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HYDERABAD, INDIA, March 30, 2008: In a bid to tackle ticket scalping (black market sale of tickets at higher than face value) for darshan and seva and even sale of ladoos, Tirupati-Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD), that manages the Lord Venkateswara shrine in Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh, has now decided to set up an in-house police station. A first-of-its-kind move by any temple in the country, the police station would start functioning soon, TTD chairman Karunakar Reddy told HT. “We will be able to book cases and arrest the culprits that we were not able to do earlier. This would have a demoralizing effect on the black-marketers,” said a TTD official.

On an average, 45,000-50,000 pilgrims visit the hill-top shrine on a normal day (And nearly a lakh on festivals and holidays). With queues for darshan stretching for hours, black-marketing darshan and seva tickets has become a lucrative business. It results in the pilgrims suffering, whereas those with deep pockets buy tickets in the black-market for an easy darshan.

The Endowments act, which governs administration of temples, prohibits consumption of meat and liquor and smoking or chewing of tobacco in the pilgrim town, but there was no provision to tackle the menace of black-marketing.

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TAMPA, FLORIDA, March 31, 2008: Nikhil Joshi said persistent misunderstandings about Hindus in the media and politics compelled him and two friends to start the Hindu American Foundation. Unlike some communities, the Bay area’s Hindus seemed “activist-oriented,” making the perfect launching pad for the group. “They seemed willing to be engaged,” he said. That was five years ago. The group has since has blossomed into a human rights organization with 3,000 members, a paid staff and offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City.

Sunday, Joshi and other foundation members gathered with supporters at the India Cultural Center in Carrollwood to talk about the group’s origins, its strategy for the future and to raise money. The foundation hopes to build its $400,000 annual budget to $1 million in the next year through fundraisers across the country. The group wants to finance activities that include fighting anti-Hindu Web sites and chronicling abuses of Hindus worldwide. Its stated purpose is to be a voice for the 2 million Hindus living in the United States and to educate government, media, think tanks, academia and the public.

There seems to be no shortage of work lately. The foundation says some school textbooks across the country, including in Florida, portray the Hindu faith and Indian culture incorrectly. Religious holidays in the United States, often granted to Muslim, Christian and Jewish workers, sometimes are not granted to Hindus.

veggie123.com

USA, March 31, 2008: The above website has published a free e-book called “How to Successfully Become a Vegetarian.” The book describes the basic forms of vegetarianism, a history, reasons for becoming vegetarian and then the various issues one faces: nutrition, eating out, cooking, child’s nutrition, etc. A useful resource.

www.hinduismtoday.com

KAUAI, HAWAII, April 1, 2008: Hinduism Today is seeking an expert on Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century American transcendentalist, to review for accuracy an article on him to be published in the magazine. If you are familiar with Thoreau’s work and would like to take on this task, kindly contact ar@hindu.org. We would also appreciate leads to any photographs or art connected with Thoreau.

www.hinduismtoday.com

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