(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)
News from Hindu Press International
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Posted on 2014/2/10 17:37:25 ( 457 reads )
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DHAKA, BANGLADESH, February 9, 2014 (First Post): A Bangladeshi court today
ordered the government to pay US$60,000 as compensation to Hindu families
who were attacked for an alleged blasphemous post on a popular social
networking site.
Unidentified persons vandalized 29 homes, 10 shops and seven temples at
Bonogram Bazar in Pabna district in November last year following allegations
that a boy from the Hindu minority made a blasphemous post about the
Prophet Mohammed on a Facebook page, said Deputy Attorney General Biswajit
Roy.
The government was asked by a High Court bench of Justices Quazi Reza-Ul
Hoque and A. B. M. Altaf Hossain to pay the compensation within three
weeks. The bench further directed police to arrest those responsible for
the attacks.
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Posted on 2014/2/10 17:37:19 ( 541 reads )
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STRASBOURG, FRANCE, January 17, 2014 (Alsace): For the second consecutive
year, the city of Strasbourg has published a calendar that identifies and
explains festivals of seven major religions. For the first time, Hinduism,
practiced by a community of 10,000 in the CUS (Urban Community of
Strasbourg), made?its debut on the calendar with its symbols and colorful
festivals.
The result of close collaboration between Orthodox and Protestant
Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim representatives,
this calendar presents the main events and festivals of each religion with
a little explanatory text. 5,000 copies have been printed. The photos were
taken by photographer Franois Nussbaumer. Each month is symbolized by a
picture of religious holiday.
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Posted on 2014/2/10 17:37:13 ( 465 reads )
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There is something beyond our mind which abides in silence within our mind.
It is the supreme mystery beyond thought. Let one's mind and one's subtle
body rest upon that and not rest on anything else.
-- Maitri Upanishad
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Posted on 2014/2/9 18:31:50 ( 589 reads )
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UNITED STATES, February 7, 2014 (National Geographic): The more we learn
about yoga, the more we realize the benefits aren't all in the minds of the
20 million or so devotees in the U.S. Yoga helps people to relax, making
the heart rate go down, which is great for those with high blood pressure.
The poses help increase flexibility and strength, bringing relief to back
pain sufferers.
Now, in the largest study of yoga that used biological measures to assess
results, it seems that those meditative sun salutations and downward dog
poses can reduce inflammation, the body's way of reacting to injury or
irritation. That's important because inflammation is associated with
chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. It's
also one of the reasons that cancer survivors commonly feel fatigue for
months, even years, following treatment.
Researchers looked at 200 breast cancer survivors who had not practiced
yoga before. Half the group continued to ignore yoga, while the other half
received twice-weekly, 90-minute classes for 12 weeks, with take-home DVDs.
According to the study, which was led by Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor
of psychiatry and psychology at Ohio State University, and published in the
Journal of Clinical Oncology, the group that had practiced yoga reported
less fatigue and higher levels of vitality three months after treatment had
ended.
But the study didn't rely only on self-reports. Kiecolt-Glaser's husband
and research partner, Ronald Glaser of the university's department of
molecular virology, immunology, and medical genetics, went for stronger,
laboratory proof. He examined three cytokines, proteins in the blood that
are markers for inflammation. Blood tests before and after the trial showed
that, after three months of yoga practice, all three markers for
inflammation were lower by 10 to 15 percent. That part of the study offered
some rare biological evidence of the benefits of yoga in a large trial that
went beyond people's own reports of how they feel.
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Posted on 2014/2/9 18:31:44 ( 527 reads )
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(HPI adds: This article was written by Gary Gnidovic who is a Christian and
design director of Christianity Today magazine. It is a very
Christian-oriented report and view of India, and quite revealing in its own
way.)
INDIA, February 5, 2014 (Christianity Today): In 1971, as an Indian medical
student, M. A. Raju read Francis Schaeffer's The God Who Is There and
sensed his atheism foundering. He journeyed to L'Abri Switzerland, spent
three months in Calcutta with Mother Teresa, then worked alongside Muslims
and Jews in Israel trying to understand their religions. By 1976, "I
finally came to the conclusion that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life," said the medical missionary based in Kachua, North India.
Now, Raju presides over a struggling hospital, Mujwa, founded by Christian
missionaries more than 100 years ago. Raju (who has requested anonymity due
to sustained violence against Christians in his area) spoke with Gary
Gnidovic on site in Kachua about how Christian missionaries of an earlier
era--like the ones in CT's Jan/Feb cover story--benefited India.
The missionaries came on the backs of the colonists. When the missionaries
arrived, they didn't find a unified India. They found nearly 70 major
kingdoms, warring against each other, says Raju. Missionaries mastered the
languages of India. In eastern India, William Carey and his associates
mastered Bengali and Sanskrit. German missionaries mastered Tamil. English
missionaries mastered Malayalam. American missionaries mastered Marathi.
The first dictionary, for example, in Tamil and Bengali was written by
missionaries. And they did it because they wanted to master the language in
order to translate the Bible into the language. But they were also
interested in teaching people to read and write.
Indian Christians have forgotten the impact their missionary forefathers
had, on language, education, Indian identity, health, and the treatment of
women, outcasts, the poor. Indian Christians are beleaguered. They've gone
into a sort of "give me" stage, saying, "We haven't got
this," "We haven't got that." One aspect of what I do is to
encourage Christians: "Look, you have a great heritage." Our
forbearers invested in the future of the country. We should stop
complaining and living in fear, and instead contribute like they did to
building the nation.
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Posted on 2014/2/27 12:57:50 ( 396 reads )
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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, February 27, 2014 (Community Scoop): Hindu Youth New
Zealand proudly announces the 3rd National Hindu Youth conference in
Auckland on Saturday, 1st March. The theme of the conference is Dynamic You
The Power of Youth. The conference will be held at the Aotea Center in
Auckland.
It is an exciting time for Hindu Youth New Zealand and New Zealand Hindu
Students Forum to be coming together for the National Hindu youth
conference at the commencement of the 2014 academic year. Once again Hindu
youth have come together to create an opportunity for young people to get
motivated, be inspired and advance towards empowerment.
Preliminary findings from the most recent census is indicating that
Hinduism has the third largest following in New Zealand (after Christianity
and Atheism), a population of 89,000 is spread throughout New Zealand. The
census also revealed that Hindi is now the fourth most commonly spoken
language in the country. This conference will highlight the contribution of
this significant population to their country, New Zealand.
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Posted on 2014/2/27 12:57:42 ( 308 reads )
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There are three kinds of devotees. The inferior devotee says, "God is
out there" and thinks God is different from His creation. The mediocre
devotee says, "God is antaryami, the inner guide who dwells in
everyone's heart;" thus the mediocre devotee sees God within. But the
superior devotee sees that God alone is everything, for He has become the
twenty-four cosmic tattvas. That devotee finds that everything, above and
below, is filled with God.
-- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
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Posted on 2014/2/26 18:19:20 ( 512 reads )
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GAZIPUR, BANGLADESH, February 26, 2014 (The Daily Star): Criminals
vandalized the murthis (Deities) of a Hindu temple at Bathania Chala of
Kaliakoir in Gazipur late Tuesday night and left a note. Dilip Kumar, a
member of Sarbojanin Temple Committee, said miscreants desecrated all the
murthis in the temple, including the Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik,
Ganesh and Asur. All the damaged murthis were dumped in a field near the
temple. The thugs also left notes threatening the Hindus to stop
worshipping murthis or face bomb attacks. One read: "Stop statue
worship. Next here worship we will cast bomb or all of you accept Islam
else go to India."
General secretary of the temple committee Surja Mohan Sarker said they left
the temple about 7:30 pm on Tuesday night. But in the following morning
they found that all the murthis have been vandalized. A case has been filed
with Kaliakoir Police Station in this regard. On February 10, miscreants
damaged two murthis at the house of Nepal Chandra Barman in Gachgari area
of the upazila.
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Posted on 2014/2/26 18:19:14 ( 379 reads )
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NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 26, 2014 (Times Of India): In a significant
ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday assured it would come to the rescue of
any citizen who felt harassed by a fatwa issued by a Muslim cleric and said
such fatwas had no sanction in law.
A bench of Justices C.K. Prasad and P.C. Ghose made it clear that the
judiciary could redress a fatwa while hearing final arguments on a PIL by
Vishwa Lochan Madan, drawing the court's attention to parallel Shariat
courts that were mushrooming in India. Madan sought a declaration that such
fatwas were illegal.
The bench said fatwas and dictates by muftis had no sanction in law.
"Anything not sanctioned by the law need not be taken cognizance by
anyone. The muftis can take up any issue and dictate a fatwa. But this will
be akin to any common man's view on an issue," it said.
"If someone voluntarily follows the fatwas or directions of the
religious figures, it is purely up to them. But can these dictates, fatwa
or religious head's directions, be enforced in a court of law? If someone
is punished for not obeying the fatwa, then the judiciary is there to set
right that wrong," the bench said.
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Posted on 2014/2/26 18:19:07 ( 301 reads )
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The syllable gu means shadows. The syllable ru, he who disperses them.
Because of the power to disperse darkness, the guru is thus named.
-- Advayataraka Upanishad
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Posted on 2014/2/25 18:40:51 ( 685 reads )
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INDIA, February 22, 2014 (TTD Devastanams): The TTD Trust board under the
leadership of its Chairman Sri K. Bapi Raju has approved an approximately
US$388 million budget for the fiscal year 2014-15.
The TTD board chief briefing the media persons on the expected income
through various means said that the offerings to be made by millions of
devotees in the temple hundi (offering box), are expected to fetch about
$135 million while the interest on investments deposited in national banks
by TTD was estimated to account for $106 million. The sale of human hair (a
common penance at the temple is to have the head shaved) is expected to
bring $31 million to TTD coffers, prasadams sale profiting TTD up to $31
million, and on rentals TTD is expecting an income of $17.5 million during
the financial year 2014-15.
Meanwhile TTD has allotted $24 million to the Engineering department, $17.6
million towards Hindu Dharma Prachara activities, about $14 million towards
education, a sum of $14.8 million on Health and Sanitation, $8.4 million to
TTD Vigilance and Security wing and $5.8 million towards the development of
TTD-run hospitals.
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Posted on 2014/2/25 18:40:44 ( 324 reads )
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DENPASAR, BALI, January 21, 2014 (Jakarta Post): An academic from Dwijendra
University in Denpasar, Dr. Gede Sedana, said that farmers grouped in subak
(traditional farming and irrigation communities) conducted 15 different
kinds of ritual for one rice cultivation period. "Dozens of times these
rituals are carried out by farmers in a specific order according to the
phase of the rice cultivation, either individually or in a group,"
said the rector of Dwijendra University's School of agriculture in Denpasar
on Monday.
He said that the subak system continued to exist and develop even today and
had become unique due to its spiritual element, which was significant in
the management of agricultural irrigation. The rituals, or religious
ceremonies, occurred dozens of times on the sidelines while the crops were
growing, and were a strongly binding factor in subak irrigation management
on the island.
"The strong belief in God is a part of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy,
in which a harmonious relationship is maintained between humans and humans,
humans and the environment and humans and God," said Sedana.
See Hinduism Today's 1989 article on Bali's water temples: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/ ...
ction/item.php?itemid=623
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Posted on 2014/2/25 18:40:38 ( 314 reads )
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Love says, "I am everything." Wisdom says, "I am
nothing." Between the two, my life flows. I express it by saying that
I am both, and neither, and beyond both.
-- Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981), Hindu sage
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Posted on 2014/2/24 18:29:21 ( 359 reads )
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KATHMANDU, NEPAL, February 23, 2014 (ekantipur.com): Around 700,000 Hindu
devotees are expected to visit the Pashupatinath Temple for the Shivaratri
festival on Thursday. To manage the sea of people to route their way to the
temple while ensuring their safety and convenience, the Pashupati Area
Development Trust (PADT) this year has made arrangement for four lines, among
them one will be priority-based, where one could pay Rs 1,000 (US$10.23)
for fast track access into the temple. The three other lineups will be the
general queue requiring no entry fee. "From the normal lines, it would
take 45 minutes to one hour to reach the main temple," said Gobinda
Tandon, the member secretary of the PADT.
With only less than a week remaining for the festival, preparation works at
the temple is well under way. While decoration and construction works on
the Pashupatinath premises have completed, various sub-committees have been
entrusted to carry out specific responsibilities concerning the pre and
post events of the festival.
Security is a major concern for the organiser for the festival dedicated to
Shiva. A total of 3,000 security personnel from the Nepal police and the
Armed Police Force will be deployed to keep law and order during the
festival. The PADT also has decided to deploy around 10,000 volunteers to
assist the devotees.
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Posted on 2014/2/24 18:29:15 ( 369 reads )
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BALI, INDONESIA, February 8, 2014 (Jakarta Post): Dressed in white Balinese
attire, more than 120 devotee couples underwent the pewintenan gana wisesa
ritual recently at Silayukti temple in Padangbai village, Karangasem. The
ritual, which is a purification and initiation rite, elevates the spiritual
and social status of the participants into pemangku (temple priests) for
males and serati banten (offering makers) for females.
It was organized by Maha Gotra Pasek Sanak Sapta Rsi (MGPSSR), arguably the
biggest clan-based organization on the island. Silayukti temple is a
historic place of worship believed to have been constructed in 11th century
by Mpu Kuturan, an influential sage with supernatural power who played a
pivotal role in the birth of Balinese Hinduism.
After the end of the ritual, participants' bodies and minds are considered
sufficiently "pure" to carry out important errands in the temple,
including placing offerings in the shrine and sprinkling holy water on the
devotees.
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Posted on 2014/2/24 18:29:08 ( 291 reads )
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It is impossible for me to reconcile with the idea of conversion as it
happens today. It is an error and perhaps the greatest impediment to the
world's progress toward peace. Why should a Christian want to convert a
Hindu? Why should he not be satisfied if the Hindu is a good or godly man?
-- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
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Posted on 2014/2/21 18:09:11 ( 430 reads )
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INDIA, February 19th, 2014 (travPR.com): The Holy Amarnath Yatra
(pilgrimage) 2014 dates have been announced. The 44-day Yatra will commence
on June 28, an auspicious day as per Hindu Calendar and shall conclude on
Raksha Bandhan on 10 Aug, 2014. A very special puja will be conducted on
June 13, the day of Jyesth Purnima, to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva
for the safe yatra. This year, 7,500 yatris (pilgrims) on a per day per
route basis will be allowed to register for the pilgrimage. This excludes
Yatris who travel by helicopters to Panjtarni. The registration process is
expected to commence on 1st March 2014.
In view of the complaints received from yatris last year, a new design of
Yatra Permit Registration Forms has been created, which will have a number
of high security features. This will ensure that the Yatra Permit Forms are
not duplicated by unlawful elements. The Yatra Permit Form will be
available at the designated 422 Bank Branches.
It is mandatory that the intending Yatris furnish the prescribed Compulsory
Health Certificate (CHC) issued only by the authorized Doctors/Medical
Institutes. No other certificate will be accepted. There is no change in
the format of CHC this year. CHC must be issued only after February 1,
2014. The intending yatris must be above 13 years and below 75 years of
age.
See:
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/ ...
tion/item.php?itemid=5363
For Hinduism Today's feature story on the 2012 yatra.
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Posted on 2014/2/21 18:09:05 ( 458 reads )
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He cannot be seen by the eye, and words cannot reveal Him. He cannot be
reached by the senses, or by austerity or sacred actions. By the grace of
wisdom and purity of mind, He can be seen, indivisible, in the silence of
contemplation. This invisible Atman can be seen by the mind wherein the
five senses are resting.
-- Atharva Veda
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Posted on 2014/2/20 18:46:49 ( 463 reads )
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NADI, FIJI, February 19, 2014 (Fiji Times): The first-ever gathering of
Hindus to celebrate their contribution to the country will be held in Nadi
in April. The conference will be held on April 12 and 13 at the Tanoa
International Hotel.
Organisers of the event -- the Vishva Hindu Parishad Fiji or World Hindu
Council of Fiji -- emphasized that the first Fiji National Hindu Conference
was not a religious or philosophical meeting but rather, a community
conference.
The theme is "The contribution of the Hindu community in strengthening
and building Fiji" and it will cover economic, health, environmental,
social and cultural aspects. The conference will provide a platform for all
Hindu organisations, temples and like-minded groups to showcase their
contributions to Fijian society in general and Hindu society in particular.
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Posted on 2014/2/20 18:46:43 ( 483 reads )
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, February 13, 2014 (HAF): In light of a multitude
of inquiries with regard to Penguin India's decision to withdraw
controversial scholar, Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus: An Alternative
History," the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issues the following
statement.
HAF is against censorship or the banning of books in any country or fora.
In fact, we have consistently held that Doniger's many published works are
profoundly problematic based on their selective use of facts and
questionable methodology, but the preferred course of action is to
challenge and debate, provide rebuttals, and publish accounts of Hinduism
and its history that present the deep insight and emic perspectives so
obviously lacking in Doniger's work.
This particular case, however, is not one of banning, but the result of a
legal, out-of-court settlement, which Penguin books entered into willingly
with Delhi-based Shiksha Bachao Andolan ("The Save Education
Movement"). In response to a lawsuit brought only four years ago under
the Indian Penal Code, whose Section 295A forbids speech which
"deliberately and maliciously inflames religious sentiment,"
Penguin appears to have calculated that the liability for errors and
excessive editorial liberties taken by Doniger outweigh the potential harm
its reputation may sustain by surrendering rather than championing free
speech.
More at 'source'.
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Posted on 2014/3/5 16:19:30 ( 250 reads )
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GILBRALTAR, Marcy 4, 2013 (Gibraltar Chronical): HPI note: This is perhaps
our first-ever story on the Hindu community of Gilbraltar, the British
Overseas Territory located at the south end of Spain's Iberian Peninsula at
the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has 30,000 residents, 1.8% of them
Hindu, in an area of 2.3 square miles.
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, yesterday officially
opened the new accessible entrance to the Hindu Temple (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar_Hindu_Temple)
and attended a reception held in his honor. Greeted by former speaker of
Parliament, Haresh Budhrani, and many members of Gibraltar's Hindu
community, Mr. Picardo was joined by Minister for Equality, Samantha
Sacramento.
As part of the evening events, Mr Picardo unveiled a plaque and took part
in a Hindu version of cutting the ribbon before he entered the temple. Mr.
Picardo and Ms. Sacramento were welcomed into the temple. An aarti - a
Hindu ritual of worship, where lighted wicks are waved around a person in a
spirit of humility and gratitude - to venerate Mr. Picardo came next before
a garland was draped around his neck. To finish the welcoming Mr. Picardo
lit a lamp. He commented that it was his first time inside the temple and
asked many questions about his unfamiliar surroundings.
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Posted on 2014/3/5 16:19:23 ( 338 reads )
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, February 28, 2014 (Southern California Public Radio):
Arshya Gurbani, president of USC's Hindu Student Organization, hopes one
day to learn Sanskrit to better connect with her faith. Gurbani, 21, and
the other members of the Hindu Student Organization at USC put their own
modern spin on the ancient practice of aarthi during their weekly meetings.
They play the devotional song "Om Jai Jagdish Hare" on YouTube as
they sing off computer printouts. And coupled with the Hindi songs are
verses in Sanskrit, spelled out phonetically so anyone can follow along.
"Growing up, you don't necessarily know what you're saying, but you
keep saying certain Sanskrit phrases anyways," Gurbani says. "Now
that I'm older, I want to know what it means, and that causes me to look at
it more critically than I would have if it were in English or even in
Hindi."
Hinduism's canon of sacred texts -- such as the epic poem
"Mahabharata" and, within it, the Bhagavad Gita -- is written in
Sanskrit, but few Hindus today can read or speak the language. Many
Hindu-Americans' religious experiences are taught orally by family members
or through translations into modern Indian languages. India's most recent
census numbers reported fewer than 15,000 people identified Sanskrit as
their native tongue.
But despite being the world's oldest language, Sanskrit has survived and
remained largely unchanged due to its preservation within religious and
scholarly studies. And now a resurgence of interest among young Hindus is
pushing this once deemed "dead language" back into the
conversation of what it means to be Hindu.
More at source.
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Posted on 2014/3/5 16:19:17 ( 185 reads )
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It is very important to give light and love to everyone, because everyone
needs affection. Let light, love and peace live today and always in our
hearts. Let these words not just be words pouring out of our lips. Let
light invade your whole being so that everyone may be able to love.
-- Mataji Indra Devi
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Posted on 2014/3/4 17:24:28 ( 373 reads )
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BALI, March 4, 2014 (The Jakarta Post): As Balinese Hindus will observe
Nyepi (the Day of Silence) on March 31, the highest Hindu council on the
island -- Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) -- has issued guidance
related to the celebration of the Caka New Year 1936. A series of rituals
would be adjusted to the tradition and situation in each desa pakraman
(customary village) on the island. The melasti purification ritual marks
the beginning of Nyepi. In this procession, Hindu adherents will bring
their pretima (sacred objects) to beaches, lakes or springs that are
believed to be sacred, to be cleansed.
After completing melasti, they perform Bhatara Nyejer in the Pura Desa or
Bale Agung, the village's temple, which is followed by Tawur Kesanga, or a
ritual of sacrifice on Sunday, one day before Nyepi. Tawur Kesanga is
carried out at several levels, starting from the highest at the island's
mother temple, Pura Besakih, down to the regencies, villages, hamlets and
households. This ritual is aimed at strengthening relations between humans,
humans and the environment, as well as humans and God.
On the following day, the whole island will turn into a quiet and peaceful
sanctuary as Balinese Hindus observe Nyepi and perform the four abstinences
known as Catur Brata Penyepian. They will abstain from lighting fire or
lights, abstain from work, abstain from traveling outside one's home and
abstain from enjoying leisure activities.
All access to Bali will be closed for the duration of Nyepi and only
hospitals and emergency services will be in operation. Hotels will also
provide suitable activities for their guests. Beaches will also be closed
and tourists are urged to stay inside their respective hotels' compound.
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Posted on 2014/3/4 17:24:13 ( 308 reads )
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MUMBAI, INDIA, March 4, 2014 (Press Release): Chinmaya Mission, Sandeepany
Sadhanalaya, Mumbai opens their 16th Vedanta Course in English.
Applications are invited from University graduates, men and women. They
must be unmarried and free from family encumbrances, with a sincere
interest in the study of Vedanta, a zeal to share the message of the
Rishis, and between ages 20-30 years. The course duration is two years
starting on August 29, 2014. It is free of cost - all accommodation, food,
clothes books and medical care will be provided by Chinmaya Mission.
Application forms are available from http://sandeepany.chinmayamission.com.
The deadline for applications is April 30, 2014.
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Posted on 2014/3/4 17:24:07 ( 181 reads )
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Like treasure hidden in the ground, like flavor in the fruit, like gold in
the rock, and oil in the seed, the Absolute is hidden in the heart.
-- Akka Mahadevi, twelfth-century Vira Saiva saint
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Posted on 2014/3/3 18:25:59 ( 350 reads )
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SRI LANKA, March 1, 2014 (Economist): The end of their bitter war, nearly
five years ago, has done little to unite Sri Lanka's divided communities.
In their modest way, a photographer and an anthropologist are working
together to try bridging the distance that separates the country's two
largest ethnic groups--by showing them how they worship the same Goddess.
The majority, Sinhala-speaking Buddhists, call Her Pattini while the
minority Tamil Hindus name Her Kannaki. For the most part, neither of the
two communities knows that the other reveres Her under a different name.
But their beliefs are deeply syncretic, and point towards a shared history
and traditions.
Sharni Jayawardena, the photographer, and Malathi de Alwis, the
anthropologist, are using this shared background in an attempt to foster
reconciliation. For more than two years they traversed the country
photographing the worship of the Goddess; Her many temples, rituals and
processions.
The result is a captivating collection of images that not only displays the
similarities between the religious practices of the Sinhalese and the
Tamils, but the many variations within their communities. Their work was
shown over two days in the cosmopolitan capital, Colombo. The exhibition is
still to be staged in Jaffna and in Batticaloa. The creators hope it goes
at least a small way towards breaking down the walls of estrangement that
were built up over decades of strife.
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Posted on 2014/3/3 18:25:54 ( 316 reads )
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INDIA, March 3, 2014 (The Hindu): The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam alone
is entitled to use the brand name "Tirupati Laddu," the Madras
High Court has ruled while granting a decree in favor of the TTD on a civil
suit filed against a city-based sweet shop. The TTD had claimed that it had
the Geographical Indications (GI) tag for making Tirupati Laddus which were
being given to pilgrims as prasadam.
Small time vendors as well as well-known big sweet outlets had been selling
laddus using the name of Tirupati. This could mislead people into believing
that the original Tirupati laddus were being sold through these sources.
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Posted on 2014/3/3 18:25:47 ( 219 reads )
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Like the household fire, devotees seek the glory of the Lord even from afar
and enshrine it in their inner chamber for enlightenment. The glory of our
Lord is full of splendor, all-illuminative and worthy to be honored in
every heart.
-- Rig Veda 7.1.2
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Posted on 2014/3/2 18:42:49 ( 329 reads )
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PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINADAD/TOBAGO, March 1, 2014 (Free Press Journal): Away
from fetes, dancing and merry-making as Trinidad and Tobago, the oil-rich
Caribbean republic observes its annual carnival, devout Hindus went to
temples and other public places to observe the annual Sivaratri here
February 27.
Thousands of Hindus spent Thursday night in over 400 temples across the
land, offering special jhalls (a mixture of milk, dhai, flowers,
sugar-cane, sweets) to Lord Siva. Scores of temples hosted special Lord
Siva Yagnas, all of which were carried live on several radio stations.
Satnarayan Maharaj led Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, which controls
approximately 80 primary, secondary and pre-schools, were given the day off
from classes.
The observance of Sivaratri was brought by the indentured Indian labourers
who came from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917. Out of a
population of 1.3 million people, some 25 percent people are devout Hindus.
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Posted on 2014/3/2 18:42:37 ( 353 reads )
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CHIDAMBARAM, INDIA, March 1, 2014 (The Hindu): The hallowed precincts of
Lord Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram started reverberating with the 33rd
edition of the Natyanjali festival from Thursday. The five-day event that
would go on till March 3 will feature performances of exponents, drawn from
various parts of the country as well as from abroad, of classical dance
forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Koodiyattam and Mohiniattam.
Madras High Court Judge Justice V. Ramasubramanian in his chief guest
address said that the "Dance of Lord Nataraja actually portrays the
elementary particles in their eternal and constant dance of creation,
preservation and dissolution." The Judge further said that the
parallel between Siva's dance and the dance of atomic particles was first
discussed elaborately by Fritjof Capra, an Austrian-born American physicist
and founding director of the Centre for Eco Literacy at Berkeley,
California, titled "The Dance of Siva: The Hindu view of matter in the
light of modern physics" published in 1972.
Capra explained the connection between modern physics and eastern
mysticism. Siva's cosmic dance thus became the central metaphor in his
international best-seller "The Tao of Physics," first published
in 1975 and was still in print in over 40 editions around the world. For
the modern physicists the dance of Siva is the dance of subatomic matter.
The Judge also noted that on June 18, 2004, an unusual new landmark was
unveiled at CERN (European Centre for Research in Particle Physics) in
Geneva. "The 2-meter tall statue of Lord Nataraja, given by the Indian
Government, is a dancing Deity representing the cosmic cycle of creation
and dissolution and also depicting the dynamic of subatomic particles, the
basis of creation of the universe that is being researched by physicists
the world over," the Judge said.
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Posted on 2014/3/2 18:42:31 ( 465 reads )
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WASHINGTON, U.S., February 27, 2014 (Top News): A new study, published in
the journal Geology, has suggested that climate change may have contributed
to the decline of a city-dwelling civilization in Pakistan and India 4,100
years ago.
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have demonstrated that an
abrupt weakening of the summer monsoon affected northwest India 4,100 years
ago. The resulting drought coincided with the beginning of the decline of
the metropolis-building Indus Civilisation, which spanned present-day Pakistan
and India, suggesting that climate change could be why many of the major
cities of the civilisation were abandoned.
The research involved the collection of snail shells preserved in the
sediments of an ancient lake bed. By analyzing the oxygen isotopes in the
shells, the scientists were able to tell how much rain fell in the lake
where the snails lived thousands of years ago. Moreover, the finding now
links the decline of the Indus cities to a documented global scale climate
event and its impact on the Old Kingdom in Egypt, the Early Bronze Age
civilisations of Greece and Crete, and the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia,
whose decline has previously been linked to abrupt climate change.
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Posted on 2014/3/2 18:42:24 ( 248 reads )
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The boundless ocean of births can be crossed, indeed, but not without
intimate union with Infinity's Holy Feet.
-- Tirukkural
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Posted on 2014/2/27 12:58:02 ( 454 reads )
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KATHMANDU, NEPAL, February 24, 2014 (My Republica): Around five thousands
yogis, santa and mahasanta from India are visiting the Pashupatinath Temple
on the occasion of Mahasivaratri festival this year. The Pashupati Area
Development Trust (PADT) has estimated that around US$141,000 will be spent
for food and accommodation of the saints coming to the temple on
Mahasivaratri including dakshina (financial offering during farewell) to
them. As per age-old tradition, saints from India visit the temple on
Mahasivaratri. The 110-year-old Milanbaba from Kamrup Kamaksha has already
arrived to Pashupatinath to observe the Mahasivaratri.
A clean up of the temple and its premises, Bagmati river and paintings have
been completed. Arrival of saints and temporary installation of
Vaishnawidevi Temple at Banakali are the central attractions for the
devotees visiting the temple on Mahasivaratri. The temple will be open for
the public for homage and pooja on Sivaratri. This year's Mahasivaratri
which is observed with much fanfare by the Hindus as the birthday of Lord
Shiva falls on February 27, Thursday.
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Posted on 2014/2/27 12:57:56 ( 411 reads )
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BANARAS, INDIA, February 24, 2014 (Zee News India): Elaborate security
arrangements have been made in view large number of devotees visiting
Kashi-Vishwanath temple here on the occasion of Maha Sivratri festival on
Thursday, Inspector General of Police (IG range Varanasi) Prakash D. told
PTI.
"More than 500,000 devotees are expected to visit the Kashi-Vishwanath
temple on the day. Last year about 400,000 devotees visited the temple and
this time we are expecting a rise in their numbers," he said. Special
arrangements have been made for the smooth movements of devotees, sign
boards at various diversions are being fixed and a temporary cloak room has
been been set up at Godwalia, he said. The officer said the area around the
temple has been declared 'no traffic zone' and vehicular traffic would be
prohibited from midnight. The IG denied any kind of threat inputs by the
intelligence agencies on the day, as reported in a section of media.
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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
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