CRAWLEY, UNITED KINGDOM, September 6, 2004: This August, the Hindu community in Crawley celebrated Shila Nyas (foundation stone laying ceremony) at the recently purchased 2.9 acre site at Appletree Farm in Ifield, Crawley. The site will accommodate the first Sanatan Mandir and Community Centre (SMCC) in the South East of England. Over 500 people including local dignitaries and members of the local community witnessed this celebration. Mr. Bharat Lukka, the President of the Gurjar Hindu Union (GHU) said that the ceremony was very successful, and around US$179,000 was raised towards the development of the project. Marble carvings were ceremonially placed in the ground at the spot where the Temple will be constructed. In Hindu culture, the construction of the building may commence after Shila Nyas. The SMCC project consists of a 300 square meter Sanatan Mandir with a 1,200 square meter community hall, and 250 car parking spaces set in landscaped grounds. Local architects and professional temple builders from India are working with the GHU to finalize details of the project. The Mandir will be of hand-carved Indian marble. The project conforms to local planning laws, and is estimated to cost over US$6.3 million including the purchase of the site. GHU has appointed a strong fund-raising team. Building work should commence next year and be completed by 2007. The local Hindu community has been striving for 15 years to secure the land to build the SMCC, and all the hard work has paid off. The GHU was formed by a group of Asians from East Africa and India who came to settle in Crawley.



Gurjar - derived from Gujarat - is a predominantly Hindu state in the North Western part of India, and many in the community came from there or have links with the area. Crawley was a new town, full of promise and employment opportunities, and so became a major attraction for the early Hindus arriving to live in the UK. The GHU was formed in 1968, giving members moral and spiritual support, enabling them to take an active role in the greater community and make friends whilst maintaining their ethnic identity. The GHU has grown over the past thirty years and currently comprises over nine hundred families or over 4,000 members. Most of the youth members are second generation British. There is a desperate need for a community center where the members can socialize, receive help and support, worship and celebrate together the key events in the Hindu calendar. GHU has hitherto managed to organize functions by hiring local halls — even two rooms above a butchers shop, which was not entirely appropriate to the vegetarian aspects of Hinduism. Over the past five years members have became tired and frustrated by not having a permanent Hindu Cultural Centre. Thus the GHU has rigorously pursued the Appletree site for several years. Last June, Crawley Council granted planning permission for the project after an exhaustive seven-year campaign.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND, October 11, 2004: There are no temples or funeral pyres on its banks, but the River Soar in Leicestershire has been approved as an alternative holy site to India’s Ganges for Hindu funerals. After requests from the Asian community of 250,000, the Environment Agency has approved ceremonies in which the ashes of dead Hindus and Sikhs are scattered across the water. A boat hire company has also been authorized to provide a fully customized service for the funerals, which are increasing in demand in the English Midlands. Last week Shastriji Prakashbhai Pandya, a Hindu priest who officiates at the ceremonies, said the Soar was an acceptable alternative. “When I close my eyes, this could be the Ganges.” Mr. Pandya said that ceremonies on the Soar were becoming increasingly popular. “Often it is difficult for people to go to India to scatter the ashes,” he said. “It is expensive, and older family members may not be able to travel. That is one reason why people are coming here. “The second reason is the Soar is greener than the Ganges, and the scenery is better. Unlike the Ganges it is quiet here, and the water is clean and clear.” Narrow boats are hired for US$135 a time, and boarded by close family. The ashes are scattered with flowers, powder, a basil-type herb and holy leaves. Frank Reeves, whose company provides the boats, said: “The British weather isn’t a problem. Apparently if it starts raining immediately after the ceremony that means good luck.”

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, October 7, 2004: The Festival of India has moved from John B. Cary Elementary School to the Arthur Ashe Center to the old Richmond Centre to the Richmond Coliseum and now to the Greater Richmond Convention Center. That’s the difference between attracting about 1,500 people throughout a weekend as the festival did in its early years, starting in 1981 and the 15,000 to 20,000 expected this weekend. This year’s event, taking place Saturday and Sunday and sponsored by the Hindu Center of Virginia, will offer about 100,000 square feet of space with room for 68 booths. Of those booths, 23 will provide authentic Indian cuisine. The rest will sell various types of jewelry, Indian artifacts and fashions, particularly saris, from vendors coming from states as diverse as New York and California. Ranjit Sen, co-chairman of the event, spearheaded the festival its first 13 years. He credits word-of-mouth, along with something even more natural, as a main reason for the increase in the number of festivalgoers. “I think more people learning about ethnic cultures is becoming very popular in America,” Sen said. “Just by being there, you can get a flavor of India with the food, the culture, the language, the sounds, the colors.” Another thing that has changed over the years is the variety of visual treats. Along with festival chairwoman Rama Jadhav, Sen has worked to bring “a different layout and different decorations” to this weekend’s affair, which has adopted the theme “A little piece of India in America.” Both days of the event also will feature traditional Indian music and dance and the opportunity for patrons to learn more about the culture of India.

JAFFNA, SRI LANKA, October 10, 2004: First day of the Tamil Literary Festival-2004 organized by the Cultural section of the Northeast Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs started at 8.30am at the Jaffna Hindu Ladies College Hall, Saturday, civil sources in Jaffna said. Provincial Director Mr. R. Visakalingam presided. Students of Jaffna Hindu Ladies College sang a welcome song saluting Tamil language. Nallur Pichchaiayappa-Raju group played Nathaswaram music at the commencement of the event. Mulliyawallai Tamil Vidiyalayam staged Pandara Vanniyan stage play followed by rabban music played by Akkaraipattu Muslim artistes. Students of Jaffna University Fine Arts Faculty also staged dance and music events. In the morning session held at Dr. Green Hall, three research papers on the Traditions of Tamil Eelam Education were presented at the morning session of the proceedings. The festival will continue for three days, according to organizers.

KASHMIR, INDIA, October 8, 2004: After forcing out minorities from the Valley of Kashmir, the fundamentalists have changed the names of many places including those of the towns, villages and even of the roads.These towns also include Anantnag which has been renamed as Islamabad; in Baramulla, the Ranghat Mohalla has been given the name of Sayeed Karim Sahib; while Post Office Road of Baramulla has been given the name of Shah Masal Market and so on. According to reliable reports, the names of over 300 villages in the Valley have been changed. Intriguingly, in many cases, even official recognition has been given to the changed names. The process of changing the names of places and even those of the rivers had started from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir where the Kishan Ganga river was renamed as River Nilam and Krishna Ghati was given the name of Vade-e-Nilam; Sharda Peeth has been renamed as Daras-Gah-e-Sharief and so on. Not to say of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Valley of Kashmir, even in Jammu city several such names have been given to various localities. In Janipura, a locality has been given the name of Ramzanpura and another one as Hyderabad; in Bathandi area a locality has been named as Firdousabad and a colony in Narwal area has been given the name of Qasim Nagar. Similarly some such names have been given to the newly established educational institutions. It is understood that all this is being done to establish what they refer to as Nizam-e-Mustafa and to Islamise the whole region.