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The whole path is a total surrendering. All four sects of Hinduism meet in surrender, prapatti, to the Divine.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today

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PUNE, INDIA, April 28, 2013 (Times of India): Close to 40,000 manuscripts from the period 1600 to 1900 AD have been digitized in the city, while around 145,000 have been documented in the state, recent data from the National Mission for Manuscripts has revealed. With a budget of US$1.75 million this year, the mission also plans to start a national digital library in the country, which would contain all Indian manuscripts in a digital format.

Dipti Tripathi, director of the mission, who was in Pune recently, told TOI that the mission is planning to increase the number of manuscript resource centers (MRC) and manuscript conservation centers (MCC) in Maharashtra, especially in remote areas.

"Languages other than Sanskrit and Marathi will also be given emphasis here. The mission already has manuscript resource centres in Maharashtra, including two in Pune, one in Kolhapur and another in Nagpur. There is one manuscript conservation centre at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (Bori) in Pune. Increasing the number of centres will depend upon the financial situation as well as local needs," said Tripathi.

The MRCs include well-established Indological institutes, museums, libraries, universities and non-governmental organizations, which act as the mission's coordinating agencies in their respective regions. They are responsible for survey and documentation of every manuscript in their area. The MCCs undertake manuscript conservation, among other things.

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NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 30, 2013 (Ministry of Home Affairs): Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Home Minister released the Primary Census Abstract-Data Highlights of Census 2011 in a function organized by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India here today.

Shri Shinde also expressed his happiness that the growth rate of population has come down during the last decade and literacy has increased significantly, particularly the female literacy. He further said that all this information would go a long way in assessing the ongoing schemes and planning appropriate interventions in rural and urban areas.

Some of the salient features of the data released are as below:-

Total population of the country is 1.21 billion showing an increase of 181.96 million persons in absolute numbers of population in India during the decade 2001-2011. During this decade, population of India grew by 17.7% as against 21.5% in the previous decade.

As per Census 2011, 833.5 million persons live in rural areas and 377.1 million persons lives in urban areas. Thus, more than 2/3rd of total population of India lives in rural areas.

Child population in the age group 0-6 years in 2011 Census is 164.5 million as against 163.8 million showing an increase of 0.4% in the last decade.

Sex ratio in Census 2011 is 943 females per 1000 males as against 933 in 2001 Census.

Population of Scheduled Castes in this Census is 201.4 million as against 166.6 million in 2001 registering an increase of 20.8% whereas Scheduled Tribes population increased to 104.3 million in 2011 from 84.3 million in 2001.

As per Census 2011, number of literates is 763.5 million as against 560.7 million in 2001.

KAUAI, HAWAII, April 30, 2013: The leadership of HMEC, one of America's most effectual and collaborative Hindu institutions, plans a special event called "Threads: Sutra." The gathering will take place, most likely, in the Spring of 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. It is to be akin to the TED Talks events, but with an emphasis on dharma. Their action statement explains:

"The goal of Threads: Sutra is to provide a platform to those who have achieved excellence, who adhere to the principles of dharma. The series will synthesize ideas from East and West and weave together trends and cultural/intellectual forces to inspire and guide humanity for generations to come."

The emphasis is on achievement and impact in the Americas, North and South. The organizers will invite a few dozen of the leading Hindus who have made a difference, impacted the American culture, in a wide spectrum of fields: science, medicine, entertainment/media, business, high-tech, politics, literature and invention. The gathering will showcase the important contributions of dharma-minded leaders in these fields and invite them to share their cutting-edge work.

Hinduism Today has been invited to assemble a preliminary list of these key innovators and trailblazers. We seek input from our HPI readers as we build the list, and invite you to send the names of candidates you deem worthy. Please include information about their achievements, if known.

Send candidates' names to: sadasivanathaswami@hindu.org

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Devout Hindus meet a satguru and in seeing him, draw the darshan vibration from him, absorbing it into themselves. When we say someone is holy or saintly we are feeling the radiations of that divine energy flooding through him and out into the whole world.
-- Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today

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MUMBAI, April 27 2013 (DNA India): The Siddhivinayak Temple trust has decided to set up a state-of-the-art dialysis centre close to the Prabhadevi temple, where patients can have a dialysis done at just US$4.61 per cycle (compared to an average cost in the United States of $500/treatment). At present, patients have to shell out $22 to $28 for each cycle of dialysis. The temple has tied up with an NGO, Shri Veera Desai Jain Sangh, which runs a similar dialysis centre in Andheri, to get its 22-bed centre put together.The NGO, which has a budget of $553,000, will also appoint the health experts needed to run the centre. "We will charge patients the minimum fee. The rest of the expenses will be borne by the temple and us," explains Chetan Vora, trustee of the NGO. The Sangh and the temple administration have signed a memorandum of understanding to have the centre up and running by July. Mangesh Shinde, CEO of the temple administration, says the decision was spurred by the realization to have a sub-centre within Mumbai for conducting dialysis procedures.

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VARANASI, INDIA, april 18, 2013 (Times Of India): Banks are in vogue. They always were and will be. Almost all of them transact in worldly currencies but some are exceptions. The Ram Ramapati Bank situated in Dashashwmedh area is one of those rare exceptions. Here the owner of the bank lends not money but paper, pen and ink that are used by its customers to inscribe "Ram." These papers are then deposited in their respective accounts in the bank.

The bank celebrates its 86th annual function on the occasion of Ram Navami on Friday. It has a deposition of over 19 billion Ram naam scripted on papers. Counting is done in January every year. The bank, started by Das Channulal Ji, in 1926 as a family and friends business now has an international presence, many of the account-holders are NRIs.

Like all banks, Ram Ramapati Bank also has rules for its transactions. Anybody, irrespective of caste, gender, religion and even nationality, can be its member. The only prerequisite is that the person should have a firm belief in Lord Ram. "It doesn't matter who you are and where you come from, you can be a member of this bank if you have faith in Ram and are ready to follow conditions laid by the bank," said Das Krishna Chand, manager of the Ram Ramapati Bank.

Conditions include the first phase deposition of 150,000 Ram naam in eight months during which no alcohol and nonvegetarian food is allowed. It is interesting to know that though most of the account-holders are devout Hindus and followers of Lord Ram, but there are a few members of other religions too who have deposited their scripts in the bank.

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COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, April 28, 2013 (News Track India): To overcome a chronic power shortage, a Ganesha Temple at Coimbatore has set up solar panels to generate its own power. A priest at the temple, Shivasri Vagesha, said they decided to use solar energy for sustaining the regular activities in the temple. "The electricity generated is useful for all parts of the temple and used for all the appliances such as tube lights, focus lights and fans. This is the first temple that runs on solar energy," said Vagesha.

The entire state of Tamil Nadu faces an acute shortage of electricity throughout the year and this has affected the day-to-day activities of people and the functioning of the industries. Coimbatore is one of the worst affected cities due to the power cuts and reportedly, this industrial city faces unscheduled power cuts to the extent of 16 hours every day.

On account of the power shortage, the temple used to remain closed in the evenings and deprive the devotees of offering prayers and worship. These trends prompted the temple authorities to tap new means of a constant power supply and opted for setting up solar panels.

Rathina Vinayagar Koil is a 75-year-old temple situated in the heart of the city where thousands of devotees visit it almost daily. However, in the wake of severe power crisis, the number of devotees visiting the temple for early morning prayers also had drastically dropped prior to the setting up of solar panels.

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OMAHA, NEBRASKA, APRIL 29, 2013 (press release): The two-day Sanatana Dharma Conference will be a historic gathering of dedicated devotees of the Sanatana Dharma religious tradition with the purpose of laying out the future of the Vedic spiritual tradition for the 21st century and beyond. This conference is designed to greatly further our understanding of the Vedic path, to deepen our own personal spiritual experience, and to share with the entire world the life- changing teachings of Vedic spirituality. This unique Vedic conference will bring together the spiritual, aesthetic, health, social-political and sadhana (practice) aspects of Dharmic culture in a very practical and immediate manner.

Join for two days of profound spiritual practice and experience, inspiring discourses by advanced Dharma teachers, meditation and Yoga sessions, puja and yajna (sacred fire ritual) ceremonies, an initiation (diksha) ceremony, as well as spiritual workshops and activities designed to help bring about the new Golden Age. For more information, click source above.

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Like a tortoise withdrawing five limbs into its shell, those who restrain the five senses in one life will find safe shelter for seven.
-- Tirukkural 126

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SWITZERLAND, March 18, 2013 (Solothurner Zeitung): On Sunday, hundreds of Tamil Hindus from around the region gathered to inaugurate the new Sri Manonmani Ammbal Hindu temple in Trimbach. It is the largest of its kind in Switzerland.

In front of the main shrine of Manonmani Ammbal a kind of pergola was built, which was decorated with garlands of flowers and leaves. In the center of this wood frame there were richly decorated vases filled with holy water. In the many rituals that were performed, offerings were distributed and incense was burned on small altars. The ceremonies were performed by ten priests headed up by the chief priest Somas Kandar from Jaffna (Sri Lanka). During the rituals four musicians played on their traditional instruments, the Nathaswaram (a double-reed horn related to the oboe) and the Thavil double-headed drum.

In a procession the priests took the vessels of holy water up onto the roof of the temple and blessed the main tower. Then the main shrine and the numerous side shrines were consecrated by the priests. The statues of Deities were adorned with garlands of flowers and draped with precious silk fabrics. After the ceremony, Vasanthavajan Ramalingam, president of the Association for the Advancement of Tamil Culture in Switzerland, Guenter Hildebrand, architect of the temple, and Shtapathi Nagaraj, chief of the Silpakala Nilayam temple architects firm in Chennai, were honored. The inaugural festivities will continue, on a smaller scale, for the next seven weeks.

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HOUSTON, TEXAS, April 25, 2013 (Indo American News): An organization that can speak for Hindus in the greater Houston area in one strong voice is emerging. The board of advisors of Hindus of Greater Houston at its first meeting held at Chinmaya Mission Houston recently laid the foundation for the umbrella organization that will be an authentic and credible force, protecting the cause and interests of all Hindus.

Dev Mahajan, chairman of the board of advisors, after the inaugural meeting, addressed the invited representatives from about 60 Hindu religious, social and cultural organizations in the Houston area. The umbrella organization will unite all the Hindu organizations and each organization will nominate one permanent representative to the team, Mahajan said.

Mahajan said the board will shortly formalize the mission and objectives of the new organization. The board of advisors comprises of Dev Mahajan ( Arya Samaj of Greater Houston), Gaurang Nanavaty (Chinmaya Mission), Ramesh Bhutada (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) , Prabhat C . Sharma ( Hindu Worship Society), Jugal Malani (India House), Dr. Hansa Medley (Hare Krishna Temple) and Dr. Venugopal Menon (Shri Meenakshi Temple).

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, head of the Kauai Hindu Monastery in Hawaii and publisher of Hinduism Today, was the guest speaker. "My guru was keen on the concept of Hindu solidarity. The magazine was started for making Hindus work together. Its motto is solidarity through diversity." The magazine does not promote the Hawaii ashram or temple, but promotes Hindus globally. Hinduism Today empowers the youth and its efforts devoted to educating the youth. Hindus should come together with what is in common and show that we are a force to reckon with when needed, he said.

Bodhinatha Swami applauded the efforts of Hindus in Houston in solidarity. "The Hindus in Houston are fortunate to have over so many organizations conducting worship and teaching programs in the greater Houston area. Normally, all that is needed is for these organizations to perform well their respective missions. However, on occasion there is a need for a united Hindu front, for all Hindus to come together to address a pressing issue such as mistreatment of Hindu students, newspaper articles grossly misrepresenting Hinduism or a natural disaster where Hindus want to work together to create a joint response. The Hindus of Greater Houston, as an umbrella organization, is ideally situated to do just that. We were pleased to attend their recent membership meeting and see the diversity and large number of organizations committed to its mission," Bodhinatha Swami said.

Board Member Venugopal Menon said, "About 100,000 Hindus, with 18 established temples have established their presence and their significance in Houston. It is only prudent and proper that we create a unified voice to be heard, that our commitments and concerns are understood as an important expression of the mainstream. With that motivating philosophy, the organization of the Hindus of Greater Houston along with its Advisory Board with representatives of all the Hindu establishments in the area is created."

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TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, April 14, 2013 (Newsday by Vishnu Bisram): I write to pay tribute to Guyanese Pundit Reepu Daman Persaud who passed away on April 7 and was cremated last Thursday. He is well known throughout Trinidad for his expertise in Hinduism and for conducting yagnas in several parts of the island.

He was one of the longest serving Members of parliament in Guyana -- over 40 years. During that period, he also served as deputy speaker of the assembly and vice-president of the country between 1997 and 2004.

Pundit Reepu, as he was known, was enormously popular and was the most respected pundit in Guyana and the Caribbean and among the Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean diasporas. He was the quintessential Hindu leader for non-Hindus as well during the period of the oppressive PNC dictatorship in Guyana. He was a frontline soldier in the struggle for the restoration of democracy during the 28-year period of authoritarian rule. He was seen as a true patriot, taking on the British and the rigging of elections in his homeland.

Pundit Reepu, as we fondly called him, was an icon held in high esteem in North America and Trinidad where Hindu leaders have been speaking fondly of him and tributes have been pouring in on Indian radio stations. He left deep long-lasting impressions. He will never be forgotten.

See related story: http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=8650

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In the four eternal Vedas; In the study and reading of scripts; In sacred ashes and in holy writs and muttering of prayers you will not find the Lord! Melt with the heart inside And proclaim the Truth. Then you will join the light life without servitude.
-- Sivavakkiyar, 10th-century Tamil devotional poet and mystic

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MIDLAND, TEXAS, April 18, 2013 (My West Texas): In an effort to promote peace and tolerance, leaders from different religious backgrounds met in Midland on Wednesday night for an interfaith discussion. St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church played host to leaders of the Baptist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Mormon faiths, and more than a hundred listeners.

The Muslim faith was represented on stage by Imam Wazir Ali, of Houston. The imam was one of the six who responded to a set of questions surrounding his faith and what role it plays in the day-to-day lives of people all over the world. "It was the plan of God that the world is a pluralistic place," said Ali. "What he wants us to do instead of looking at pluralism and diversity as a problem, is look at it as an opportunity to benefit from the genius of other human beings and other cultures."

Much of the night's messages -- from all religions -- had tones of tolerance, love, acceptance and harmony. Questions ranged from how the different faiths can co-exist peaceably in today's world to complex issues such as what each religion teaches about death, resurrection and an afterlife.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, of Kauai's Hindu Monastery, explained to the West Texas audience that his faith does not teach about resurrection. The resurrection is such a foreign concept in the Hindu faith that he took time to explain the basis of it to people in the audience who might not recognize the term or know its meaning. "This idea of the resurrection is focused on what's going to happen to the body, ... where the Hindu idea is focused on not the body, but the soul," he said.

Despite differing views on the specifics, all leaders seemed in agreement on the existence of a higher power and that power's desire for humans to live peacefully and in harmony, always caring for the needs of others.
Also participating in the discussion were the Rev. Randel Everett, of First Baptist Church; Rabbi Holly Levin Cohn, of Temple Beth El in Odessa; and Jerry Zant, stake president of the Odessa Texas Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.