JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, September 13, 2004: More than 5,000 Hindu devotees from all over the world gathered at Lenasia, the huge Indian township south of here, to celebrate the inauguration of the first Swaminarayan Temple in South Africa. More than 200 followers from the US, the UK, Canada, Kenya and Tanzania joined devotees from all over South Africa as a world peace prayer ceremony (Vishwashanti Mahayagna) was held. The inauguration ceremony was spread over the weekend. Hindu saints led the prayer ceremony Friday in which more than 350 people sat around 51 sacrificial fires. The temple is in the Indian traditional mode with marble carvings, columns, elaborately carved doors, a large throne for the Deity and icons imported from India. Nine craftsmen were brought from India to assist with intricate carvings. During the prayers, a chariot procession was taken out with five floats of the deities taken around major temples of the town to end finally at the new temple. The installation of the four deities was done Saturday. During the celebration Sunday, members of the Indian community who have made significant contributions to advancement of South African society were honored with a shawl and blessings from the head of the Swaminarayan sect in India, Pramukh Swami Maharaj. There were also spiritual discourses and a cultural programme with traditional Indian dances and dramas presented by the youth wing of the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission in South Africa.

DELHI, INDIA, September 20, 2004: Udayan Care (”source” above), is an NGO that is striving hard to work for the cause and betterment of lives of underprivileged children, reads this press release. It goes on:



Under its aegis, comes the voluminous Udayan Shalini Fellowship Programme. The genesis of this program has been for giving Fellowships to disadvantaged girls. These girls come from different walks of life, belonging to both schools and colleges, either government or government-aided. Apart from financial assistance Udayan Care also provides mentoring support to these children. In order to inspire and encourage these children, motivational workshops are also conducted on a regular basis. The Udayan Fellowship Programme aims at not only the educational aspect but has the perspective of providing a wholesome personality development to each and every student.



Every year Udayan Care organizes a formal induction of the children in its program through a Pledge-distribution and Oath-Taking ceremony, which is presided over by the Honourable Lt. Governor of Delhi. This year being no exception, on September 17, 2004, the ceremony was held at Mahavir Senior Model School. The Honourable Lt. Governor of Delhi, Shri B. L. Joshi administered the evening’s program. In his blessings to the children he spoke eloquently of the importance of education of the girl child. He elaborated saying that, “If a girl child is educated, an entire family gets education.” Udayan Care Managing Trustee, Dr. Kiran Modi, offered a bouquet of flowers to the Honourable Lt. Governor. After the ceremony, Mr. Vikram Dutt, Consultant Udayan Care, on behalf of the Udayan Care family, offered his vote of thanks to the Honourable Lt. Governor of Delhi for gracing the occasion.



The venue was filled with youthful energy as many children attended the program. The smiles on their faces, beaming with many aspirations for the future made the ceremony even more momentous. Many parents attended the program along with their children. The girls from the Udayan Care Ghar sang beautifully as they started the proceedings with an invocation song. The ceremony and the presence of the gracious guests of the evening, added to the enthusiasm of the children. After the ceremony tea and refreshments were offered to all.



Udayan Care with its Fellowship Programme exemplifies to us how important it is to shape our future by educating the child. The children on whom depends the nation’s future. The induction ceremony of Udayan Shalini Fellowship Programme was not just a grand success. It was awe-inspiring to see the joy in the children’s eyes. It was a bliss to experience the vibrance of these children’s aspirations.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, September 17, 2004: Teaching seminars on “The Greatness of Hinduism,” presenting knowledge about authentic Hinduism at the annual Hindu Students Council retreat, meeting with Congressmen, speaking at youth summer camps, and providing hundreds of people with educational publications were some of the activities of The Vedic Foundation (”source”) this summer, begins this news release. The foundation also traveled to eight cities across the U.S. where volunteers greeted thousands of visitors at their booths, raised awareness of how Hinduism has been misrepresented over the past 200 years and informed the visitors of the need for re-establishing the authentic teachings of Hinduism through educational programs. To increase awareness and raise funds for its educational activities, volunteers met with Congressmen and community leaders to discuss the main themes of the foundation’s programs–”Empowering through Education” and “Changing Western Perceptions about Hinduism.” Ramesh Appareddy, legislative director of the Indo-American Friendship Council headed by Dr. Krishna Reddy, successfully distributed the Vedic Foundation message at a banquet held on Capitol Hill in July. Attended by 400 Indian American leaders and 100 Congressmen and Senators. Appareddy also met with the Faith Based and Community Initiative at The White House in Washington, DC. The Vedic Foundation, an affiliate of JKP, Barsana Dham, is based in Austin, Texas.

HYDERABAD, INDIA, September 20, 2004: Two distinguished Indian religious figures, Swami Agnivesh and Asghar Ali Engineer, who have worked unceasingly for social justice and communal harmony for more than two decades, have been selected for the 2004 Right Livelihood Honorary Award, popularly known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” Baron Jakob Von Uexkull, Chairman of the Right Livelihood Awards Foundation, announced the decisions of the international jury of the Foundation, which met here from September 12 till today to select the winners of this year’s awards. He said for the first time in the 25-year history of the Foundation, its jury met outside Sweden. The awards would be presented from the Swedish Houses of Parliament a day before the presentation of the Nobel Prize, the Baron said. Memorial, an international voluntary organization working in Russia, Ms. Bianca Jaggera, a Nicaraguan social activist, and Raul Montenegro, an Argentinian scientist who worked for ecological awareness and prevention of environmental degradation, shared the Right Livelihood cash award totalling US$268,000. The awards were for dedicated work at the community level in development, human rights, ecology, renewable energy and gender empowerment among others, the Chairman of the Right Livelihood Awards Foundation said.