Janmashtami Celebrated On Different Days

epaperdaily.timesofindia.com NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 26, 2005. The confusion over Lord Krishna’s birthday left many Delhiites foxed on Thursday. Nursing hopes of yet another extended weekend after Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan, many of them were keen that Janmashtami be celebrated on Friday, but other than the Delhi High Court and a few schools, no one else seemed set to…

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Muslims Join Hindus for Birth of Lord Krishna Celebrations in Kashmir

www.ndtv.com SRINAGAR, INDIA, August 26, 2005: It is after 17 long years that the jhanki (flag), welcoming the birth of Lord Krishna, the Hindu God, is back on the streets of downtown Srinagar. Till now, the 20,000 plus Kashmiri pandits who had stayed back in the city, would celebrate the festival inside temples. But what’s really special is that this…

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Indian Help For Pakistan Temple Complex

www.hindu.com INDIA, NEW DELHI, 26 August, 2005: : The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is reaching across the border to lend a helping hand to preserve the ancient Katas Raj temple complex in Pakistan. Located some 40 km from the city of Chakwal in Pakistan, the Katas Raj temple complex dates back to the Mahabharata era. The focus of many…

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South African Temple Pulls Out of Event Over Meat and Alcohol

www.sundaytimes.co.za SOUTH AFRICA, July 31, 2005: The Umgeni Road temple, one of the largest and oldest Hindu shrines in South Africa, has pulled out of the Canon Gold Cup horse race because meat and alcohol will be sold at the event. Temple chairman Selven Thaver said: “I realized that it wasn’t right for us to get involved because we have…

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Social Contributions of Hindu Communities in the U.S.

www.indolink.com NEW YORK, U.S.A. August 14, 2005: Selected in 2003 by the International Fellow Centre on Philanthropy and Civil Society attached to the City University of New York to study Community Foundations and Diaspora Philanthropy, Priya Anand conducted a three-month research on the social contributions the Hindu religious diaspora is making in the U.S.A. The article explains, “Anand’s study attempts…

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Courtship Ideas Of South Asians Get A U.S. Touch

www.nytimes.com U.S., August 23, 2005: One Saturday in July, a few weeks after he finished his medical residency at Brown University, Ronak Shah married Kunal Patel, another doctor, in a union that embraced every ritual of the Hindu nuptial script. However, the venerable South Asian tradition of arranged marriages has taken on an American reinvention. Dr. Patel’s mother and father…

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Sangam Museum In Fiji

nknaidu@connect.com.fj LAUTOKA, FIJI, August 22, 2005: A new museum made entirely of mud blocks – with corrugated roofing – has been built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first South Indians to Fiji. Run by the Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam, the museum is located at the Sangam Village at Lovu in Lautoka. While the…

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This Chinese Sings In Sanskrit

in.rediff.com CHENNAI, INDIA, 25 August, 2005: Twenty-two-year-old Chong Chiu Sen is a young Chinese lad from Kuala Lumpur. His parents being staunch devotees of Satya Sai Baba, Chong’s association with music started at a young age. Though familiar with Chinese religious songs, he was drawn towards Sanskrit bhajanas. With the intention of improving his diction in Sanskrit, he came to…

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India’s Supreme Court Will Hear Private Petition For Dalit Christians

Assist News Service USA, August 28, 2005: (HPI note: This article appeared on a Christian News Service. The issue is that Hindus Dalits or “Untouchables” who convert to Christianity are then denied the special rights given to Hindu Dalits called “reservations” in India, which is a kind of affirmative action program giving preferential treatment in education and jobs.) India’s Supreme…

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How India Reconciles Hindu Values And Biotech

www.nytimes.com LONDON, U.K., August 21, 2005: In 2001, President Bush restricted federal financing for stem cell research. The decision, which was shaped at least partly by the Republican Party’s evangelical Christian base, provoked joy in India. The weekly newsmagazine India Today spoke of a “new pot of gold” for Indian science and business. “If Indians are smart,” the magazine said,…

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