www.hafsite.org WASHINGTON, D.C., November 21, 2007: The Malaysian Government has sought to thwart with a heavy hand a planned November 25, 2007 protest organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF). The protesters intend to march to the British High Commission in order to submit a petition to the High Commissioner. The petition refers to the class action suit filed…
in.reuters.com KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, November 22, 2007: Malaysian police beefed up security around the capital on Thursday in what local media say is an attempt to foil a planned mass rally by ethnic Indians who feel they are being marginalized.The Sunday march, if it goes ahead, would be the country’s second street protest in a month. Indians, who form about…
www.hafsite.org WASHINGTON, D.C., November 21, 2007: On October 30, 2007 the 100-year-old Maha Mariamman Temple in Padang Jawa was demolished by Malaysian authorities. Following that demolition, Works Minister and head of the Malaysian Indian Congress Samy Vellu, who is of Indian origin, said that Hindu temples built on government land were still being demolished despite his appeals to the various…
dsal.uchicago.edu CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, November 22, 2007: The Historical Atlas of South Asia, first published in 1978 and revised in 1992 and long out of print, has been put on-line by the University of Chicago at URL above. The unique reference atlas contains dozens of maps documenting the political, cultural, linguistic and religious geography of India from ancient to modern times.…
www.sfgate.com SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, November 21, 2007: An ancient design philosophy from the East that stresses achieving harmony between home and body is finding its way into the United States. Feng shui? That’s been done. Bay Area, get ready for vaastu shastra. A design framework that comes from ancient Indian Hindu scriptures, vaastu at its heart is the belief that…
Religion News SErvice CHENNAI, INDIA, November 21, 2007: Roman Catholic leaders in India have dismissed a proposed Hollywood film on Jesus Christ’s “lost years” in India as just “Hollywood makers in search of a new audience rather than the truth.” The film, “The Aquarian Gospel,” will be directed by Drew Heriot and is scheduled for release in 2009. The movie…
savetemples.org ANDHRA PRADESH, INIDA, November 19, 2007: The Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (amendment) bill moved by Endowments Minister J Rathnakar Rao was passed unanimously (UNI reports). The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly has unanimously passed the Temple Amendment Bill “Hindu Endowments Act” (Devadaya Savarana Bill). Over 30,000 temples that are seeking Deepam (lamp) and Naivedyam (offering…
www.rediff.com FLORIDA, USA, November 20, 2007: The Florida-based Hindu University of America will henceforth “do business as” the International Vedic Hindu University. It has announced plans to expand the Vedic base of its program offerings. Paramahamsa Nityananda, founder of the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, who was elected chairman of the University recently, will be the “guiding force in the university’s future growth…
www.dailyindia.com JAIPUR, INDA, November 20, 2007: Jaipur, the city known world over for its traditional lifestyle, has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for recording 3,500 priests participating in a religious ceremony. The attempt made during “Bhoomi Poojan” ceremony on November 17 surpassed the existing record of 2,453 people set by an American company, Providence Newberg Medical Center, in…
www.hafsite.org WASHINGTON, D.C., November 16, 2007: Senate Resolution 299, recognizing the “religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali,” passed unanimously on November 14, 2007 in the U.S. Senate. Nearly identical to the House Resolution 747 that passed in the full House of Representatives on October 29, 2007, the senate resolution was introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and…