Kerala Government Axes a 56-year-old Act on Temple Governance

www.moneycontrol.com KERALA, INDIA, February 1, 2007: The Government of Kerala has passed an order eliminating the Travancore-Cochin Devaswom Act that was established over 50 years ago. The news report explains, “The ordinance is an attempt to curtail the powers of the Travancore and Cochin Devaswom boards, which manage most of the temples in Kerala. The decision comes in the wake…

Continue reading

History of Vegetarianism Book Review

www.newyorker.com NEW YORK, January 15, 2007: Tackling the history of vegetarianism, Tristram Stuart’s book called “The Bloodless Revolution: A Cultural History of Vegetarianism from 1600 to Modern Times,” has been highlighted in this highly informative news report called “Vegetable Love.” Tracing vegetarianism back to the 1600’s when Sir Isaac Newton was criticized for refusing to eat a type of “blood…

Continue reading

Festival Holds Key To Living In Harmony

www.thecourier.co.uk INDIA, February 2, 2007: The largest single gathering of people on Earth may hold the key to living together in harmony, researchers from St. Andrews and Dundee believe. Psychologists from the two universities have been studying the 30 million-strong crowd at the Kumbh Mela, in Allahabad, northern India. And despite the noise and crowds–which would normally create stress–people at…

Continue reading

Fiji Islands Celebrate Thaipoosam

Fiji Sun NADI, FIJI ISLANDS, February 2, 2007: The tourist town of Nadi in the Fiji Islands will be a hive of activity for the next week as Hindus from all over Fiji and overseas converge at the Sri Siva Subrahmanya Swami Temple for the annual Thaipoosam Thirunaal prayers which began on Thursday January 25. TISI Sangam national president Dor…

Continue reading

Pakistan to Open Katasraj Temple for Indians on Sivaratri

www.indiadaily.com LAHORE, PAKISTAN, February 1, 2007: The Pakistan Government has thrown an invite to the Indian Hindus to join the first “puja” (prayers) after 60 years since partition on February 16 on the occasion of the Maha Sivaratri in the renovated main Siva Temple in the famous Katasraj Temple Complex, 2 hours drive from Lahore. The foundation stone for the…

Continue reading

Thousands Welcome Thaipusam Chariot at Batu Caves Malaysia

www.nst.com.my KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, February 1, 2007: After a 13-hour journey through the city center, the chariot carrying the Hindu Deity Lord Muruga arrived at the Sri Subramaniam Swamy Temple in Batu Caves. Thousands stood at the entrance of the temple to welcome the chariot, which marked the beginning of the Thaipusam festival. The chariot left the Sri Maha Mariamman…

Continue reading

Keeping The Faith At Kent State University

media.www.stateronline.com OHIO, U.S., January 30, 2007: In recent years, the representation for Hindu students on the Kent State University campus was virtually null and void. But because of a retired professor of geography, that’s been changing. Surinder Bhardwaj is working to give Hindus at Kent State a way to connect with each other. “Hinduism at Kent State is not a…

Continue reading

New Tamil Nadu Education Rule Forbids Corporal Punishment in Schools

News Reports CHENNAI, INDIA, January 16, 2007: It all started in November of 2002 when a high-level committee orchestrated by retired school education director Muthukrishnan was asked to review Tamil Nadu Education rules and make recommendations for change. This committee fulfilled its obligations in a report to the government in 2003. However, it was not until recently that the government…

Continue reading

Thaipusam: Report Two

www.bernama.com.my KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 30, 2007: The Thaipusam Festival this year is expected to be bigger as it falls on the same day with the Federal Territories Day and Visit Malaysia Year 2007. The crowd is expected to reach 1.5 million people including increasing number of foreign tourists to the annual gathering of Malaysian Hindus at the Sri Subramaniyar…

Continue reading