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KAUAI, HAWAII, May 30, 2013: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami today offered the opening prayer before the US House of Representatives, the first Hindu monk and only the third Hindu in history to do so as Guest Chaplain for the Congress (click source above for the video). The prayer is given each day the House is in session, immediately after it opens for business and before the Pledge of Allegiance. Rep. Ed Royce of California's 39th district, spoke next, saying how he and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii's 2nd district had invited Bodhinatha as guest chaplain and speaking about Bodhinatha's accomplishments as Hindu leader (see text below).

The invitation has come through the work of the Hindu American Foundation, a prominent advocacy group, as part of their Tenth Annual Advocacy Day in which they host a Congressional Reception for Senators and Representatives that same evening. Additionally they conduct personal meetings with individual members of Congress in which they present HAF's legislative concerns including the treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan and immigration reform. Nearly 50 members of HAF's delegation were in the gallery to hear the prayer given.

The first Hindu guest chaplain was Venkatachalapathi Samuldrala of the Siva-Vishnu Temple of Parma Ohio (http://www.shivavishnutemple.org), on September 14, 2000, to open the House of Representatives on the day that the Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, addressed a joint session of Congress. The second was Rajan Zed of Reno, Nevada, who opened the US Senate on July 12, 2007 at the invitation of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The video of Bodhinatha's prayer and Rep. Royce's speech can be seen at source above. The prayer starts a few seconds into the recording, and Rep. Royce's speech follows after the Pledge.

Text of Prayer read June 4, 2013, by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami to open US House of Representatives:

"May today's session of the House of Representatives, to which Americans rightly turn for leadership, be abundantly blessed by the Lord Supreme.

"Through personal introspection, a collaborative heart and by God's all-pervasive grace, may the members present here, despite differing views and staunchly held convictions, find the wisdom to craft mutually acceptable solutions to our nation's challenges.

"The tragic Boston marathon bombings, still vivid in all our minds, implore us to advocate the humanity of a nonviolent approach in all of life's dimensions. Hindu scripture declares, without equivocation, that the highest of high ideals is to never knowingly harm anyone.

"May we here in this chamber, and all the people of our great nation, endeavor to face even our greatest difficulties with an unwavering commitment to seek out and to find nonviolent solutions.

"Peace, peace, peace to us, and peace to all beings."

Text of remarks by Representative Ed. Royce:

"Mr. Speaker. I am proud to have the opportunity to welcome Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, the spiritual leader and head of Kauai's Hindu Monastery. He has come here today to give the Opening Prayer on the Hindu American Foundation's 10th Annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Day and is a true leader in the Hindu community. Satguru has been the head of the monastery since 2001 and works to spread the principles of love and friendliness around the community. Additionally, his achievements have international reach. Not only does he oversee the Himalayan Academy's various publications, he serves as a publisher of the international magazine Hinduism Today. Furthermore, Satguru [Sat-gu-ru] dedicates his time to cultivating the religious instruction of Hindu youth around the world through producing a series of books that teach Hinduism's ethical restraints and religious observances. Thank you Satugru for your Opening Prayer and for gracing us with the same spirit that guides the Hindu belief. I am honored to welcome you and your group here today as you delivered this meaningful prayer."

United Kingdom, May 16, 2013 ( Guardian News):Christianity has had a boost from people born overseas, nearly half of Muslims in England and Wales are under 25 and Hindus are the least likely of all the religious groups to be born in the UK according to the latest 2011 Census data release by the Office For National Statistics (ONS). Christianity, which previous 2011 census data tells us is still the largest religious group in England and Wales with 33.2m people, has the oldest age profile of all the main religious groups. One in five Christians is aged 65 or over. To put this into perspective, the percentage of Christians over the age of 65 is higher than the percentage of the population aged over 65 in 2011 - 22% compared with 16%. In comparison, 88% of Muslims are under 50 and nearly half of Muslims are under 25. Although this isn't new, Muslims also had the youngest age profile in 2001, the number aged under 25 has increased by 505,000 in the past decade.

Four in ten people with no religion were aged under 25 and four in five are under 50.. Since 2001 the number of Christians born in the UK has decreased by 5.3m but the number of Christians born overseas has increased by 1.2m.). Another notable rise has been in the number of Muslims born in the UK - a rise of over half a million from 718,000 to 1.2m in 2011. The data also shows that Hindus are the least likely of all the religious groups to be born in the UK followed by Buddhists, but as the ONS note, this is a pattern seen previously. Muslims are the most ethnically diverse religious group in England and Wales, followed by Buddhists according to the census figures. Over nine in ten Christians are white, this accounts for 30.8m people. People with no religion however, are the least ethnically diverse with 93% coming from a white background.

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BALI, INDONESIA, June 3, 2013 (Jakarta Post): As many as 500 Hindu leaders from across the world will be attending the second World Hindu Summit scheduled to take place in Bali from June 13-17. The annual conference is expected to be a milestone as it will produce the World Hindu Parisad and World Hindu Center.

"The World Hindu Parisad and World Hindu Center will be a breakthrough in new Hindu history

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Wake up and find out eventually who you really are. In our culture of course, they'll say you're crazy or you're blasphemous, and they'll either put you in jail or in the nut house (which is the same thing). But if you wake up in India and tell your friends and relations, "My goodness, I've just discovered that I'm God," they'll laugh and say, "Oh, congratulations, at last you found out."
-- Alan Watts, (1915-1973), English philosopher and expert in comparative religion

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NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 30, 2013 (New Indian Express): The newly-constructed Lord Sri Venkateswara temple was opened in the national capital city of New Delhi on Wednesday. Constructed in a 1.17 acre area in Udyan Marg, at a cost of approximately US$2 million. The temple was opened amidst chanting of vedic hymns by temple priests with religious aplomb, an official release by the TTD said.

Speaking on the occasion, TTD Trust Board chairman Kanumuru Bapiraju said it is indeed a pious moment to open a temple of Lord Venkateswara in the country's capital city. "The dream has come true after 16 long years," an excited Bapiraju said.

Stating that the TTD is contemplating beginning Nityannaprasadam (free distribution of food) soon in this temple on the lines of Tirumala, Bapiraju said that there will be spiritual discourses and cultural programs every day in the meditation hall. "We are also planning to invite the seers and pontiffs of various mutts across the country to stay a day in this meditation hall during the auspicious Dhanurmasa (holy month which usually occurs between December 16 to January 15)."

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MANGALORE, INDIA, May 29, 2013 (Times of India): The Kukke Sri Subramanya temple, has again emerged as the richest muzrai (government-run) temple in Karnataka. Figures released by the office of commissioner for religious endowments show the temple had a revenue of US$11.8 million during the last fiscal.

Coming in a distant second in terms of revenue is the Male Mahadeshwara temple in Chamarajanagar district with an estimated revenue of US$5.5 million. Kollur's Sri Mookambika temple, in Udupi district, is the third richest with an estimated revenue of US$3.5 million. Revenue figures for the Male Mahadeshwara and Sri Mookambika temples could be slightly more after final auditing.

Between 2007 and 2010, the Kukke temple grossed US$16.1 million by way of revenue. This spurt in revenue is remarkable given the temple's income - US$4.3 million during 2007-08 - reached US$6.3 million during 2009-10. This leapfrogged to US$7.9 million during 2010-11, and touched an all-time high of US$9.9 million during 2011-12. The audited figures for 2012-13 put this figure at US$11.8 million.

Krishna Prasad Madthila, president of the temple management committee, says the temple on an average receives 15,000-20,000 visiters daily. This goes up during weekends and on Ashlesha nakshatra and Shudda shasti.

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If you are going to control your income, start by controlling your emotions.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today

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FIJI, June 1, 2013 (Fiji Times): Hundreds of people around the country are taking the time to learn the Sanskrit language in seven days. The free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, describes Sanskrit as a historical Indo-Aryan language, the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and a literary and scholarly language in Buddhism and Jainism.

Sanskrit is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India, and it is an official language of the State of Uttarakhand. It also holds a prominent position in Indo-European studies.

On the invitation of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha, world renowned Sanskrit scholar Prof. Gajendra Punda is now taking classes in Labasa before doing the same in Lautoka. Swamy Sanyukta Nanda of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha said classes in Suva were well attended and participants numbers had to be restricted to 55.

"The way this course was run was easy to understand and it captured the participants' interest and enthusiasm on the first day and they were compelled to take time every evening for classes," Swamy Nanda said.

Participants who attended classes in Suva, agreed that the Fiji Sevashram Sangha had provided an opportunity to get them to better understand and learn conversational Sanskrit. Many said they never imagined they would be able to speak a word of Sanskrit in their life.

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LONDON, May 31, 2013 (Evening Standard): A fire at a Hindu temple in west London is being treated as suspicious and police patrols in the area have been stepped up after traces of inflammable liquids were discovered at the scene. Police said they are keeping an open mind as to whether the incident was race related.

Officers were called by the London Fire Brigade following reports of a fire at the Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple in Hillingdon in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The fire caused significant damage to a temporary building positioned close to the temple.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Turner said: "We would appeal for anyone who was in the Cowley High Street area and may have seen anyone acting suspiciously to call us. "We have already introduced additional patrols for the area and we would like to reassure the local community, and those who worship at the Temple that we are treating this case seriously."

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MICHIGAN, U.S., May 31, 2013 (Free Press): Gazing at a new Hindu temple in Novi, Anand Gangadharan reflected Thursday on what the all-granite building means to him. "It feels emotionally right," said Gangadharan, the temple's vice chair. "It's extremely gratifying for our community. It makes America our home in a rock-solid fashion."

That feeling is echoed by thousands of other of Hindus across metro Detroit this week as they celebrate the grand opening of a $10-million temple with six days of religious ceremonies that end Sunday. The Sri Venkateswara Temple and Cultural Center is the first one in Michigan named after a popular deity in southern India.

It's one of several new Hindu temples being built in metro Detroit that reflects the growth and success of the Asian Indian-American community in Michigan. A Hindu temple in Troy opened a new $11-million center last year and other new Hindu centers have opened in recent years in Detroit, Hamtramck, Ada, Canton, Pontiac, Sterling Heights and Livonia.

On Thursday, 24 priests from across the U.S. and India chanted in Sanskrit outside the 25,000-square-foot temple. About 8,000 people are expected to attend the ceremonies over the six days.

The temple in Novi was created largely by the members of the Telugu-speaking community, many of whom come from Andhra Pradesh, a state of about 85 million people in India. Serving about 3,000 people, the temple has had a temporary center in Novi for five years.

There are about 85,000 Asian Indian Americans in Michigan. The community has a median income of $86,400 compared to $48,700 overall in Michigan, according to the U.S. Census. About 76% of Asian Indian-American adults in the state have bachelor's degrees or higher compared to 27% among all Michigan adults.

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The biggest sorrow is poverty. The greatest happiness is that of meeting with a saint, which is beyond compare.
-- Tulsidas in the Ramacharitamanasa, 16th century

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VARANASI, INDIA, May 26, 2013 (Business Standard): Prominent Hindu seers and Sanskrit scholars from across the country will meet in Varanasi tomorrow to explore ways and means to improve the livelihood of widows here.

A large number of widows, including elderly women from different parts of the country, staying in Varanasi, are waiting to join these Sanskrit scholars and Hindu saints to vent their feelings against this age old practice, Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said. "We will urge the eminent Sanskrit scholars to lend us a helping hand in strengthening our campaign against widowhood," he said.

Pathak said he intends to draft a bill and hand it over to the Parliament to address the plight of widows who are abandoned by their families. "I strongly feel time has come for the government to enact a law for the welfare, protection and maintenance of widows so that their living conditions and general existence are improved," he said. "The enormous sufferings and hardships the widows in the country continue to face can only be changed by drafting a law for their all round maintenance," Pathak added.

As part of Sulabh's efforts to ensure that the widows do not suffer for lack of care Pathak inaugurated a pension scheme for them in April this year. The non-government organisation had launched a similar monthly pension scheme in Vrindavan a few months back. Every widow is given US$36 per month by the organisation which takes care of their health and other needs.

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ELDORET, KENYA, May 26, 2013 (Standard Media): The Hindu community living in Eldoret marked the 150th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Speaking during the ceremony, Eldoret Hindu Temple's chairman Deepa Bhatt said as members of a minority group, they will continue supporting economic programs. He said the Hindu community will make contributions in business projects geared towards achievement of Vision 2030. "Being a minority group, we are proud to bring elements of our culture and hard work that have blended well with citizens of this country," said Bhatt.

Referring to Vivekananda as one of the greatest saints in India, who upheld peace and unity, Bhatt asked Hindu faithful to remember him and continue with his teachings. Vivekananda preached the importance of brotherhood, peace and love, and together with other believers we extend the same good wishes to the people of Kenya. We are proud of peaceful coexistence that the citizens of Kenya have always maintained," he said.

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OXON HILL, MARYLAND, May 30, 2013 (Star Tribune): Arvind Mahankali has conquered his nemesis, the German language, to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The 13-year-old from Bayside Hills, N.Y., correctly spelled knaidel, a small mass of leavened dough, to win the 86th version of the competition. The bee tested brain power, composure and, for the first time, knowledge of vocabulary.

Arvind will take home $30,000 in cash and prizes along with a huge, cup-shaped trophy.

He finished third in 2011 and 2012, eliminated both times on German-derived words. This year, he got two German words in the finals and nailed them both, including the winning word.

The eleven finalists advanced from a field of 281 contenders based on a combination of a performance onstage and their performance on a computerized spelling and vocabulary test.

Runnerup was 13-year-old Pranav Shivashankar of Olathe, Kan., who stumbled and was eliminated on the word "cyanophycean," a blue-green alga.

(For a complete list of winners: http://public.spellingbee.com/public/results/2013/finishers/html. Eight Indian-American kids were in the top 11 finalists.)

Last year Indian-American kids also placed 1-2-3 in the bee: http://public.spellingbee.com/public/results/2012/finishers/html

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Austerity is the powerful bath of fire and bright rays of showering light that washes the soul clean of the dross of its many past lives, and of the current life, which have held it in the bondage of ignorance, misgiving, unforgivingness and the self-perpetu-ating ignorance of the truths of the Sanatana Dharma.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today