www.hindustantimes.com INDIA, February 16, 2007: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addresses the plight of the Dalits in India. Some of the highlights expressed by Ravi Shankar are, “Dalits allowed inside temples in Bhilwara and Jagannath Temple in Orissa is a welcome development. Places of worship should be open to all communities and religions. Moving away from Hinduism and converting to other…
www.indiaenews.com KATHMANDU, NEPAL, March 4, 2007: Thieves broke into the Pashupatinath temple here, one of the most revered Hindu shrines in the world, stealing a Deity and other valuables. By Sunday the Kathmandu police had arrested 10 people over Friday night’s theft at the temple, designated as a world heritage site by the Unesco. “We are holding a meeting today…
www.hinduamericanfoundation.org FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, March 4, 2007: (HPI note: the following is a press release from the Hindu American Foundation. Hindus who have followed the California textbook controversy should take an interest in this issue. Although the change in regulations is rather technical in nature, it will dramatically impact how the next round of textbook reviews is handled by the California…
specials.washingtonpost.com WASHINGTON, D.C., March 5, 2007: The Washington Post has inaugarated a new series of short video interviews with people of the community. One of the first is of Maragatham Ramaswamy, a carnatic music singer and teacher. The introduction reads, “She sings to teach, she sings to heal, she sings to feel happy and commune with God. Singing is her…
www.indiaenews.com HIMACHAL, INDIA, March 1, 2007: As many as 151 Dalits who had once converted to Christianity have returned to the Hindu fold after a religious ritual in a temple here. “One hundred and fifty-one Christians have become Hindus again after an elaborate Hindu ceremony carried out in a Shimla temple on Wednesday,” said Tarsem Bharti, chairman of the All…
www.askasia.org USA, March 1, 2007: HPI Note: We came across this fascinating essay on the history of India with regard to world trade. It is on an educational website called AskAsia. Following are some excerpts from this one resource on the site: “Consumers in most major cities of the world can buy Indian jewelry and clothing. This statement is true…
www.anglicanjournal.com TORONTO, CANADA, March 1, 2007: Some Ontario churches, temples and mosques have pledged to work together to reduce the energy consumption in their places of worship with the help of Faith & the Common Good (FCG) and Green Communities Canada (GCC). The two non-profit organizations dedicated to environmental concerns recently met with representatives from various faith communities to plan…
www.indiaenews.com KATHMANDU,, NEPAL, February 28, 2007: (HPI note: The “sons of soil” reported on here are the indigenous tribal people of Nepal. They were previously allied with the Maoists, but now that the Maoists have opted for peace, and failed to deliver on their promises to the tribals, more conflict appears to be at hand. For more background on this…
www.insidebayarea.com SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, February 28, 2007: (HPI note: This is a long and insightful article on arranged marriages among Indians in the San Francisco Bay Area.) In India, the Middle East and some parts of Africa, arranged marriages remain the predominant way to bring together couples who share the same religious, cultural or tribal background.Accepting a marriage partner selected…
www.hindustantimes.com KOLKATA, INDIA, February 27, 2007: They live in the heart of a cacophonous megapolis but the music they make smells of the soil of rural Bengal in all its sylvan splendor. Walk down a narrow south Kolkata lane of Jadavpur to meet the happening baul couple of Utpal Fakir and Sahajma whose impassioned “Allah Meherban Khuda, Khuda Meherban” took…