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p class=”source”a HREF=”http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/aug/04jk.htm”in.rediff.com/a/p p class=”summary”KASHMIR, INDIA, August 4, 2006: Following the eruption of violence in 1989, wedding customs here underwent some modification. Processions that were traditionally held at night and the celebratory firecrackers were discontinued because of the military tensions. However, after a 16-year hiatus, the traditional wedding celebrations have returned. Recently, however, the marriage season has just begun, and…

www.ndtv.com HYDERABAD, INDIA, August 3, 2006: Ganesha Chaturthi is around the corner and Hyderabad is flooded with Ganesha icons of all sizes. This year items that go into making the icons have become costly. The 10-foot icon for example will cost US$150.00 which is around 20 percent more than last year. “We would get powder, plaster-of-paris, kerosene for cheap earlier.…

www.sdbatish.com SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, August 4, 2006: It is with great sadness the Batish Family announces the passing of Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish on July 29, 2006, at the age of 91. Hindu funeral rites were held on August 2 in Santa Cruz. S. D. Batish was a stalwart on the Indian music scene since 1936. His songs were broadcast…

epaper.timesofindia.com INDIA, July 30, 2006: The Arya Vaisya Chettiyar Community is fatally allergic to anesthesia. Mysteriously, this condition has been reported in Germany too, setting researchers on a controversial racial trail, reports T.S. Sreenivasa Raghavan. In several hospitals in Tamil Nadu, before administering anesthesia, doctors ask patients for their caste. It has been discovered that members of the Arya Vaisya…

Punjab Kesar NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 4, 2006: A debate arose in Delhi about the proper day to celebrate Janamashtami. The national general secretary of the Sanatan Dharam Sammelan, Shri R.N. Vats announced, “There are no differences with regard to the celebration of Shri Krishna Janamashtami. Some people try to celebrate festivals on different dates without any reason.” Shri Vats…

www.deccan.com HYDERABAD, INDIA, August 1, 2006: With the Andhra Pradesh High Court maintaining a tough position on immersion of icons in Hussainsagar, the Ganesh Utsav Committee has decided to go in for bio-degradable paints for the icons this year. The committee has asked the State government to provide them with a separate place near the NTR Marg and Tank Bund…

www.ndtv.com NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 3, 2006: The Center of Science and Environment on Wednesday claimed that 11 leading soft drink brands have pesticide residue. According to the CSE, soft drinks available in India have a cocktail of three to six pesticides. In a study of 57 random samples of 11 soft drink brands from 25 different manufacturing plants of…

hindusangam.org SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, August 3, 2006: If you have ideas on how the Hindu concept of dharma can be applied to the worlds’ challenging issues, here’s an opportunity to express yourself. The Hindu Sangam is sponsoring a contest whose objective is to encourage youth to examine the Hindu concept of Dharma from a fresh perspective and ponder its applicability…

The Telegraph HYDERABAD, INDIA, July 28, 2006: No other religion can be preached–and no mosques or churches built–in an 80,628 acre area around Tirupati’s Balaji temple, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam said yesterday. The Devasthanam till now controlled a 6,600 acre area that includes Tirumala–the small temple town housing 10,000-15,000 people, mostly temple workers–and the ban applied there. The Andhra government…

epaper.hindustantimes.com MUMBAI, INDIA, July 31, 2006: Lalbaug has no art galleries, but from June through September each year it becomes the headquarters for some excellent artists. These are skilled painters who temporarily leave their regular jobs in order to paint thousands of clay and plaster Ganeshas for Ganesha Chaturthi. Those who can make Ganesha’s eyes come alive are greatly prized,…