to make caste discrimination unlawful.
We are not just committed to the eradication of any sense of caste
discrimination, but to ensuring that caste itself does not become a
permanent feature of British society. To prevent this from happening,
we have included a measure that will allow for the new caste
protections to be reviewed after five years, to see whether they remain
appropriate and necessary."
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Posted on
2013/7/13 18:29:50 ( 556 reads )
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Self-surrender is the supreme condition of winning the universal life.
Men will part with their wealth, their rights, and even their lives, at
the call of religion. But when you ask them to exchange their human
self for the divine self, which is exactly what all great religions
want them to do, they refuse. For the wine of mortality has a terrible
fascination for most of us--and yet by flinging myself into the blazing
fire of Universal Reality, I do not lose myself. I emerge out of the
ordeal, shining and deathless. Brothers and sisters, come, let us
strive to become immortals by losing ourselves in the Supreme Light.
-- Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharati (1882-1921), great Tamil poet
and Indian patriot
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Posted on
2013/7/12 18:25:59 ( 743 reads )
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HPI
KERALA, INDIA, July 12, 2013, (by GK Nair for HPI): The Santhananda
Mutt Rishijnana Sadhanalayam Trust, has embarked on a project to set up
a Sadhanalayam complex on the summit of a rocky hill facing the
Achankovil River in the outskirts of Pathanamthitta town on the way to
Sabarimala.
It is the fulfillment of a long cherished wish to establish an instruction
and meditation centre "where we can learn, experience and absorb
the lofty ideals and teachings of our Rishis, the spiritual masters,
Sreemad Santhananthagiri Swami," President of the Trust said.
"It is a noble venture aimed at upholding our great spiritual
legacy and Vedic tradition and propagating the values of our ancient
culture so as to make the people enlightened," Sreemad
Santhanandagiri Swami told HT.
A main component included in the project, subject to clearance from the
concerned government authorities, is to build a 108-foot tall
Sivalingam on the top of the hill and in the centre of the four-acre
land, Mr. Subbaiah, Treasurer of the Trust told HT.
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Posted on
2013/7/12 18:25:53 ( 692 reads )
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TORONTO, CANADA, June 10, 2013 (Press Release): The 8th annual Hindu
Mandir Executives' Conference (HMEC 2013) will be held in Toronto from
September 20-21, 2013. HMEC is the largest annual conference for Hindu
Organizations in North America with an average of 100 temples
participating across the USA and Canada. The theme of this years'
conference is "The Role of Temples in Sustaining Dharma in
America." The growth of Hindu Dharma in America critically depends
on the extent to which our next generations remain anchored in our
timeless traditions. Ensuring this requires our collective thought,
action and commitment. HMEC 2013 will be a venue where this important
question is deliberated upon for strategic planning and execution.
Click source above for more information and registration.
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Posted on
2013/7/28 18:29:53 ( 492 reads )
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TORONTO, CANADA, July 26, 2013 (Inside Toronto): The glory of Lord
Ganesha will be celebrated in Scarborough this Saturday, July 27, as a
gigantic hand-carved chariot circles the parking lot of a Kennedy Road
temple. As part of an annual Hindu Chariot Festival, the Deity will
emerge from Sri Varasiththi Vinaayagar at 9 a.m. and ride outside for
about two hours while offerings are made.
The event always draws a crowd of many thousands, and temple officials
have said all are welcome to watch. The Chariot Festival is an
important event for Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus in Toronto, and thousands
are expected to attend Saturday's event.
On this day the statue of the Elephant God Lord Ganesha is kept on the
pedestal of the chariot and slowly drawn around the temple by the
devotees. For this purpose, the chariot is attached to two long heavy
ropes enabling all who wish and cherish to pull it, a chance to hold on
to the rope.
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Posted on
2013/7/28 18:29:47 ( 500 reads )
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How can one realize that which alone is real? All we need to do is to
give up our habit of regarding as real that which is unreal. Reality alone
will remain, and we will be That.
-- Sri Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), South Indian mystic
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Posted on
2013/7/27 18:03:58 ( 624 reads )
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KUALA LUMPUR , MALAYSIA, July,25, 2013(AFP): A Malaysian court on
Thursday ruled against the 2009 conversion of three Hindu children to
Islam without their mother's knowledge, a verdict welcomed by
non-Muslim groups. A high court in the northern city of Ipoh declared
the conversion of Indira Gandhi's children, now aged five, 15 and 16,
by their father to be unconstitutional, said Indira's lawyer, K. Shanmuga.
The judge ruled that the father had failed to take the mother and
children to Islamic authorities for their consent to the conversion, in
a rare verdict in the multiracial but Muslim-majority nation, Shanmuga
said. "It is the first time ever that a child's conversion
certificate has been quashed by a high court," he told AFP.
Earlier this month Malaysia withdrew an Islamic law which allows one
parent to give consent for a child's conversion, after an outcry.
Opponents said it discriminated against minorities despite government
promises to address their grievances.
Religious groups welcomed Thursday's verdict. "We are very happy
about that decision. But it must be accepted by all the Islamic and
other government agencies," said Mohan Shan, an official with the
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism,
Sikhism and Taoism. Conversions of children and
"body-snatching" cases -- in which Islamic authorities tussle
with families over the remains of people whose religion is disputed --
have previously raised tensions.
More than 60 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Muslim ethnic
Malays, but it also has sizable Chinese and Indian minorities who are
non-Muslims.
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Posted on
2013/7/27 18:03:51 ( 553 reads )
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LONDON,July 26, 2013, (Press Trust of India): Scientists have found
evidence that human sleep patterns are timed to the phases of the Moon,
and that people sleep 20 minutes less on an average during a full Moon.
Many people complain about poor sleep around the full Moon and the
study offers some of the first convincing scientific evidence to
suggest that this really is true. The findings add to evidence that
humans - despite the comforts of our civilised world - still respond to
the geophysical rhythms of the Moon, driven by a circa-lunar clock.
"The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one
does not 'see' the Moon and is not aware of the actual Moon
phase," said Christian Cajochen of the Psychiatric Hospital of the
University of Basel.
In the new study, the researchers studied 33 volunteers in two age
groups in the lab while they slept. Their brain patterns were monitored
while sleeping, along with eye movements and hormone secretions. The
data show that around the full Moon, brain activity related to deep
sleep dropped by 30%. Study participants felt as though their sleep was
poorer when the Moon was full, and they showed diminished levels of
melatonin, a hormone known to regulate sleep and wake cycles.
"This is the first reliable evidence that a lunar rhythm can
modulate sleep structure in humans when measured under the highly
controlled conditions of a circadian laboratory study protocol without
time cues," the researchers said.
They said it would be interesting to look more deeply into the
anatomical location of the circa-lunar clock and its molecular and
neuronal underpinnings. It could turn out that the Moon has power over
other aspects of our behavior as well, such as our cognitive
performance and our moods.
The study was published in Current Biology.
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Posted on
2013/7/27 18:03:45 ( 442 reads )
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In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems
unfair that He did not also limit man's stupidity.
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Posted on
2013/7/26 17:51:56 ( 506 reads )
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KATHMANDU, NEPAL, July 24, 2013 (Himalayan Times): Nepal's royal priest
(Rajguru) Madhav Prasad Bhattarai was allegedly harassed at the main
entrance of Jagannath Temple in Puri of Orissa yesterday. Times of
India reported that Rajguru Bhattarai was harassed by a police
constable, who, "suspecting his religion," did not let him
enter the famous Hindu shrine.
The incident took place just two weeks after the alleged assault on an
Italian Odissi dancer by two priests of the famous Hindu shrine.
Rajguru Bhattarai has lodged a complaint at the Simhadwar police
station. "After being frisked at the entrance by three police
personnel, we were again stopped by a lady constable. Though my priest
gave her my identity, she refused to listen and shouted at us,"
ToI quoted his FIR.
"The lady constable calmed down only when some other priests
intervened. After the altercation, the priest was not in a mood to go
for a darshan of the deities. However, I took him to the sanctum
sanctorum where he paid obeisance," ToI quoted priest Sunil
Pujapanda as saying. According to the report, Bhattarai, who reached
Puri on Monday, was the guest of Puri Sankaracharya Swami Nischalananda
Saraswati. The Puri seer took umbrage of the incident and immediately
asked the Puri SP to take action against the constable.
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Posted on
2013/7/26 17:51:50 ( 577 reads )
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PURI, INDIA, July 24, 2013 (Deccan Hearld): The woman constable
involved in an incident with Madhav Prasad Bhattarai was suspended
pending an inquiry. The woman constable stopped him and started
scolding him, presuming him to be a non-Hindu and foreign national.
The incident has turned out to be a major embarrassment for the Puri
temple administration as the shrine has a long association with the
royal family of Nepal. The king of Nepal enjoys certain special
privileges when he visits the temple. Despite being foreigners,
Nepalese are allowed to enter the temple because they are Hindus.
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Posted on
2013/7/26 17:51:43 ( 713 reads )
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QUANZHOU, CHINA, July 2013 (The Hindu): For the residents of Chedian, a
few thousand-year-old village of muddy by-lanes and old stone courtyard
houses, she is just another form of Guanyin, the female Bodhisattva who
is venerated in many parts of China. But the Goddess that the residents
of this village pray to every morning, as they light incense sticks and
chant prayers, is quite unlike any Eeity one might find elsewhere in
China. Sitting cross-legged, the four-armed Goddess smiles benignly,
flanked by two attendants, with an apparently vanquished demon lying at
her feet.
Local scholars are still unsure about her identity, but what they do
know is that this shrine's unique roots lie not in China, but in far
away south India. The deity, they say, was either brought to Quanzhou
-- a thriving port city that was at the centre of the region's maritime
commerce a few centuries ago -- by Tamil traders who worked here some
800 years ago, or perhaps more likely, crafted by local sculptors at
their behest.
"This is possibly the only temple in China where we are still
praying to a Hindu God," says Li San Long, a Chedian resident,
with a smile. "Even though most of the villagers still think she
is Guanyin!" Mr. Li said the village temple collapsed some 500
years ago, but villagers dug through the rubble, saved the deity and
rebuilt the temple, believing that the goddess brought them good
fortune -- a belief that some, at least, still adhere to.
The Chedian shrine is just one of what historians believe may have been
a network of more than a dozen Hindu temples or shrines, including two
grand big temples, built in Quanzhou and surrounding villages by a
community of Tamil traders who lived here during the Song (960-1279)
and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties. At the time, this port city was among
the busiest in the world and was a thriving centre of regional maritime
commerce.
The history of Quanzhou's temples and Tamil links was largely forgotten
until the 1930s, when dozens of stones showing perfectly rendered
images of the God Narasimha -- the man-lion avatar of Vishnu -- were
unearthed by a Quanzhou archaeologist called Wu Wenliang. Elephant
statues and images narrating mythological stories related to Vishnu and
Shiva were also found, bearing a style and pattern that was almost
identical to what was evident in the temples of Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh from a similar period.
Today, most of the sculptures and statues are on display in the
Quanzhou Maritime Museum, which also showcases a map that leaves little
doubt about the remarkable spread of the discoveries. The sites stretch
across more than a dozen locations located all over the city and in the
surrounding county. The most recent discoveries were made in the 1980s,
and it is possible, says Ms. Wang, that there are old sites yet to be
discovered.
More at 'source."
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Posted on
2013/7/26 17:51:37 ( 455 reads )
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A person's growth begins with dissatisfaction. Not content with the
world, he seeks satisfaction by prayers to God; this purifies his mind
and he longs to know God more than to satisfy his carnal desires. Then
God's grace begins to manifest. God will take the form of a guru and
appear to the devotee, to teach him Truth so that his mind gains
strength and is able to turn inward. With meditation the mind is
purified yet further, and eventually remains still without the least
ripple. That stillness is the Self. The guru is both exterior and
interior: from the exterior he gives a push to the mind to turn inward
and from the interior he pulls the mind towards the Self. That is
grace. See? There is no difference between God, guru and Self.
-- Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), South Indian mystic
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Posted on
2013/7/25 17:41:54 ( 587 reads )
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THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, June 29, 2013 (Nieuwsbank): Following an
intensive two years renovation the Hindu Sewa Dhaam Center in the
Hague, Laakkwartier (Spoorwijk), opened its doors officially on June
29, 2013. The total project cost US$2.8 million and was funded entirely
by private donations. Thanks to the eleven brand new domes of an Indian
design, Sewa Dhaam is the only temple in the Netherlands with the look
of an authentic Hindu temple.
Hindu Sewa Centre Dhaam is a spiritual, social and cultural center. The
heart of the center is the Hindu temple where visitors, students and
academics are privy to the teachings of Hinduism (Sanatan Dharm). The
building has a meeting room, a meditation room and classrooms for yoga,
Hindi and music lessons. Moreover, Sewa Dhaam a dedicated space for
Vedic astrology. This is unique in the Netherlands.
The Sewa Dhaam has the capacity to accommodate more than 1,000 visitors
in a total area of over 5,000 square meters. The opening was presided
over by Rabin Baldewsingh, Hague councilor for Health and Care,
Sustainability, Media and Organization. The board of Sewa Dhaam opens
its doors to anyone who is attracted to the rich history, powerful
spirituality and colorful culture of Hinduism in India, Suriname and
the Netherlands.
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Posted on
2013/7/25 17:41:47 ( 555 reads )
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TAMIL NADU, INDIA, July 22, 2013 (The Hindu): "I have known girls
(friends and relatives) of our community to fall in love with boys from
other communities and marry them. It not only affected them but also
their families that were pushed to shame from which they were unable to
recover even many years after the marriage," says P. Karthik (22),
an engineering professional.
He was among other educated youth who were busy distributing pamphlets
at the launch of the Campaign Against Inter-Caste Marriage Movement -
organised by the Kongu Velala Goundergal Peravai in Namakkal on Sunday.
He claimed that boys from downtrodden communities targeted wealthy
girls from their community.
State president of the Peravai Pongalur R. Manikandan who presided over
the inauguration told The Hindu that they launched the movement in
April this year after closely observing nearly 900 inter-caste
marriages involving girls of their community in the 10 districts in
Kongu region in about a year. "We want to save girls from the sufferings
that they would undergo after such marriages. Many girls regret their
marriage after experiencing cultural differences in the boy's house.
Sadly, the girl's family also does not accept them," he observed.
Mr. Manikandan made it clear that they would not resort to forcible
means to prevent inter-caste marriages. "We will campaign in the
district headquarters in Kongu region and then focus on village-level
campaigns and other awareness programmes among adolescent girls and
boys in colleges and schools," he added.
While the Government is taking steps to promote inter-caste marriages
by providing financial assistance and extending other benefits for
those couples, the event that was organized with publicity through
newspaper advertisements and wall posters shocked quite a number of
people of this town. Superintendent of Police M. Sathiya Priya said
that it was an indoor meeting for people of that community to avoid
inter-caste marriages. "Stern legal action will be initiated
against persons who try to stop inter-caste marriages as it is an
offense", the SP warned.
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Posted on
2013/7/25 17:41:40 ( 474 reads )
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Are you depressed? Remember, within you is the Power. If you will but
release a fraction of it, you can make the impossible possible.
-- Dada J.P. Vaswani
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Posted on
2013/7/24 18:14:38 ( 535 reads )
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA, July 14, 2013: This year more than 8,000 Hindu youths
attended the BAPS North American Youth Convention hosted at the BAPS
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia.The 11-day event,
unprecedented in the history of Hindus in North America, took place
from July 4th to July 14th and consisted of three separate conventions,
each catering to different age groups and their specific needs.
The theme of the convention centered around the true meaning of
becoming "Ekantik", a spiritual concept originally conceived
in the Hindu scriptures and further elaborated upon by Bhagwan
Swaminarayan over 200 years ago. Ekantik Dharma is comprised of four
pillars - Dharma (righteousness), Gnan (spiritual knowledge), Vairagya
(detachment from the world) and Bhakti (devotion to God and Guru).
Sadguru Pujya Mahant Swami (Pujya Keshavjivandas Swami), the keynote
speaker of each convention, explained to delegates that the path to
Ekantik Dharma is a lifelong journey with fruitful benefits. Pujya
Anandswarupdas Swami, mahant of Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar,
India, explained it in simple terms: "Ekantik Dharma is not just
something to be talked about, it is something to be lived. To live it,
the Satpurush (guru) should be the center point of our lives, nothing
else. That is the only way to be Ekantik."
In order to make the multi-day convention a reality, volunteers put
forth a tremendous amount of effort. Planning and execution started nearly
three years ago and included the dedication and hard work of over 700
volunteers across North America.
For more details visit http://www.baps.org/News/2013/BAPS-No
... ---Yuvak-Yuvati-5035.aspx and related links on the same page.
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Posted on
2013/7/24 18:14:32 ( 541 reads )
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KOLKATA, INDIA, July 20, 2013, A few relics of Sarada Devi have been
stolen from the Belur Math, headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and
Mission, raising security concerns. Some of the objects were nearly 100
years old. The theft was described as traumatic by senior monks of the
Order and is likely to lead to increased vigilance at the sprawling
grounds, which is visited by thousands of tourists and devotees. The
items stolen include hair, a tooth, a rudraksha rosary and a cast of
the feet of the Holy Mother, as her devotees referred to her. They were
in exhibits at a museum within the Math premises. The theft was noticed
on Tuesday night and reported immediately to the police, a spokesperson
of the Math said. Nishad Pervez DC (Headquarters), Howrah Police
Commissionerate, said the Criminal Investigation Department's help was
taken to probe the incident. "A team comprising fingerprint
experts have also visited the spot. Investigations are on," he
said.
The museum was inaugurated in May 2001 and objects used by Sri
Ramakrishna, and Sarada Devi were collected painstakingly from all over
the country to recreate their times , their lifestyles and their
teachings. Swami Vivekananda who founded the Ramakrishna Order in 1897
naturally had a place of pride in the museum. Monks are pained by the
incident but they are not willing to cordon off Belur Math from the
public.
The museum, which tells the story of the Ramakrishna movement, is
structured like lotus petals. The first floor is the upper petal of the
lotus, encapsulating the sacred mementoes. The stolen relics of Sarada
Devi, who lived between 1853 and 1920, were housed here.
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Posted on 2013/7/24 18:14:26 ( 455 reads )
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Washington DC, June 21, 2013 (Press Release): Hindu American Seva
Communities (HASC) attended the historic White House event on
Tuesday, June 18, to witness the U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden
announce and release a 38-page guidebook instructing faith
congregations to prepare for any emergency including an armed
shooter situation. These downloadable "Guides for Developing
High Quality Emergency Operation Plans for Houses of Worship,"
(https://docs.google.com/a/hindu.org/fi
... Ir0I-X29LYTJJZmFwY1E/edit) developed in response to the recent rash of
gun tragedies in school and faith settings, align and build upon
years of emergency planning work by the Federal government. They
are the first joint product of DHS, DOJ, ED and HHS on this
critical topic, in consultation with clergy from the United States.
HASC serves on the Department of Homeland Security's, Faith Based
Advisory Council and worked to address issues facing the Dharmic
community, particularly fears rising since summer 2012, when a
gunman shot and killed six Sikhs inside the gurdwara of Oak Creek,
Wisconsin. HASC has also has developed the Dharmic "If You See
Something Say Something" downloadable poster .
The "Guide for Developing High Quality Emergency Operation Plans
(EOP) for Houses of Worship" provides guidance on the
principles of emergency operations planning, a process for
developing, implementing, and continually refining a house of
worship's with community partners, a discussion of the form and
function of a house of worship's EOP, a closer look that discusses
house of worship emergency planning in the event of an active
shooter situation.
It also outlines strategies to appoint and train congregation
members on assigning congregation members to assess immediate
threats This training may become mandatory for faith houses
receiving federal funds. Dharmic places of worship need to
understand how to avail the funding.
The HASC invites you to discuss this landmark move by the U.S.
government with them on Facebook or share your thoughts on their
website. What kinds of questions do you have about the guidebook?
Would you ask your temple, ashram and gurudwara trustees and faith
and community leaders to implement this training? Does the
guidebook seem helpful? Do you think completing training like this
increases security, or perpetuates fear? You are encouraged you to
share your ideas and explore ways to come together to strengthen
our places of worship The feedback will be given to the
Administration.
For more information: ved@hinduamericanseva.org, siva@hinduamericanseva.org
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Posted on
2013/8/3 18:22:44 ( 577 reads )
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PUNE, INDIA, July 29, 2013 (Times of India): A city-based social
enterprise that produces eco-friendly figures of Ganesh Deities is
wrapping up its first batch for shipping overseas. The Deities are made
of papier-mache.
Starting out with a mere 60 clay Deities, the enterprise has now grown
to 3,500 Deities this year. "For years, we received requests from
devotees abroad who celebrate the festival and would like to have our
eco-friendly Deities sent to them. But our clay Deities are heavy and
fragile so we were not sure they would survive the journey," said
Lolita Gupta, who leads the Ganesh campaign for eCoexist, which has been
promoting Ganesh Deities made from natural products for the past seven
years.
Gupta and her team found a solution in the papier-mache Deities made by
members of the Aniruddha Upasana Trust. The Deities are made from paper
pulp and painted with natural pigments -- turmeric, geru (red-earth)
and multani mitti (Fuller's earth).
"The paper that goes into the making of these Deities has a
special significance. One of the spiritual practices of the trust is to
do puja in the written form. So they have sheets and sheets of paper
with sacred mantras written on them, which are then recycled into the
paper pulp that is used for making the Deities," Gupta added.
This year, eCoexist has received several orders, most of them from
students pursuing higher studies in the United States. While there are
several options in sizes and designs available in the clay idols, for
now the only option available in papier-mache is a 23-inch Deity titled
Gajavakra. "We do hope to diversify and are looking at fashioning
a variety of Deities from papier-mache," Gupta said, adding that
research and development is always ongoing.
Citing an example, Gupta said that while the bulk of the colors of all
their Deities comes from natural ingredients, the fine lines of the
eyes are still painted with watercolors. The artists are now
experimenting with kajal or coal-black to get the same impact. This
year, every Ganesh Deity will also be adorned with the Beeja Prasad - a
small cloth-sack containing a seed of an indigenous tree.
"We want to take the message of conservation further. So we
encourage our clients that when they immerse the Deity, they should
plant this seed. Thus, each of our Deities would also signify the
planting of a tree," Gupta said.
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Posted on
2013/8/3 18:22:37 ( 449 reads )
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Do everything with full attention. Nothing should be done without
reverence, for everything is really done unto God. You should not
worship God carelessly. It is not that God will punish you, but that
you will destroy your own fine sense of values. Don't trample on greatness
in any form. One should have reverence for whatever one does, even if
it is just an extraneous thing.
-- Swami Ashokananda (1893-1969), monk of the Ramakrishna Order
and accomplished teacher of Vedanta in the West
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