www.ibnlive.com BHOPAL, INDIA, August 14, 2006: The inclusion of a link for conducting arati (a Hindu prayer ceremony) at Ujjain on the state’s public relations department website has stirred considerable controversy. Describing the step “as a violation of the tenet of secularism enshrined in the constitution of India,” the Congress, the main opposition in the state, charged the government with…
www.thesunchronicle.com ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, August 18, 2006: Hinduism is one of the oldest religions of the world but it is also one of the most misunderstood. With its unique view of divinity, its belief in a cyclic universe and its stress on spiritual exploration, Hinduism is a faith that many Westerners fail to grasp. “There are a lot more misconceptions than…
www.capeem.org LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, August 11, 2006: (HPI note: this is a press release from URL above. This federal lawsuit is different from the one filed in State court by the Hindu American Foundation. The HAF lawsuit also faces a critical hearing in August.) California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials (CAPEEM) scored a victory on Friday when United…
www.uniindia.com MYSORE, INDIA, August 15, 2006: Marking the golden jubilee of the state formation, the Karnataka government has decided to celebrate the annual Dasara festivities in the city of palaces. Principal Secretary to the state government, I. M. Vittal Murthy told reporters here yesterday that the government had allocated US$161,000 for the festivities, beginning on September 23, and sponsorship from…
epaper.timesofindia.com MUMBAI, INDIA, August 16, 2006: Can a person charged with the murder of his wife in a case of dowry-related death also be charged for abetment to suicide? Given the heinous nature of the crime, the Bombay High Court says a trial court has the right to frame two distinctly contrary charges and have the accused husband or his…
english.aljazeera.net JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, August 18, 2006: Dolphins may have big brains, but a South African-based scientist says laboratory rats and even goldfish can outwit them. Paul Manger of Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand says the super-sized brains of dolphins are a function of being warm-blooded in a cold water environment and not a sign of intelligence. “We equate our…
timesofindia.indiatimes.com IMPHAL, INDIA, August 17, 2006: Janmashtami celebrations in Manipur turned bloody on Wednesday when a grenade was tossed into the Iskcon temple crowded with more than 20,000 devotees. The blast left at least four devotees dead (the BBC today reports that five people have been killed) and at least 40 others injured, including Iskcon international director Damodara Swami, police…
Religion News Service CHENNAI, INDIA, August 17, 2006: A Reuters report quoted an intelligence official saying that unidentified people had warned International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) officials not to hold any functions on Wednesday, when the country was celebrating Janmashtami, a major Hindu festival. The official said the grenade attack might have been carried out by a local group…
www.ndtv.com NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 17, 2006: Thousands of devotees have been offering prayers at temples since last night to usher in Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. In New Delhi, devotees offered prayers, danced and chanted in the temples. Despite strict security measures in Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, thousands of devotees gathered in the temples to offer…
www.ekal.org HOUSTON, TEXAS, August 17, 2006: The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, Houston Branch, held a number of fundraisers in July and raised over US$270,465 to support their educational programs in India. The Consul General of India and keynote speaker at the Houston event, Hon. S.M. Gavai, recounted how India’s literacy rate has gone up from 18% of the population in 1947…