in.today.reuters.com SRINAGAR, INDIA, February 1, 2006: On a cold winter morning a group of Indian soldiers, hardened by months spent fighting Islamic militants in revolt-hit Kashmir, assemble in a camp hall for their first briefing of the day. There is no senior officer to dictate anti-insurgency tactics presiding over the get-together, but in his place sits a yoga guru tasked…
www.shastras.org TROY, MICHIGAN, USA, February 2, 2006: (HPI received this press release from Navya Shastra organization.) Navya Shastra, the international Hindu reform organization, has called for a broader representation of Hindu traditions and a fairer treatment of Dalits in California textbooks. The current version of the school textbooks equates Hinduism with a monolithic reading of the Vedic tradition, which has…
www.hindustantimes.com GUWAHTI, ASSAM, INDIA, January 29, 2006: At least 14 people, including eight priests, were injured on Sunday when government Border Security Forces (BSF) personnel opened fire and beat up devotees inside the premises of the world-famous Kamakhya Goddess temple after they were denied direct entry. Two BSF personnel and four other persons were also hurt in the scuffle, official…
www.indiacorps.com SUGHAD VILLAGE, GUJARAT, INDIA, February 1, 2006: Indicorps is pleased to announce that applications are open for the 2006-2007 Fellowship. Indicorps offers competitive fellowships for people of Indian origin interested in spending one to two years (starting August 2006) on unique development and service projects in India. Indicorps, an international non-profit organization with operations in the US, UK and…
HPI KAUAI, HAWAII, January 27, 2006: HPI reader Sher Agrawal points out, “I read the news item as quoted in your January 27th HPI which states that Pongal is celebrated in South and Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra. Please note that Makar Sankranti is a very important and most religious and auspicious January festival and is celebrated with lots of fan…
www.nytimes.com NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 31, 2006: (HPI note: Though vultures are quite unpleasant in appearance, and have dining habits to match, they are environmentally important. They also figure benevolently in Hindu history from time to time. The vulture king Jatayu tried to save Sita from abduction in the Ramayana, and was injured in the process. Jatayu informed Rama who…
www.newindpress.com MUMBAI, INDIA, January 29, 2006: If all goes well, Hindu temples across India could soon have an apex body. A two-day meeting of temple bodies, including one from Nepal, began here on Saturday to examine the possibility of forming a national trust for temple management. The International Temple Summit 2006 has representatives from the management committees of 25 prominent…
Darpan MAURITIUS, January 31, 2006: HPI has received this report that the venerable founder of the Human Service Trust in Mauritius died in December. The report reads, “Bhai Dhundevji had breathed his last at Bombay Hospital in early morning on Monday 19 December 2005…. With his voluntary works and service to the community at large, in very little time Bhai…
www.ibnlive.com BARMER, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, January 30, 2006: The Thar Express train that will connect Munabao in Rajasthan and Khokrapar in Pakistan’s Sindh might have to wait but a special pilgrimage is all set to cross the border from Munabao. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh will lead a group of about 100 pilgrims to Hinglaj Mata shrine…
thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 30, 2006: About 30,000 Hindu devotees and visitors came to witness the official unveiling of the country’s tallest Lord Murugan statue on Sunday and the garlanding of the golden statue today. Temple officials were now hoping to get the 42.7m statue, located at the Sri Subramaniar Temple at the foot of Batu Caves, into the…