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Posted on 2013/11/8 18:32:10 ( 383 reads )
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BALI, INDONESIA, November 7, 2013 (The Jakarta Post): Bali Governor Made
Mangku Pastika has proposed that temples be excluded as tourist
destinations on the island to limit, or even prevent, tourists visiting the
places of worship.
"Further discussion with the island's tourist industry will be necessary
to consider the proposal. It is high time for us to limit access to our
temples. Please use the temples to worship the Creator," he said.
Pastika was talking during a seminar held on Tuesday on tourism and the
Besakih mother temple, which has recently become a hot issue among Balinese
religious and community leaders since the news of the planned inclusion of
the largest and the most sacred temple in Bali in one of the national
strategic tourist destinations.
"Temples must function as worship places," the governor said.
Currently, traders sell various goods, from food to fashion items, outside
temples. "During piodalan, temple anniversaries, the traders pack the
temples' yards," the governor said.
What was more important, Pastika said, was that nobody could guarantee that
all visitors were eligible to enter these sacred sites. Behavior while
inside the temple must also be decent and visitors should wear appropriate
clothing.
I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, chairman of the Indonesian Parisadha Hindu High
Council (PHDI), warmly welcomed the proposal.
"There are some restrictions applied to non-Hindu visitors visiting
temples," Sudiana said.
A Hindu temple is architecturally and philosophically divided into three
zones -- the jeroan (the inner part and most sacred site of the temple),
jaba tengah (the middle section) and jaba luar (the temple yard).
"Visitors may enter the temple yards but must not enter the jaba
tengah and jeroan," Sudiana recommended.
Spokesperson of the Indonesian Tour Guides Association (HPI) Bali chapter,
Amos Lilo, said he appreciated the governor's proposal.
"But we have to remember that many foreign tourists come to Bali to
learn more about the religion and culture of the Balinese people. Worship
places like Besakih Temple are among the most attractive tourist
destinations in Bali," Lilo said.
Lilo suggested that the government and religious bodies provide clear
information on which areas in temples tourists were allowed to enter.
"Clear regulations and information are needed to avoid
misunderstanding. Tourists mostly respect the religious code of ethics
applied here in Bali," Lilo said.
Tanah Lot Temple is a success story. "People come to Tanah Lot to see
the view of the temple but they do not disturb any ongoing religious activities,"
Lilo said.
Mengwi Temple in Badung regency is another success story, with the temple
management clearly providing information on the temple's zoning.
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Posted on 2013/11/8 18:32:03 ( 334
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THANJAVURE, INDIA, October 24, 2013 (Epoch Times): A classical form of
Indian paintings, embedded with sparkling gold and precious stones, is still
popular in the southern region of the country; the traditional art
originated about six centuries ago. The "Tanjore paintings"
are a heritage value art-form that got its name from a place located in
the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
A national award winning middle aged painter, V. Panneer Selvam, whose
ancestors were Tanjore art painters, started to paint when he was a
teenager. "I learned from my uncle and he learned from his father,
his guru (the master)," Selvam said.
Traditionally the paintings were done on a wooden plank layered with a
cloth. The subjects of the paintings were usually gods, saints, and
mythological stories, which were drawn with vegetable colors. Their
ornaments and surroundings, all contoured with designs created from lime,
were finally covered with gold foil.
"The gold designs are embedded with Kundan and Jarkan stones
(Indian gemstones). We use 22 carat gold foil," he said. "The
only change is that we have started to paint with poster colors,"
he added.
Till date no records are available to track how the painting style has
originated 600 years ago. However, the art form enjoyed great patronage
from the rulers of that region, who also patronized many other
classical art forms like dance and architecture.
Making Tanjore paintings is a hectic and long process; Selvam takes on
average seven days to finish a small 8 by 10 inches painting.
Nowadays the characters in the paintings have changed to include the
demands and likes of the people who buy them. Pointing to huge a painting
of the Buddhist Goddess Tara, done in the Thai style, Selvam said that
someone from America had ordered it.
"We do have clients who value the tradition and buy," he
said.
Selvam highlighted a fact that earlier there were not many Tanjore
painters, but now due to increased demand many people have taken it up.
"There are at least 50 people making Tanjore paintings in Tanjavur
city itself," he explained.
Recently, he displayed his paintings for sale in a public exhibition in
Bangalore. He said that on festival days, companies tend to buy
paintings for their employees. Selvam has also traveled to Malaysia,
Singapore, and Canada to exhibit his paintings.
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Posted on 2013/11/8 18:31:57 ( 308
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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 2013/11/7 16:24:37 ( 536
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DHAKA, BANGLADESH, November 7, 2013 (Dhaka Tribune): Expressing grave
concern over the recent attack on Hindus in Pabna and Lalmonirhat
districts, the US embassy has urged the government to protect the
rights of the minority communities. The call came through a statement
issued on Wednesday by the embassy in Dhaka.
The statement read: "We call on all those involved in these incidents
to desist from abusing the rights of minorities, and ask all parties to
ensure they are stopped immediately and the perpetrators are held
accountable."
It asked the government to act authoritatively against those who
incited and committed this violence. The statement also expressed
concern over the deaths, injuries, and ongoing violence associated with
hartals.
"While engaging in peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic
right, we firmly believe violence is never the answer." We look to
the government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all its citizens
and encourage all Bangladeshis to peacefully express their views,"
it added.
It also urged all political parties to stage peaceful demonstration
programmes to avert violence.
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Posted on 2013/11/7 16:24:31 ( 504
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UNITED KINGDOM, November 6, 2013 (Daily Mail): Prince Charles and the
Duchess of Cornwall tonight took part in a solemn ceremony of thanks
with Hindus on the banks of the River Ganges. In the holy Hindu city of
Rishikesh, the prince led his wife by the hand to the banks of the
sacred river where they joined Hindu worshippers conducting the aarti
ceremony.
The couple were welcomed by the Hindu guru Swami Chidanand and his
leading disciple Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, both dressed in orange
robes, who draped a garland of marigold blooms around their necks and
strings of beads.
With the foothills of the Himalayans looming in the distance, Charles
told gathered trainee priests and their leaders: "It's a
particular joy to join you here on the banks of the Ganges this evening
because it is, above all else, my first visit to the Ganges and so from
that point of view it is a very special occasion for both myself and my
wife. But we also wanted just to stress how deeply we felt for all
those people who suffered so dreadfully as a result of the awful floods
in June -- our thoughts and prayers were so much with those families
who have had to suffer the appalling catastrophe."
Swami Chidanand has been involved in a project to help eradicate
pollution in the Ganges, gathering together scientists, engineers and
activists to help clean the waters and riverbanks. Charles went on to
praise the Swami for his "deep understanding of working in harmony
with nature."
The heir to the throne added: "It seems to me the key to our
future is to rediscover our connections with nature, for too long we
seem to have ignored the services that nature provides us."
The prince told how the birth of his grandson Prince George, in July,
had given him a reason to redouble his efforts on working to help
preserve the planet. "And now that I've just recently become a
grandfather, I think it means even more when you have a grandchild to
think of their future and all the futures of other grandchildren around
the world, we owe them I think something a great deal better for their
futures as well."
The royal couple were given small aarti lamps and joined other
participants in circling them clockwise in a ritual performed by
devotees each sunset designed to worship the Ganga River.
Much more of the Royal Couple's nine-day tour of India including photos
and video at 'source' above.
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Posted on 2013/11/20 18:00:00 ( 140
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USA, November 19, 2013 (Wall Street Journal): Since the mid-1990s, the
share of people 65 years old and over living with their children or
other relatives in the United States has risen from around 6.6% to 7.3%
in 2013, according to an analysis of data from the Census Bureau's
Current Population Survey by Jed Kolko, chief economist at Trulia, a
real-estate listings site.
According to the American Community Survey -- a bigger Census study
with a sample size large enough to analyze specific demographic groups
-- 9% of seniors lived in a household headed by their children,
children-in-law or other relatives besides their spouses in 2012.
Another 2% lived with people they weren't related to, while 3% lived in
places like nursing homes. The rest, about 85%, lived in their own
homes.
The recession and weak recovery forced a growing number of young
Americans to shack up with their parents, creating more "intergenerational"
households. Seniors, meanwhile, are playing a critical role by offering
financial lifelines and other types of support to adult children who
are struggling to get by--or who are having difficulty achieving
milestones like buying a house.
But what's driving the trend of more seniors living with their children
isn't low income-growth or high joblessness -- it's mainly the fact
that the share of seniors born in another country is rising -- indeed,
it's already gone from 8% in 1994 to 13% in 2013.
That is important because foreign-born seniors are four times more
likely to live with their children. Around 25% of foreign-born seniors
in the U.S. live with relatives, compared with just 6% for U.S.-born
seniors.
Whether or not Grandma and Grandpa are going to live with you varies
hugely by which country they were born in.
Nearly half of all U.S. seniors born in India (47%) were living with
relatives. Vietnam (44%), the Philippines (38%), Mexico (35%) and China
(34%) also posted high shares. By contrast, only 5% of Canadian-born
seniors live with their kids, below even the 6% share of U.S.-born
seniors. German-born seniors in the U.S. were at 6%; England-born, at
7%.
It's not all about whether seniors are born in the West or not --
factors like age and race are important, too.
Seniors are more likely to live with relatives if they're older. The
share of seniors who are 80 or older has grown from 22% in 1994 to 25%
in 2013. Just 6% of the youngest seniors (65 to 69) live with
relatives, versus 15% for those 85 and older. African-American,
Asian-American and Hispanic seniors born in the U.S. are all twice as
likely as whites to live with relatives. Other factors that make
seniors more likely to live with children include not being married,
being female (women live longer) and living in a metro area with fewer
seniors.
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Posted on 2013/11/20 17:54:06 ( 121
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AUSTRALIA, November 2013 (press release): Bushfires raging in the Blue
Mountains around Sydney as early as October is being seen by Hindu
community leaders as a call to action. This call is the subject of the
Hindu Climate Change Action Kit, jointly published by the Australian
Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) and the Hindu Council of
Australia, and was launched on Saturday, 26th October by Rev. Swami
Sunishthananda of the Sydney Vedanta Centre. The launch took place as
part of the Deepavali Festival at Sydney Olympic Park.
ARRCC's President Thea Ormerod, who was present at the launch said,
"After a week of uncharacteristically hot weather for October and
terrible bushfires, it is imperative that we all step up and take
responsibility for addressing climate change. We need to start making
Earth-friendly choices both as individuals and communities. Like our
Christian Kit, the Hindu Climate Change Action Kit provides loads of
well-grounded, easy-to-use, creative ideas to assist Hindus to play
their part. From Hindu spirituality to the science basics and improving
energy efficiency, from ideas for nurturing a sense of connection with
Mother Nature to advocacy, this kit will support Australian Hindus in
making their contribution."
Sri Venkateswara Temple, Helensburgh, is one example of a temple that
has taken the sorts of actions that the kit recommends. These include
insulating the temple to conserve energy and reducing the size of the
pits used for the Omum (Havan) fire ceremony, to reduce firewood
consumption.
"Mahatma Gandhi said: 'The rich must live more simply so the poor
may simply live'," quoted Professor Agar. "The simple message
is to control our desires and reduce the demand on precious natural
resources. Spirituality is at the heart of sustainability. The Hindu
Climate Change Action Kit encourages us all to conserve energy, live a
simple, contented and fulfilled life with mental peace and
tranquillity, green our worship and festivals at the temple and at
home, and live healthy active lives including a balanced diet with
plenty of fruits and vegetables. This is a message for our wider
communities, businesses and for our political representatives as well.
I highly commend the kit to all Hindus."
The Hindu Climate Change Action Kit is downloadable from 'source.'
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Posted on 2013/11/20 17:53:53 ( 109
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The sages, being filled with universal love for all beings, did not
want to keep their enlightenment to themselves. They declared to all:
"O mortals, striving and struggling upon this Earth plane,
weeping, wailing, buffeted by the vicissitudes of life: we have come
upon a great discovery. There is something beyond these appearances,
these vanishing names and forms that go to make up this universe. There
is something beyond, which is the very source and support of all these
objects of the phenomenal world. Why do you search in vain for
happiness outside? Come, come, happiness resides within."
-- Swami Chidananda (1916-2008), president of Divine Life Society
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Posted on 2013/11/19 17:19:13 ( 393
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FIJI, November 19, 2013 (Fiji Sun): The Vishwa Hindu Parishad Fiji says
comments by Cook Islands bishop, Tutai Pere, condemning Diwali
celebrations held in the island nation are saddening.
VHP Fiji national president Jay Dayal said the bishop was forgetting
the values of Christianity. "At the same time, we in Fiji are
fortunate and so ever thankful to our government that Fiji is a secular
nation that allows freedom of religious practices and personal beliefs
bringing everyone together during their respective festivals," Mr.
Dayal said.
"As a Christian, the bishop should learn to love his neighbors
rather than enforce his imprudent personal beliefs on others that
divide a society in a tiny island nation like the Cooks, said Dayal.
Bishop Pere was on Radio Australia labeling Hindus as idol worshipers
(listen to the full recording at http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/inte ...
tion-as-blasphemy/1220374). Mr. Dayal said: "Diwali is
a festival of light not idolatry or blasphemy against Christians as
alleged by the Bishop Tutai Pere. "He needs understanding with the
significance of Diwali. Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over
evil, light over darkness, falsehood to truth and death to immortality.
Diwali was festively celebrated at the US Presidential White House by
President Barack Obama with the First Lady. The British Prime Minister
David Cameron, accompanied by his wife Samantha, visited the
Swaminarayan Mandir, the largest traditional Hindu temple outside
India, in north-west London and celebrated Diwali.
The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper marked Diwali with members
of Canada's South Asian community with crowds of hundreds in
Mississauga, Toronto, Canada. The Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor embraced Malaysian
Hindus at the Batu Caves and celebrated Diwali as well.
Mr. Dayal said: "As the leaders of some of the world's great
nations joined hands with Hindus to openly celebrate Diwali on the same
token the comments and dim-witted protest by Tutai Pere, Bishop of the
Apostolic Church of the Cook Islands is sad but insignificant and VHP
can only suggest to him to seek knowledge of the divine and rise above
religious fanaticism." (You can listen to his complete response,
also on Radio Australia, at http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/inte ...
n-of-idol-worship/1221206)
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Posted on 2013/11/19 17:19:07 ( 312
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Press Release
CANADA, October 2, 2013 (Canadian Public Opinion Poll): The last of
three national surveys about values and religion in Canada shows
English and French Canadians most favorable towards Christianity and
least favorable towards Islam. Favorability of all religions is down
since 2009.
The results from the last of three comprehensive national surveys about
religion, religious freedom and values by Angus Reid Global show, as a
whole, (54%) of Canadians view Islam unfavorably, while almost three
quarters (73%) hold a favorable opinion of Christianity. Favorable
opinions of other religions vary, with Buddhism (56%) and Judaism (51%)
coming second and third to Christianity, followed by Hinduism (44%) and
the Sikh faith (29%).
Demographics tell another story, with younger and university educated
Canadian adults holding more favorable opinions of non-Judeo-Christian
religions. The same trend emerges when Canadians were asked whether it
would be acceptable or unacceptable if their children married people
from non-Judeo-Christian religions. Canadian adults aged 18-34 and
those with a university education were most accepting of this scenario.
Scenarios where children were to marry a Christian partner were the
only ones to garner widespread acceptance across regional, age and
educational lines.
"The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees our ability to
practice the religions of our choice in Canada," says Kurl.
"However, how much we choose to educate our neighbors about our
faiths may be one factor in the deep disconnect between how we perceive
different religions in this country."
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Posted on 2013/11/19 17:19:01 ( 202
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You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that
nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that
God's creative principle works in you.
-- Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), founder of Self Realization
Fellowship
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Posted on 2013/11/15 17:25:42 ( 452 reads
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Press Release
BELIZE, November 15, 2013 (Press Release): Following the sporadic
series of conferences on the Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean since
1975 held mainly in Trinidad and Tobago, there is a plan to organize
one conference every year in various parts of the region. Next year's
conference will be held in Belize from August 5 to 11, 2014 on the
theme "The Indian Diaspora in Belize and the Wider
Caribbean." This is the first conference of its kind to be held in
this English-speaking country, and in Central America.
Formally known as British Honduras, Belize is the only English-speaking
country in Central America. Bordered by Mexico in the North and
Guatemala in the West and South, it lies at the heart of the Caribbean
Basin. Belize has giant Mayan Temples and the world's second largest
barrier reef. It has a melange of over ten different cultures which are
concentrated in specific areas in six districts.
Unlike any other Caribbean country, Belize experienced three waves of
East Indian migration, commencing in 1858. The first wave of migrants
consisted of 1000 deported ex-soldiers (and their families) who had
rebelled against the British Government in India's First War of
Independence/ Sepoy Rebellion. The second wave of Indians came to Belize
in 1872 as ex-indentured workers from Jamaica. The third wave of Indian
migrants to Belize left from Guatemala, from where they had gone to
work in the coffee plantations in Cafe Mountains.
Unique to Indian history in the Caribbean is the fact that early immigrant
laborers worked in Belize in the sugarcane, as well as lumber and
banana plantations. As early as the 1860s, they worked under the
employment of American ex-confederates. With the passage of time, the
mainly-Hindu immigrants have all converted to Christianity, resulting
in the absence of temples and lack of festivals in the country. The
only remnants of Indian culture are the special preparation of food
with turmeric [curry] and the observance of Hosay/ Muharram
[Who-se-me-say]. Indians now comprise about four percent (7,000
persons) of the multi-ethnic population of Belize.
Corozal Organization of East Indian Cultural Heritage (COEICH) will be
the main host and organiser of the conference. COEICH was formed in
2009 as a non-profit organization committed to preserve and promote
East Indian culture in Corozal in particular, and Belize in general. It
has embraced opportunities to establish connections with people of
similar culture within and outside of Belize and, in so doing, has
built a support network to help revive a lost heritage.
The tentative programme includes ceremonial speeches, cultural
performances, exhibition displays and academic presentations in Corozal
in north Belize and Punta Gorda (PG) in the south. There will be
educational tours to the National Assembly, Herman's cave and Blue Hole
in Belmopan, and visits to East Indian communities in Forest Home,
Elridgeville, Jacintoville and Mafredi.
The conference aims to bring together academics, scholars, teachers and
students at all levels with an interest in the Indian Diaspora in the
Caribbean to discuss their research findings. Space will be provided
for less formal presentations from activists and practitioners in the
field in order to contribute to the limited store of public knowledge
on Indians in Belize.
Possible paper themes can include, but are not limited to history,
migration, inter-ethnic marriages, culture loss, alcoholism, business,
remittances, agriculture, education and gender.
These themes can be approached from a variety of disciplines, and can
be inter- as well as multi-disciplinary. At least two-thirds of each
paper to be presented must deal with Indians in Belize. Submitted
papers will be assigned to particular panels according to similarities
in theme, topic and discipline.
For details contact:
Ms. Sylvia Perez Gilharry in Belize - sylviaperez1@yahoo.com,
Corozal Organization of East Indian Cultural Heritage (COEICH)
Dr. Kumar Mahabir in Trinidad - dmahabir@gmail.com,
University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)
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