News

timesofindia.indiatimes.com CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, December 11, 2006: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams blasted into space Sunday carrying a Lord Ganesha Deity, the Bhagavad Gita and a packet of samosas, in addition to what the well traveled astronaut packs for a six-month stint on the International Space Station. In addition to Sunita, the shuttle Discovery is carrying Sweden’s first astronaut, Christer Fuglesang,…

www.rediff.com SABARIMALA, INDIA, December 11, 2006: The famous Ayyappa temple in Kerala has witnessed a 30 per cent increase in pilgrims arriving during the current mandala puja season which began in mid-November, compared to the corresponding period last year. Because of the heavy rush to the hill shrine since last weekend, the police and security contingent deployed for crowd management…

Religion News Service WASHINGTON, D.C., December 11, 2006: (HPI note: This rather lengthy article is included in HPI for the informative snapshot it gives of the ever-changing American religious scene.) The new US Congress will, for the first time, include a Muslim, two Buddhists, more Jews than Episcopalians, and the highest-ranking Mormon in congressional history. Roman Catholics remain the largest…

www.hindu.com COIMBATORE, INDIA, December 10, 2006: Dravidar Kazhakam and others, who were initiating the installation of a statue of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, accused Swami Dayananda Saraswati of inciting Hindu Makkal Katchi workers towards vandalism. Police anticipate trouble at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (Swami’s ashram), similar to what happened at other places in Tamil Nadu. Security was tightened for Swami…

www.samachar.com LONDON, ENGLAND, December 7, 2006: India’s next generation leads the world’s young, along with the Kenyans, in wanting to emigrate and secure a better future, a BBC global survey of 15 to 17-year-olds in 10 cities has found. Today’s youth also appeared to thirst for a world without borders, with four out of five respondents telling the survey people…

timesofindia.indiatimes.com CHENNAI, INDIA, December 7, 2006: Administrators of the Krishna temple at Guruvayur, Kerala, had never seen so many gold bars. On Monday, a devotee offered 70 kg of gold, equivalent to his body weight. The gold bars worth US$1.5 million were offered by Mr. P. N. C, Menon, chairman of Bangalore-based Shobha Developers, on the occasion of his 58th…

www.himalayanacademy.com Now you can order a Hindu birth chart at the source above. This chart includes rasi and navamsa charts, the dasas, the nakshatra, the birth syllable for determining a new baby’s name and other important information using the Lahiri ayanamsha. It is one page, easy to read and only US$5. To help read the chart the book “Beneath a…

www.rediff.com MAHARASHTRA, INDIA, December 7, 2006: “For years, the Dalits were addressed with disrespect but now, if you call any scheduled class person ‘oyire’ he shouts back with equal scorn ‘kai re?” says Prakash Vishwasrao, Mumbai-based progressive publisher-owner of the New Age press. Literally, oyire means “Oh you,” and might be translated as “Hey, you!” or “You there!” delivered in…

www.tirumala.org TIRUMALA, INDIA, December 01, 2006: Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board Chairman B. Karunakara Reddy inaugurated the 24th Veda Sastra Agama Vidwat Sadas (a meeting of Vedic scholars where exams are held) at Vedapatasala in Vedagiri at Tirumala. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Reddy stressed the need to protect the Vedas. He reiterated the need to propagate Vedas even…

bhimani19@yahoo.com VALLEY FORGE, PENNSYLVANIA, December 7, 2006: Swadhyaya Pariwar, inspired by Rev. Pandurang Sashtri Athavale, celebrated the American holiday of Thanksgiving at the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, convention center last weekend. More then 2,000 people attended this event and it was celebrated in a very unique way. Youth between the ages of 16-30 participated in a Bhagavad Gita Elocution Competition and…