Ganesh Diety Immersed with Great Fanfare Near Sydney

www.newkerala.com SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, September 17, 2007: An Deity of Hindu God Ganesh, decorated in all finery, sat firm as thousands of devotees followed in a procession chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya” to Stanwell Park beach here, as part of colorful celebrations for the Ganesh festival. The elephant-headed God was immersed in the Pacific Ocean to the sounds of beating drums and…

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Ganesha in Grand Procession in Mangalore

www.daijiworld.com MANGALORE, INDIA, September 17, 2007: The Deity of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu God who is revered as being the giver of wisdom and prosperity, was taken in a grand procession here, on the evening of September 16. As the concluding part of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the grand saarvajanik Deity of Lord Ganesha placed on huge open trucks started…

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Afghan Sikhs Protest After Muslims Block Cremation

sify.com KABUL, AFGANISTAN, September 18, 2007: More than 100 Afghan Sikhs, the country’s smallest religious group, marched through Kabul with a corpse on Monday to protest attempts by Muslim villagers to stop them from cremating the body. Police later detained six of the Muslim villagers who had tried to prevent the cremation, a police officer said. One of the Sikh…

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Tamil Nadu Celebrates Ganesha Chaturthi

www.newkerala.com CHENNAI, INDIA, September 15, 2007: Hindus in Tamil Nadu celebrated Vinayaka Chaturthi, birthday of Lord Ganesha, with religious fervour by invoking the blessings of the elephant-headed Deity. Special poojas, abishekams and Maha Ganapathy homam were performed in various temples of the state. Hundreds of devotees visited temples and offered worship. The innumerable temples of the Deity were tastefully decorated…

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Korean Students Join in Pune’s Ganesha Festivities

www.ibnlive.com PUNE, INDIA, September 16, 2007: It’s not just Indians who are celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi today. Meet Kimjoe, a South Korean student from the University of Pune who eagerly jots down a list of supplies for puja as she prepares for a Ganapati sthapna in her house. Fascinated by the festival’s grandeur, Kimjoe and her friends decided to make this…

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Ram Sethu Issue Shows Continued Impact of Aryan Invasion Theory

www.rediff.com CHENNAI, INDIA, September 15, 2007: (HPI note: We run this piece just to show that the “Aryan Invasion” theory, in its original form as a violent incursion, remains a factor in Indian politics where some consider it fact.) Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday cautioned the Centre against paying heed to “religious fundamentalist forces” on the Ram…

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UK Ministers Remove Barriers To Faith-Run Schools

www.telegraph.co.uk UNITED KINGDOM, September 9, 2007: Ministers paved the way for more State-funded Muslim, Sikh and Hindu schools yesterday with a pledge to remove “unnecessary barriers” to religious groups. Ed Balls, the children’s minister, said additional money would be made available to allow the hundreds of private religious schools to convert to the state sector. It is thought the move…

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Ganesha Festival in Full Swing in Mumbai

www.saharasamay.com MUMBAI, INDIA, September 15, 2007: Millions of people here are celebrating the Ganapati festival, a 10-day event beginning today that will see groups across the city vying to create the most colorful and attractive marquees. At least 8,000 to 9,000 Ganesha Mandals (a temporary temple build on the sidewalk) have been formed in the city and on the final…

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Deity Prices Up for Ganesha Festival

economictimes.indiatimes.com MUMBAI, INDIA, September 15, 2007: : The Ganpati festival is just a few hours away. Unlike last year when festivities were toned down in the aftermath of July 26 floods and the epidemic that claimed nearly 1,000 lives, Mumbaikars will celebrate the festival in full swing, albeit with their belts fully tightened. Prices of Ganesh Deities and other important…

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Mauritius 108-foot Ganesha Collapses in Heavy Rain

News Report MAURITIUS, September 15, 2007: HPI has learned that heavy rains near Grand Bois caused the collapse of the 108-foot tall Ganesha (see yesterday’s HPI) as it was being paraded to the seashore. The water-soaked statue collapsed into a mass of hundreds of pipes, metal bars, wood and the plaster of Paris coating. The debris blocked the road for…

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