www.guardian.co.uk LONDON, UK, August 15, 2005: Nearly 40 years after he first turned the Beatles on to transcendental meditation at his Indian ashram – sparking an upsurge of interest in his philosophy across the world – the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has ordered his followers to stop teaching his advanced meditation and levitation techniques in Britain. Disgusted at Tony Blair’s support…
www.nepalitimes.com MORANG, NEPAL, July 21, 2005: It has been over 20 years since a French Jesuit named Fr. Henri de Laulanie discovered a new way of rice farming in Madagascar that increased yield while utilizing less seed. After the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development in the United States adopted the Jesuit’s methods and started promoting the new…
Press Report SRINIGAR, INDIA, August 19, 2005: The two-month-long Hindu pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir came to an end on Friday afternoon. This year’s annual yatra remained free of any militant attacks. During the annual yatra, nearly 400,000 pilgrims visited the cave. A stream of devotees chanting hymns, accompanying the Charri Mubarik led by…
www.indolink.com U.S., August 14, 2005: A number of recent studies have focused on the role that Indian-American philanthropic organizations play in promoting social development and goodwill both in America as well as in India. For example, Priya Anand’s study, presented last year at the International Society for Third Sector Research, concludes that while temples in the United States help preserve…
www.breitbart.com BANGKOK, THAILAND, August 19, 2005: With Asian tourists still shunning its southern beaches, Thailand is calling in a revered Chinese sea goddess to ward off the restive spirits of the thousands who died in last December’s tsunami. A statue of Godmother Ruby, known as Mazu in Chinese, will be brought to the Thai island of Phuket from the Chinese…
www.financialexpress.com FLORIDA, USA, August 20, 2005: Children are becoming increasingly aggressive with their exposure to violent video games, according to a new study. Teachers of 600 children aged between 13 and 15, said children who spent more time playing such video games were more hostile than others. They are also more likely to argue with authorities and peers. The report…
ved.chaudhary@gmail.com NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, USA, August 15, 2005: (Press Release from Dharma Summit 2005, prepared by Beth Kulkarni.) For the first time in North America, 400 participants representing more than 80 Hindu temples and religious organizations came together for a Dharma Summit on August 13-15, 2005. The most respected heads of various religious groups who addressed the summit held…
HPI NEWS BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, August 16, 2005: (HPI note: This report was prepared before the above press release arrived, so there is some overlap in the information.) After initially wondering if anyone would attend, Dr. Ved Chaudhary finally had to close enrollment in the Dharma Summit 2005 when it reached capacity at 400 (including representatives from 80 Hindu institutions),…
www.telegraphindia.com CHANDIGARH, INDIA, August 13, 2005: You no longer have to be a Maoist for your God to come from China. Siva has shifted residence from Kailash to the land of the Great Helmsman, and Vishnu, Lakshmi and Ganesh have followed suit. After toys and dolls, communist China — where there are strict curbs on religious practice — has flooded…
www.cjc.ca VANCOUVER, CANADA, August 8, 2005: The Vancouver – Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region, denounced the recent desecration of the Geeta Gyan Society temple in Surrey, and has offered its support and condolences to the congregation. The temple was defaced with graffiti that included racial aspersions, swastikas, and threats. “No Canadian should face the spectacle of their place of worship…