news.bbc.co.uk KATHMANDU, NEPAL, July 19, 2007: Returning home to Kathmandu after a 39-day visit to the U.S., Kumari Sajani Shakya will have to undergo a cleansing ceremony in order to maintain her status as a temple goddess. Temple elders were upset that Sajani had left the country as she should have known that she is forbidden to do so. The…
www.nytimes.com ANNANDALE, VIRGINIA, July 21, 2007: The first hour at the Chinmaya Mission day camp unfolds as at any other camp. Children shriek through tag, while a few other play Uno. But by 9 a.m., the grammar-school-age campers are sitting down, their attention focused on a long-haired Indian man in the front of the room, Swami Dheerananda, the mission’s Hindu…
Vedanta Society of St. Louis ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, July 14, 2007: (HPI Note: Following story was received from Swami Chetanananda of the St. Louis Vedanta Society.) On May 12, 2007, I was invited to say some universal Hindu Prayers in the Graduation Ceremony of the Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. It was held in Edward Jones Dome in the downtown…
www.rural-development.ca MISSISSAUGA, CANADA, July 12, 2007: Sheela Srinavasan will perform Streevaani-Voices of Women, a dance feature comprising the timeless poetry of Andaal, Akka Mahadevi and Mirabai, on August 4, 2007, at the Meadowvale Theatre in Mississauga, Ontario. While there is no charge for the program, donations will be accepted for the Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development (CORD). CORD aims to…
www.nytimes.com NEW YORK, NEW YORK, July 17, 2007: (HPI note: Religious organizations are one type of group being verified by this fraud detection unit.) It was the kind of Brooklyn neighborhood where an unmarked car with government plates drew hostile stares, and a badge emblazoned with the words “immigration officer” could cause a panic. “Just keep smiling,” Tamika Gray, an…
www.hindusangam.org.my KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, July 12, 2007: (Datuk Vaithilingam of The Malaysia Hindu Sangam Press Release issued this press release on the slaughter of animals in Malaysia’s parliament.) Malaysia Hindu Sangam expresses its shock on the slaughter of cows in the parliament – this, in our opinion, is offensive to Hindus, Buddhists and others who believe that animals should not…
www.newkerala.com PURI, ORISSA, July 13, 2007: The famous Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa has become known for its large kitchen that has the capacity to accomodate the making of mega offerings. The news release explains, “Around 500 cooks and 300 helping hands prepare 56 different offerings known as Mahaprasad or Abhada for Lord Jagannath, which are served to the deity…
www.ajc.org NEW YORK, NEW YORK, July 17, 2007: (HPI note: following four reports are press releases from various organizations regarding the Hindu prayer in the Senate.) The American Jewish Committee is deeply troubled by the verbal assault on Rajan Zed, a Hindu religious leader who delivered the opening prayer on the Senate floor last week. “Senate Majority leader Harry Reid’s…
www.vhp-america.org USA, July 13, 2007: World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) is delighted that for the first time in its history, the U.S . Senate on July 12 was opened with a Hindu prayer said by a Hindu chaplain, Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Nevada. We express our gratitude and appreciation to all the Senate Leaders including Senate Majority Leader…
www.hscnet.org NEW JERSEY, USA, July 12, 2007: The Hindu Students Council commends the United States Senate today for creating history in having a Hindu priest lead the opening invocation of today’s session. Such an event marks the profound diversity of religion in American civic life, and HSC compliments Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada for taking the courageous step of inviting…