Garba Magic: NRIs Dance To Indian Beats

www.ndtv.com KARAMSAD, INDIA, September 23, 2006: Every afternoon after classes, the grounds of the Swaminarayan Vidyapeeth come alive with color and music at the special Garba rehearsal sessions. More than half the girls here are Non Resident Indians (NRIs). Lisha Hira’s parents settled in California when she was just a child. But now she’s back to get an Indian education…

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Montreal Conference Tackles Religion and Fundamentalism

Montreal Gazette MONTREAL, CANADA, September 23, 2006: As Jews all over the world celebrate their New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and more than one billion Muslims begin to observe Ramadan, a month of fasting – and as the Catholic pope mulls over the furor he has unleashed with his curiously provocative comments on Islam – a group of scholars meeting in…

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Sri Lankan Minister in Punjab to Receive Deities

cities.expressindia.com CHANDIGARGH, INDIA, September 27, 2006: The Seetha Eliya Temple (Ashok Vatika), where Goddess Sita was kept in captivity by Ravana located in the Central Province in Sri Lanka, will soon have Deities of Hindu Gods from the Punjab. The Sri Lankan Central Province Minister, V. Radhakrishnan, says both countries are currently in discussions to promote religious tourism to the…

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Newest Edition of the UK Hindu Voice Available

www.hinduvoice.co.uk LONDON, ENGLAND, September 27, 2006: The September edition of the Hindu Voice is available online and you won’t be disappointed with their coverage of Hindu life in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Editorials focus on Navaratri, an analysis surrounding the issues of meat eating in the Hindu tradition, a response to a recent Hindu-bashing article in The Times entitled…

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Malaysia Catholic Bishops Concerned Sharia Extends Over Non-Muslims

www.asianews.it KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, September 27, 2006: The bishops of Malaysia have voiced concern about the increased Islamization of Malaysian society. On August 14, 2006, the Catholic bishops of Malaysia published a document in the weekly Catholic Herald entitled “The legal implications of conversions to Islam”. The bishops were attempting to educate Catholics against possible conversions to Islam as means…

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Navaratri Celebrated in USA

www.ydr.com PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., September 26, 2006: Hundreds of bare feet moved in step to a thunderous drum beat. Every color imaginable could be found on ornate gowns worn by women and girls dancing at Navaratri, a 9-day celebration that devotes three days of worship each to the Goddesses of valor, wealth and knowledge. The celebration is of happiness and worship…

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Amarnath Shrine Board Member Resigns

www.hindu.com SRINAGAR, INDIA, September 16, 2006: Mahant Deependra Giri has resigned from the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). His resignation was the result of claims by the media that an artificial Siva Lingam was produced in the cave this year. The media also referred to a letter that indicated that the SASB had purchased dry ice. In response, the shrine…

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739 Kalasams Missing at Rameshwaram Temple

www.hindu.com RAMESWARAM, INDIA, September 24, 2006: More than 739 copper kalasams were reported missing from the ancient Ramanatha Swamy temple here on Saturday, while one of the temple officials was placed under suspension in this connection. Temple Executive Officer Mahadevan said, 739 of the 1008 kalasams were reported missing from the temple. The missing kalasams were taken out from the…

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Indonesian Sanskrit Rock Inscriptions Book Released

Rajiv Malik, HPI Senior Indian Correspondent NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 20, 2006: “Sometime back Indonesia suffered earthquakes in which many of their temples had fallen. This included a huge Sivalaya, 100 feet in height, which had 240 temples belonging to its family. In Jakarta, you can see at a central location in the city, the huge statue which depicts Lord…

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