(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 2014/7/24 16:55:40 ( 426 reads )
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AHMEDABAD, INDIA, Julu 22, 2014 (by Bharat Yagnik, TNN): The Bochasanvasi
Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) has envisioned an Akshardham temple at
Robbinsville in New Jersey, US that will be spread over a mammoth 162
acres. BAPS has earlier established two Akshardham temples at Gandhinagar
and New Delhi as religious and cultural centers. The US project -- aptly
named Akshardham Mahamandir -- started in 2013 with a stone-laying
ceremony, realizing the 15-year-old dream of Pramukh Swami, the religious
leader of the sect, to construct an Akshardham at New Jersey. The area has
sizable Gujarati and Indian population. The leaders are hopeful that the temple
will be ready in 2017. Pramukh Swami will visit the site next month when he
will be in the US.
Sadhu Brahmprakash of BAPS told TOI that the work is going on at Rajasthan
where more than 2,000 artisans are laboring over various parts of the
temple at Dungarpur, Pindwada and Sangwada. "The finished parts are
shipped to US where they are assembled by master craftsmen," he said.
Italian marble and marble from Rajasthan's quarries is being used and the
parts are shipped from Mundra, added officials. In US, a 5,000-strong team
is looking after various aspects of the construction and design.
The main building will have four floors. The complex will have an exhibit
dedicated to Indian history and culture, a youth activity center and much
more. The artisans have taken elements of both south and north Indian
temples. The embellished temple will have ornate pillars and panels
depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata and ancient scriptures.
The halls will have full-size idols of important leaders of the sect.
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Posted on 2014/7/24 16:55:34 ( 423 reads )
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KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, July 23, 2014 (Press Release): The Sambodh Society,
Inc., and the Sambodh Center for Human Excellence will celebrate the 12th
Annual Rudrabhishekam and Chandi Homam on August 1-3, 2014 at the Sambodh
Ashram in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The program will consist of a number of
poojas and homas for benefit of people of all ages and from all walks of
life. Click "source" above for complete information, and to
download the full program brochure.
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Posted on 2014/7/24 16:55:28 ( 365 reads )
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Listen for silence in noisy places; feel at peace in the midst of
disturbance; awaken joy when there is no reason.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism
Today
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Posted on 2014/7/23 18:10:37 ( 511 reads )
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PANAMA, July 21, 2014 (Panama On): The First Lady of the Republic, Lorena
Castillo de Varela, attended the lecture by Hindu spiritual preacher Morari
Bapu. At the event, the preacher, on his first visit to Panama (to present
Ram Katha), spoke of truth, love, compassion and forgiveness as essential
values for all religions that can transform anyone into a peacemaker. The
event, organized by the Hindu Temple at a local hotel, was attended by the
Ambassador of India to Panama Shamma Jain, government representatives,
members of the Hindu community in Panama, and special guests.
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Posted on 2014/7/23 18:10:32 ( 472 reads )
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INDIA, May 3, 2014 (pparihar.com): Note: This is a long editorial piece by
Dr. Subramanian Swamy, an economist and prominent Indian politician with
the BJP.
The identity of India is Hindustan, i.e., a nation of Hindus and those
others who acknowledge with pride that their ancestors were Hindus.
Hindustan represents the continuing history of culture of Hindus. One's
religion may change, but culture does not. Thus, on the agenda for a
national renaissance should be the dissemination of the correct perception
of what we are. This perception has to be derived from a defalsified
history. However, the present history taught in our schools and colleges is
the British imperialist-sponsored one, with the intent to destroy our
identity.
A correct, defalsified history would record that Hindustan was one nation
in the art of governance, in the style of royal courts, in the methods of
warfare, in the maintenance of its agrarian base, and in the dissemination
of information. Sanskrit was the language of national communication and
discourse.
Much more of the lengthy discussion and history at source above.
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Posted on 2014/7/23 18:10:17 ( 391 reads )
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UNITED STATES, July 21, 2014 (BBC): A new study suggests that the
production of beef is around 10 times more damaging to the environment than
any other form of livestock. Scientists measured the environment inputs
required to produce the main US sources of protein. Beef cattle need 28
times more land and 11 times more irrigation water than pork, poultry, eggs
or dairy. The research has been published in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers developed a uniform methodology that they were able to
apply to all five livestock categories and to four measures of
environmental performance. As a result, beef comes out clearly as the food
animal with the biggest environmental impact. As well as the effects on
land and water, cattle release five times more greenhouse gas and consume
six times more nitrogen than eggs or poultry.
"The overall environmental footprint of beef is particularly large
because it combines a low production efficiency with very high
volume," said Prof. Mark Sutton, from the UK's Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology. "The result is that the researchers estimate that over 60%
of the environmental burden of livestock in the US results from beef.
Although the exact numbers will be different for Europe (expecting a larger
role of dairy), the overall message will be similar: Cattle dominate the
livestock footprint of both Europe and US."
Cutting down on beef can have a big environmental impact they say. But the
same is not true for all livestock.
"One can reasonably be an environmentally mindful eater, designing
one's diet with its environmental impact in mind, while not resorting to
exclusive reliance on plant food sources," said Prof Eshel.
"In fact, eliminating beef, and replacing it with relatively
efficiency animal-based alternatives such as eggs, can achieve an
environmental improvement comparable to switching to plant food
source."
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Posted on 2014/7/23 18:10:11 ( 330 reads )
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HPI
KAUAI, HAWAII, July 22, 2014: A reader has pointed out that millet does not
have a low glycemic index number as claimed in the July 21 news item,
"Millets: The Nutrient Rich Counterparts Of Wheat And Rice,"
(even though coming from a government of India press release).
Generally anything over 70 is considered high glycemic. Ragi, a common form
of red millet in India is 86 (http://www.indiacurry.com/obesity/glycemic.htm).
Bajra, or millet, is given here (http://www.bloodindex.org/glycemic_index.php)
as 82. Other sites give similar numbers.
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Posted on 2014/7/23 18:10:04 ( 318 reads )
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Hindu Dharma was a great reconciler. It reconciled various viewpoints,
various doctrines. It knew how to look at things from various angles and
viewpoints. It knew no conflict between science and religion, between
rationalism and spiritualism. It was so because it was not dogmatic in
reason or religion.
-- Ram Swarup (1920-1998), distinguished spokesperson of Hindu
spirituality and culture in India
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Posted on 2014/7/22 18:08:09 ( 403 reads )
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SOUTH AFRICA, July 20, 2014 (Indian Spice): The largest-ever national
festival showcasing Indian culture & heritage in South Africa is set to
kick off this week. The year "2014" marks 20 years of diplomatic
relations between India and South Africa since the end of apartheid era;
and 100 years since the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India
on 18 July 1914. The Indian community was fundamental in the overall
development of the country and nation building including the struggle
against apartheid.
The festival also coincides with the celebration of life and values of our
liberation struggle icon, "Tata" Nelson Mandela. The Department
of Arts and Culture is proud to co-host the Festival of India in
commemorating this milestone achievement. This festival will showcase
Indian performing arts, exhibitions of modern Indian art, visual and
photographic digital exhibitions on the late Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi,
food festivals, film festivals as well as events involving Indian and South
African scholars and writers.
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:26 ( 418 reads )
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MADRID, SPAIN, June 7, 2014 (El Mundo): The seventh annual BollyMadrid
Festival is being held on the streets and plazas of the Spanish capital for
three days in June. The sponsor of the event, the government of Madrid's
central Lavapies district, is anticipating that 30,000 people will come to
participate in the festival. The festival includes a morning fair selling
Indian fashion and handicrafts and holding workshops, such as rangoli
drawing, for the children. There's an Indian food plaza with 25 booths
staffed by the district's Indian restaurants. Over three days there will be
50 performances choreographed for 100 dancers. And in the evening after
sunset, the latest films from Mumbai are being shown on the big screen over
the stage.
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:12 ( 1047 reads )
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocf8Nlq5Xiw
LONDON, ENGLAND, May 13, 2014 (BBC): At last, the BBC has produced an
excellent video explaining how Hitler hijacked the swastika--a symbol of
auspiciousness used by ancient cultures worldwide and held sacred by
Hindus--and distorted its meaning so that the Western world now regards it
with fear and loathing, as a symbol of hatred and genocide. Footage of Nazi
Germany is contrasted with the swastika's uses and significance in Hindu
culture and religious observances. Although the narrator doubts we can ever
effect a complete recovery (even saying that Hitler "changed the
perception of the swastika in the West forever"), the video ends on a
very positive note, hypothesizing the day when each child's early exposure
to the swastika will be in terms of its traditional, benevolent uses and
meanings--and the later knowledge of Hitler's misuse of it will be met with
the same sense of sock, horror and outrage that Hindus themselves feel.
"And if we can get to that point, then Hitler will have finally been
defeated."
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:05 ( 331 reads )
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Love is seeing and feeling life everywhere. When your heart is full of
love, you sense life pulsating through all creation.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi Ma, Kerala-based hugging saint
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:45 ( 413 reads )
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SOUTH AFRICA, July 29, 2014 (Indian Times): The Isipingo Dharam Mandir
celebrated its 2nd Akhand Hanuman Chalisa on 25th May 2014 at the temple in
Isipingo. The President of the Temple Society, Neelien Ramchand explain
that the event included the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa 108 times.
Various satsang groups from the Durban area were programmed to perform the
Hanuman Chalisa during this marathon recital. The recitation started at 6
am and ended at 6 pm.
The day's proceedings commenced with prayer at 4-30 am. Neelien said that
the Akhand Hanuman Chalisa was a thanksgiving prayer to the Supreme Being
in the form of Lord Hanuman to acknowledge our existence and give thanks to
what we have in this world. Pundith Suman Singh, the officiating priest,
said, "We are all servants of the Lord and our existence is by the
grace of the Lord".
The origins of the temple started in 1963 when the community of Malakazi
got together to start this organisation. It had very humble beginnings and
has grown over the years. It currently has about 120 members of the temple
society. However, during the major festivals and celebrations, hundreds of
people from far and wide gather at the temple to offer prayers and pay
homage to the Lord.
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:38 ( 351 reads )
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SURINAM, SOUTH AMERICAJuly 29, 2014 (Geographic Guianas by Dominique
Maison) Only a few minutes from the centre of Paramaribo is one of the
beating hearts of Javanese culture. It has been there since the first
Javanese migrants came across 120 years ago this year to this then Dutch
colony from Indonesia, also a Dutch colony. Today there are over 70,000
Javanese who, to the sound of great festivities, are remembering their
ancestors and the island they hailed from. These Javanese are today
Muslims, and it is unknown how many Hindus were among the original migrants
and what became of them. At the same time, Hindu immigrants were coming
into Surinam and surrounding colonies from India.
Nowadays the 70,000 descendants of the Javanese migrants are to be found in
all sectors of Surinamese society. They have managed to obtain numerous
positions in the public sector (in health and teaching), as well as
supplying the national parliament with its president in 2004.
In 1954 some of them undertook the arduous journey back to the land of
their fathers. We have retraced their footsteps to recount their sometimes
painful stories and to tell of the hopes of this community whose history is
often but poorly known in French Guiana.
To read the interesting history of how Javanese culture has managed to
survive over 12,500 miles away from the island where it originated, click
on 'source' above.
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:32 ( 390 reads )
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SAN LUIS POTOSI, MEXICO, July 28, 2014 (Plano Informativo): San Luis Potosi
(SLP) is a city of 723,000 located 250 miles north of Mexico City. Aiming
to combat bullying in schools, the city's Department of Education will
implement a program that includes the promotion of positive social values
through reading assignments, and also includes the practice of yoga along
with other physical activity.
Today, bullying occurs in almost all educational spaces. One of the main
concerns of the mayor, Mario Garcia, is preventing this phenomenon and
avoiding its negative impact on the student population. Therefore, plans to
eradicate bullying are being implemented.
The program is now in the final planning phase. The pilot project will
begin in September, conducted and overseen by specialists in the field.
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:24 ( 362 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 2014/7/30 16:00:18 ( 390 reads )
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TABAQUITE,TRINIDAD,July 25, 2014 (by Seeta Persad, Newsday): Massive
preparations are now taking place for the second annual Shri Krishna Leela
at the Guaracara Recreation Ground in Tabaquite. This ten-day drama based
on the life and times of the Hindu God Lord Krishna is being staged by the
Krishna Rama Shakti Mandir (KRSM) of Tabaquite. This play runs from August
1 to 10 between the hours of 6 pm to 8 pm. Members of the KRSM will be playing
the various roles in this unfolding drama of Lord Krishna.
According to Pundit Lackram, Chan Krishna Leela drama production depicts
the exploits of Lord Krishna (an incarnation of God), when He took descent
on Earth thousands of years ago in India. This is a play similar to
Ramleela and it consists of scenes depicting Krishna's appearance from a
baby to his teenage days.
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Posted on 2014/7/30 16:00:12 ( 381 reads )
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COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, July 23, 2014 (Colombo Page): Sri Lanka's Supreme Court
has ruled that the Hindu temples can perform animal sacrifice under
controlled conditions. The apex court on Monday hearing an appeal filed by
the trustees of the Sri Bhadrakali Amman Kovil at Munneswaram in Chilaw
ruled that the Hindu Temple can slaughter the animals under the supervision
of the Public Health Department.
In recent years the customary ritual of sacrificing hundreds of goats and
fowl in the annual feast of the Munneswaram Sri Bhadra Kali Amman Kovil in
Chilaw has come under severe protest from the animal lovers, Buddhist
clergy and politicians. (HPI Note: The Buddhists of Sri Lanka are not
vegetarians.)
The Chief Justice Mohan Peiris said he is not ready to ban the animal
sacrifice since the practice was hundreds of years old. However, he said
the number of animals slaughtered normally is too high and urged the
devotees to talk to each other to bring down the number of animals killed.
He ordered the temple authorities to slaughter one animal at a time in a
specially designated enclosure away from the public view under the
supervision of the Public Health Department.
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Posted on 2014/7/30 16:00:06 ( 461 reads )
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BELIZE, July 29, 2014 (Press Release): The Corozal Organization of East
Indian Culture and Heritage (COEICH) and the National East Indian Council
of Belize - Southern Chapter (NEICBSC), along with the National Institute
of Culture and History of Belize (NICH) are having the first Indian diaspora
conference in Belize August 6 to 10, 2014. The theme of the conference is:
"Highlighting Indian Culture and Contribution in a Multi-ethnic
Society." The first two days of the conference will be held in Corozal
Town (Northern Belize) and the next two days will be held in Punta Gorda
Town (Southern Belize).
Academic presentations will be given by presenters from the United States,
the Caribbean and Belize. Other presentations will be given by elders and
others from the Indian community in Belize. Some of the areas covered in
the conference include race relations, entrepreneurship, dreams of young
East Indians, medicine, identity, migration, indentured laborers, East
Indian women, reparation, outstanding East Indians in Belize, and
agriculture, including sugar cane and rice production and yellow ginger
processing.
For more information, email sylviaperez1@yahoo.com.
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Posted on 2014/7/30 15:59:59 ( 327 reads )
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It is far easier to conquer others than to conquer oneself, because the
former can be attained by recourse to outside means, while the latter can
be achieved only with one's own mind.
-- Mahatma Gandhi(1869-1948)
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Posted on 2014/7/28 17:13:44 ( 721 reads )
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PAKISTAN, July 26, 2014 (ndtv): The book, "Historic Temples in
Pakistan: A Call to Conscience," authored by Karachi-based journalist
Reema Abbasi, focuses on minority Hindus who celebrate Indian festivals on
the other side of the border. A result of extensive research, the book
highlights around 400 photographs that cover different aspects of
overlooked historical temples and shrines in Pakistan that few know about.
Madiha Aijaz who teaches photography at the Indus Valley School of
Architecture, does justice to the book by beautifully capturing the
multi-colored and vibrant images. "It is a subject that is just so
less documented and it hasn't been talked about," she says.
Reema and Madiha travelled far and wide to various pilgrimage sites like
Hinglaj, the abode of goddess Durga in Balochistan; the Katas Raj temple in
Punjab, one of the holiest in Hinduism and known for providing refuge to
the Pandavas; the Kalka cave temple in Sindh; the Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir
in Karachi, among others.
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Posted on 2014/7/28 17:13:38 ( 349 reads )
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CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, July 11, 2014 (Concord Monitor): From the windows
of the Heights Community Center auditorium in Concord, a man's monotone
voice chants holy Sanskrit legends. This is Srimad Bhagavata Maha Purana, a
week of devotion and community organized by the new Hindu Faith Trust of
NH.
The people inside pray for peace around the world, enlightenment in their
own hearts and brotherhood in their community. From 9 a.m. until the
evening, every day until Wednesday, people will gather in the auditorium to
pray, chant, dance and sing, and receive blessings. Organizers from the
Hindu Faith Trust said they expect people from across New England to attend
over the weekend.
Though it has been organized mainly by Hindus from Bhutan, the event is
designed to bring New Hampshire's Hindu community - from India, Nepal and
elsewhere - together to worship and bond. Less than 1 percent of the
population in New Hampshire is Hindu, according to a study released in
April, but that population is growing and seeking to build places to gather
for traditional services and festivals.
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Posted on 2014/7/28 17:13:31 ( 499 reads )
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UNITED STATES, July 27, 2014 (She Knows): New studies suggest that regular
exercise, and yoga in particular, plays a big role in keeping the mind
active and memory intact. A series of studies published in Science and the
Journal of Neuroscience showed that exercise can stimulate new brain cells,
which can then migrate from one area of the brain to another allowing you
in essence to "create a new brain," according to the author of
"Brain Longevity," Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, in an article
published on Yoga Journal.
But the catch, according to Khalsa, is that in order to keep those new
brain cells alive and active, one must be relieved of as much stress as
possible. That's why the practice of yoga, which engages the mind, body and
spirit, is the perfect solution to the problem.
"We took people with memory loss and prescribed 12 minutes of kirtan
kriya [a technique used in kundalini yoga that combines meditation, mudra,
chanting and mantra] every day," Khalsa states. "After eight
weeks, you can see on our scans that after the meditation, the blood flow
to the frontal lobe, the area responsible for attention, concentration and
focus, is improved." Khalsa also noted that the main components of
yoga -- exercise, posture, focused breathing and meditation -- are all good
for the brain. "Because of that," he said, "yoga should go
far in creating positive brain changes."
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Posted on 2014/7/28 17:13:19 ( 286 reads )
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Just as the Earth bears those who dig into her, it is best to bear with
those who despise us.
-- Tirukkural
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Posted on 2014/8/8 17:50:29 ( 283 reads )
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FRENCH WEST INDIES, July 4, 2014 (Montray Kreyol): The Ganesh D'Or (Golden
Ganesh) prize was awarded to Gilbert Francis Ponaman at the Guadeloupe
Council for Indian Languages (CGPLI) 12th anniversary celebration on June
27, 2014. The prize, given annually, was created to honor those who have
done something significant in the promotion of Indian heritage, culture,
religion or language in the French Antilles.
Ponaman was honored as being "the father of Indianness" and for
his struggle for the recognition and acceptance of the Indian contribution
to the Creole society of the islands. In 1967, encouraged by elders, he
began a "back to our roots/Indian pride" movement among a small
group of friends. He started the Soleil Indien (Indian Sun) journal in
1973, to define what it meant to be an Indian in a Creole society, through
articles about Hindu religion and culture and the history of Indians in the
Caribbean.
In 1980 he made his first pilgrimage to India. He spent eight months in
Tamil Nadu reconnecting with the traditions of his forefathers and
researching the roots of the Hindu traditions that still survived in his
island home. Returning to the Caribbean, he began a prolific career sharing
his knowledge through lectures and publications. He is still at it today,
deep in his research, dividing his time between India, Paris and the French
West Indies.
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Posted on 2014/8/8 17:50:23 ( 279 reads )
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CHENNAI, INDIA, August 2, 2014 (The Hindu): With the sound of music, we
have no trouble locating music therapist Lakshmi Mohan's second-floor house
at R.A. Puram. This is not the usual music class where the teacher sings
and students repeat after her. For 45 minutes, Lakshmi only sings bhajans
and the children come just to listen to her. It's a different kind of
after-school activity for these children, who have autism spectrum
disorder. They come twice or thrice a week to Lakshmi to listen to the
bhajans. "All my children may not speak, but they love, enjoy and
respond to music," says Lakshmi, bringing an udukkai drum down from
the shelf.
For 12 years now, Lakshmi has shown that bhajans can have therapeutic
benefits for children with autism. Lakshmi, who has also authored books on
autism, plans to do a thesis on the improvement her students have shown.
But, for now, her parents will vouch for the therapeutic effect bhajans
have on their children. "My son hardly sits quietly for a minute. But,
at last week's performance, he sat for 15 minutes," said a father.
Another parent Shoba Kannan said, "It de-stresses and over a period of
time, it transforms the inner soul."
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Posted on 2014/8/8 17:50:17 ( 228 reads )
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, August 8, 2014 (Sydney Murugan Temple): The Saiva Manram
& World Saiva Council Australia Inc. jointly present the Sydney Murugan
Saivaneri Conference 2014. The theme of the conference is Humanitarianism
in Saiva Agamas, Thirumurai and Siddhantha Texts. the conference will be
held on August 29, 30 & 31, 2014, and tutorials on August 23, 24 and
September 6 & 7, 2014. All conference sessions, religious ceremonies,
cultural event, and tutorials will be held at the Sydney Murugan Temple
Complex, 217 Great Western Hwy, Mays Hill NSW 2145, Australia. The
conference is billed as a wonderful opportunity to learn the intricacies
and greatness of Saivam.
For more information contact pathivu.saivaneri@gmail.com.
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Posted on 2014/8/8 17:50:11 ( 215 reads )
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There are no impediments to meditation. The very thought of such obstacles
is the greatest impediment.
-- Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), South Indian mystic
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Posted on 2014/8/7 16:45:48 ( 305 reads )
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SCHWERTE, GERMANY, August 3, 2014 (Ruhr Nachrichten): The highlight of the
ten day annual festival of the Sri Kanakathurga Ampal temple in Schwerte,
Germany was a colorful procession on August 3rd. The Goddess, riding on a
chariot, and Ganesh, riding on a palanquin, were accompanied by musicians,
kavadi bearers and 600 devotees. The mayor of Schwerte, Heinrich
Boeckeluehr, along with his young daughter Josefine, removed their shoes to
help pull the chariot through the streets surrounding the temple on
Robert-Koch Road. Plans for a building a larger temple at a new location
are being made.
Accompanying video can be viewed at "source."
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Posted on 2014/8/7 16:45:42 ( 350 reads )
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MONROE, GEORGIA, USA, August 4, 2014 (My Fox Phoenix): A Hindu temple was
found vandalized over the weekend in Walton County. Members of Vishwa
Bhavan Mandir in Monroe found graffiti and profanity displayed on their
place of worship early Saturday morning. Spray painted messages included
"ha ha" and "LOL." The vandalism included the temple's
statue of the Hindu God Lord Shiva. The statue was covered with black spray
paint.
Investigators tell FOX 5, less than half a mile away, the same graffiti
turned up at a mobile home community and at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's
Witness next door.
Temple members tell FOX 5's George Franco vandals struck the same spot this
time last year. They damaged air conditioners. Members are wondering if the
same vandals have returned.
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Posted on 2014/8/7 16:45:35 ( 326 reads )
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INDIA, August 3, 2014 (Press Information Bureau): "For the first time
since 1947, the government's health policy is going to lay primary emphasis
on the Ayurveda Siddhanta. This is in tune with the times as World Health
Organisation (WHO) has given considerable importance to Ayurveda in its
activities related to traditional medicine," Union Minister for Health
& Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said at Haridwar, today.
Speaking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of a "Global
museum of Ayurveda and Herbal Medicine" at Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev's
Patanjali Yoga Pitha, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said the government would work
towards strengthening Ayurveda's global acceptance as evidence-based
medicine.
"Now every AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science) centre will
have an indigenous medicine department of which Ayurveda will be a major
component. AIIMS Rishikesh will take the lead in this as steps are underway
to have a 100-bed AYUSH Hospital and land for medicinal herb cultivation
facility for standardised production of medicines," the Health
Minister said.
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Posted on 2014/8/7 16:45:28 ( 248 reads )
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The bonds of dharma do not bind but promise sweet liberation.
-- His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of BAPS
Swaminarayan Sanstha
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Posted on 2014/8/6 18:30:00 ( 432 reads )
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VIETNAM, December 27, 2014 (Vietnam Tourism): After 10 years of implementation
with the help of UNESCO, University of Polytechnic of Milan (Italy) and the
Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports, the Safeguarding My Son
World Heritage Site Project was completed successfully in December 2013.
This US$1.6 million project, funded by the Italian Government, concentrated
in restoration, conservation and protection of Hindu Cham monuments of 4th
to 13th century My Son Sanctuary Site, including the G tower group, by
using bricks produced in Quang Nam province which met the requirements of
structure, color and baking method of the ancient Cham people for building
and protecting their towers throughout Viet Nam in past centuries.
Workshops were also conducted for the staff responsible for the site in
conservation skill, maintenance and operation.
UNESCO representative Katherine Muller Marin said the My Son site promotes
sustainable tourism development, museum space, capacity building and
documentation of lessons learned for production of guidelines for
archaeological studies and conservation of Cham monument complexes.
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Posted on 2014/8/6 18:24:38 ( 378 reads )
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TIRUPATI, INDIA, August 2, 2014 (The Economic Times): A whopping 4,000 lbs.
of gold offerings made by devotees of Lord Venkateswara at the famous hill
shrine at Tirumala was today deposited with the State Bank of India, taking
the total deposits made by it so far with various banks to more than 11,000
lbs.
Executive officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which
manages the cash-rich temple, M. G. Gopal handed over the gold to State
Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya at the TTD
Headquarters here, in the first deposit of the precious metal by the temple
in the last two years.
The gold offered by devotees in the hill temple hundi was deposited under
SBI Gold Scheme for a period of five years at the rate of interest of one
per cent, which effectively would mean addition of 26.5 lbs. of gold per
year, Gopal told reporters.
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Posted on 2014/8/6 18:24:18 ( 328 reads )
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KATMANDU, NEPAL, August 4, 2014 (Hindustan Times): On Monday morning, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to the Himalayan nation,
reached Pashupatinath Temple, the most sacred Lord Shiva shrine in Nepal,
and conducted special prayers.
"He took part in a special puja which was conducted by Ganesh Bhatta,
the Indian head priest of the temple, and lasted for 35 minutes," said
Govinda Tandon, member secretary of Pashupati Area Development Trust. The
prime minister made an offering of 2,500 kilos of sandalwood. Nearly 1/2
kilo of sandalwood paste is used daily on the Shiva jLinga at the temple.
Considering the steep price of the commodity, temple authorities had
requested India to provide the sandalwood. Worth about US$250,000, the
quantity should last 12-15 years.
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Posted on 2014/8/6 18:24:11 ( 329 reads )
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About many things in Hinduism I had once been inclined to believe that
there was much of dream in it, much that was delusion and maya. But now day
after day I realized in the mind, I realized in the heart, I realized in
the body the truths of the Hindu religion. They became living experiences
to me, and things were opened to me which no material science could
explain.
-- Sri Aurobindo (1879-1950)
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:44 ( 670 reads )
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MUMBAI, INDIA, July 27, 2014 (dna India): Even as only one month remains
for Ganesh Chaturthi, the statue sculptors and manufacturers in the city
are already applying the finishing touches to the Ganesha statues. In a bid
to ensure an eco-friendly festival, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
(MPCB) have tied up with the Ganesh statue makers to ensure that more
eco-friendly statues flood the market at reasonable rates.
While it is common knowledge that Plaster of Paris (PoP) statues are
cheaper than clay statues, The manufacturers are making efforts to ensure
that price difference between them idols made can be slashed from a
comparative 50 per cent to 25 - 30 per cent this year.
The MPCB will also start with awareness and promotion programs to increase
use of clay statues. "There will be advertisements in television
channels and local newspapers, workshops for citizens and training for clay
statue makers as well to help them understand how to promote the eco
friendly statues. All this will start in early August," said J. S.
Salunkhe, sub regional officer, MPCB.
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:38 ( 455 reads )
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BALI, INDONESIA, July 22, 2014 (Bali Daily): The people of Buahan, a
village in Payangan, Gianyar, welcomed this month with a joyful spirit. The
harvest was quite good and the time had come for them to organize Nyelung,
a religious festival held once a decade. The peak of the festival fell on
July 15, during which nearly all the villagers marched to the Pucak Pausan
Temple on the northern side of the village.
It is said that centuries ago the village was nearly destroyed by a long
drought that triggered widespread famine. Furthermore, the remaining crops
were totally consumed by merciless pests. "Members of the local subak
[traditional farming organization] then conducted a 6 mile pilgrimage to
the temple and brought back holy water from it. They sprinkled the holy
water onto the rice fields and plantations. Gradually, things got better,
the plants thrived and the villagers were healthy," temple priest Jero
Mangku Wayan Mahardika said.
To express their gratitude to the Deities at Pucak Pausan Temple, the
villagers constructed a large wooden box, which they filled with various
agricultural produce. The box was beautifully decorated and escorted in
fanfare during a five hour-long march to the temple.
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Posted on 2014/8/1
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QUEBEC, CANADA, July 30, 2014 (Laurentides Express): Every year the
celebration of Kavadi in Val-Morin attracts hundreds of onlookers who
watch, with cameras in hand, the procession of devotees of the Tamil
community in the streets of the municipality.
Several Hindu devotees are suspended horizontally by iron hooks piercing
the skin of their back, triceps and hamstrings. "They fast for several
days before the event", explained a young Tamil woman who makes her
home near Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. "They practice total abstinence -
including their sex lives - to purify the soul. On Kavadi day, they go into
a trance, possessed by the Deity to the point where they do not feel the
hooks or needles that pass through their skin."
This celebration is a Hindu festival usually celebrated in January or
February in the tropical climate of the southwest Indian Ocean. However,
the Tamil diaspora in North America has chosen to celebrate this colorful
festival during the hot season, in July, in Val-Morin, rather than in the
sub-zero weather of January.
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:26 ( 452 reads )
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MADRID, SPAIN, June 7, 2014 (El Mundo): The seventh annual BollyMadrid
Festival is being held on the streets and plazas of the Spanish capital for
three days in June. The sponsor of the event, the government of Madrid's
central Lavapies district, is anticipating that 30,000 people will come to
participate in the festival. The festival includes a morning fair selling
Indian fashion and handicrafts and holding workshops, such as rangoli
drawing, for the children. There's an Indian food plaza with 25 booths
staffed by the district's Indian restaurants. Over three days there will be
50 performances choreographed for 100 dancers. And in the evening after
sunset, the latest films from Mumbai are being shown on the big screen over
the stage.
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:12 ( 1202 reads )
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocf8Nlq5Xiw
LONDON, ENGLAND, May 13, 2014 (BBC): At last, the BBC has produced an
excellent video explaining how Hitler hijacked the swastika--a symbol of
auspiciousness used by ancient cultures worldwide and held sacred by
Hindus--and distorted its meaning so that the Western world now regards it
with fear and loathing, as a symbol of hatred and genocide. Footage of Nazi
Germany is contrasted with the swastika's uses and significance in Hindu
culture and religious observances. Although the narrator doubts we can ever
effect a complete recovery (even saying that Hitler "changed the
perception of the swastika in the West forever"), the video ends on a
very positive note, hypothesizing the day when each child's early exposure
to the swastika will be in terms of its traditional, benevolent uses and
meanings--and the later knowledge of Hitler's misuse of it will be met with
the same sense of sock, horror and outrage that Hindus themselves feel.
"And if we can get to that point, then Hitler will have finally been defeated."
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Posted on 2014/8/1 17:14:05 ( 363 reads )
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Love is seeing and feeling life everywhere. When your heart is full of
love, you sense life pulsating through all creation.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi Ma, Kerala-based hugging saint
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:45 ( 450 reads )
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SOUTH AFRICA, July 29, 2014 (Indian Times): The Isipingo Dharam Mandir
celebrated its 2nd Akhand Hanuman Chalisa on 25th May 2014 at the temple in
Isipingo. The President of the Temple Society, Neelien Ramchand explain
that the event included the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa 108 times.
Various satsang groups from the Durban area were programmed to perform the
Hanuman Chalisa during this marathon recital. The recitation started at 6
am and ended at 6 pm.
The day's proceedings commenced with prayer at 4-30 am. Neelien said that
the Akhand Hanuman Chalisa was a thanksgiving prayer to the Supreme Being
in the form of Lord Hanuman to acknowledge our existence and give thanks to
what we have in this world. Pundith Suman Singh, the officiating priest,
said, "We are all servants of the Lord and our existence is by the
grace of the Lord".
The origins of the temple started in 1963 when the community of Malakazi
got together to start this organisation. It had very humble beginnings and
has grown over the years. It currently has about 120 members of the temple
society. However, during the major festivals and celebrations, hundreds of
people from far and wide gather at the temple to offer prayers and pay
homage to the Lord.
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:38 ( 385 reads )
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SURINAM, SOUTH AMERICAJuly 29, 2014 (Geographic Guianas by Dominique
Maison) Only a few minutes from the centre of Paramaribo is one of the
beating hearts of Javanese culture. It has been there since the first
Javanese migrants came across 120 years ago this year to this then Dutch
colony from Indonesia, also a Dutch colony. Today there are over 70,000
Javanese who, to the sound of great festivities, are remembering their
ancestors and the island they hailed from. These Javanese are today
Muslims, and it is unknown how many Hindus were among the original migrants
and what became of them. At the same time, Hindu immigrants were coming
into Surinam and surrounding colonies from India.
Nowadays the 70,000 descendants of the Javanese migrants are to be found in
all sectors of Surinamese society. They have managed to obtain numerous
positions in the public sector (in health and teaching), as well as
supplying the national parliament with its president in 2004.
In 1954 some of them undertook the arduous journey back to the land of
their fathers. We have retraced their footsteps to recount their sometimes
painful stories and to tell of the hopes of this community whose history is
often but poorly known in French Guiana.
To read the interesting history of how Javanese culture has managed to
survive over 12,500 miles away from the island where it originated, click
on 'source' above.
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:32 ( 428 reads )
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SAN LUIS POTOSI, MEXICO, July 28, 2014 (Plano Informativo): San Luis Potosi
(SLP) is a city of 723,000 located 250 miles north of Mexico City. Aiming
to combat bullying in schools, the city's Department of Education will
implement a program that includes the promotion of positive social values
through reading assignments, and also includes the practice of yoga along
with other physical activity.
Today, bullying occurs in almost all educational spaces. One of the main
concerns of the mayor, Mario Garcia, is preventing this phenomenon and
avoiding its negative impact on the student population. Therefore, plans to
eradicate bullying are being implemented.
The program is now in the final planning phase. The pilot project will
begin in September, conducted and overseen by specialists in the field.
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Posted on 2014/7/31 17:38:24 ( 397 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 2014/7/30 16:00:18 ( 431 reads )
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TABAQUITE,TRINIDAD,July 25, 2014 (by Seeta Persad, Newsday): Massive
preparations are now taking place for the second annual Shri Krishna Leela
at the Guaracara Recreation Ground in Tabaquite. This ten-day drama based
on the life and times of the Hindu God Lord Krishna is being staged by the
Krishna Rama Shakti Mandir (KRSM) of Tabaquite. This play runs from August
1 to 10 between the hours of 6 pm to 8 pm. Members of the KRSM will be
playing the various roles in this unfolding drama of Lord Krishna.
According to Pundit Lackram, Chan Krishna Leela drama production depicts
the exploits of Lord Krishna (an incarnation of God), when He took descent
on Earth thousands of years ago in India. This is a play similar to
Ramleela and it consists of scenes depicting Krishna's appearance from a
baby to his teenage days.
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Posted on 2014/7/30 16:00:12 ( 430 reads )
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COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, July 23, 2014 (Colombo Page): Sri Lanka's Supreme Court
has ruled that the Hindu temples can perform animal sacrifice under
controlled conditions. The apex court on Monday hearing an appeal filed by
the trustees of the Sri Bhadrakali Amman Kovil at Munneswaram in Chilaw
ruled that the Hindu Temple can slaughter the animals under the supervision
of the Public Health Department.
In recent years the customary ritual of sacrificing hundreds of goats and
fowl in the annual feast of the Munneswaram Sri Bhadra Kali Amman Kovil in
Chilaw has come under severe protest from the animal lovers, Buddhist
clergy and politicians. (HPI Note: The Buddhists of Sri Lanka are not
vegetarians.)
The Chief Justice Mohan Peiris said he is not ready to ban the animal
sacrifice since the practice was hundreds of years old. However, he said the
number of animals slaughtered normally is too high and urged the devotees
to talk to each other to bring down the number of animals killed. He
ordered the temple authorities to slaughter one animal at a time in a
specially designated enclosure away from the public view under the
supervision of the Public Health Department.
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Posted on 2014/7/30 16:00:06 ( 513 reads )
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BELIZE, July 29, 2014 (Press Release): The Corozal Organization of East
Indian Culture and Heritage (COEICH) and the National East Indian Council
of Belize - Southern Chapter (NEICBSC), along with the National Institute
of Culture and History of Belize (NICH) are having the first Indian
diaspora conference in Belize August 6 to 10, 2014. The theme of the conference
is: "Highlighting Indian Culture and Contribution in a Multi-ethnic
Society." The first two days of the conference will be held in Corozal
Town (Northern Belize) and the next two days will be held in Punta Gorda
Town (Southern Belize).
Academic presentations will be given by presenters from the United States,
the Caribbean and Belize. Other presentations will be given by elders and
others from the Indian community in Belize. Some of the areas covered in
the conference include race relations, entrepreneurship, dreams of young
East Indians, medicine, identity, migration, indentured laborers, East
Indian women, reparation, outstanding East Indians in Belize, and
agriculture, including sugar cane and rice production and yellow ginger
processing.
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Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
ji, Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
Today dot com for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
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