www.nzherald.co.nz AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, October 31, 2005: Thousands thronged Auckland’s Aotea Square as the city put its best hennaed foot forward for the Hindu festival of lights yesterday. But a shadow fell over Diwali celebrations, after a series of explosions in the Indian capital, New Delhi, left more than 50 people dead. Many of the victims were women and children,…
www.asiansinmedia.org October 12, 2005: While many East Indian Americans feel insulted by the Simpsons Asian Hindu character Apu, Rohin Francis, a medical student and author of this article, puts a different spin on the perception of Apu. Francis explains, “I think Apu is a positive character for Asians – particularly those living outside India. One could legitimately claim that Apu…
United News India LUCKNOW, INDIA, October 30, 2005: After schools and NGOs, a temple here has joined a campaign urging people to spend more on helping the poor than bursting crackers this Diwali. The Hanuman Temple located on the banks of river Gomti and which has a large following, has started distributing pamphlets to devotees requesting them to shun the…
timesofindia.indiatimes.com PUNE, INDIA, October 25, 2005: (HPI note: The following report details how the Catholic Church in India is making clever adjustments to make itself more palatable to Indians. This continues a process begun hundreds of years ago when some of the first Catholic missionaries to the country pretended to be like Hindu sadhus. The external adaptations, however, were not…
www.courant.com HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, USA, October 29, 2005: (HPI note: the following article is one of several that are appearing in the mainstream USA press to explain Deepavali, or Diwali) Growing up in Mumbai, India, Beena Pandit remembers the sights and sounds of the Hindu holiday of Diwali, a time of celebration that marks the year’s end. The house was filled…
HPI MUMBAI, INDIA, October 26, 2005: (HPI note: Following is, in full, the statement and resolutions issued by the Acharya Summit recently concluded in Mumbai.) In this second Conference of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, Heads of ancient Sampradayas, which collectively constitute Sanatana Dharma (Hindu Dharma) deliberated on various issues of importance to Hindu Society. Seventy-two Acharyas of Mathas, Mahamandalesvars…
headlines.sify.com LONDON, UK, October 23, 2005: London: Over 100 British lawmakers, senior ministers and diplomats are expected to attend the Diwali celebrations at the House of Commons, Britain’s Lower House of Parliament, here on Thursday. Colorful Indian dances, melodious music, traditional food, rangoli, Sanskrit hymns and icons of Hindu Deities will transform the normally sober Members Dining Room at the…
Indo-Asian News Service JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, October 24, 2005: Traffic came to a standstill on South Africa’s busiest freeway as a celebration related to Diwali in the heart of the city’s cultural and art hub attracted more than 10,000 people Saturday. The “Newtown Diwali Festival” proved to be a huge success, as Zulu dance came combined with Kathak and Bharatanatyam.…
Times of India NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 23, 2005: Four years after its first brick was laid, the sprawling pink sandstone and white marble Akshardham temple complex on the banks of Yamuna will finally throw open its gates to visitors on November 8. Begun by the BAPS Swaminarayan sect in 2001, the temple will be officially inaugurated on November 6.…
HPI KAUAI, HAWAII, October 26, 2005: Much is written about Tirupati, often with a political point slant. But an in-depth, 20-page article on that amazing temple, coming in Hinduism Today’s January-February-March 2006 issue (available in early December ’05) is entirely from religious point of view–the result is a highly inspired report, and a rich insight into current Hinduism’s vibrancy. The…