SourceCANNES, FRANCE, May 14, 2005: Darshan – The Embrace, a film on the life of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, popularly known as Amma, has been officially selected for showcasing at the prestigious 2005 Cannes Film Festival. The film has been directed by Jan Kounen, an award-winning film-maker based in France, and produced by Manuel De La Roche of France. The…
SourceLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, May 12, 2005: Thousands of devotees thronged the Malibu Temple here, a large and famous temple of North America, in California’s Malibu Hills, to celebrate its 21st anniversary. The event was marked with special pujas, Rathotsavam (Chariot Procession), and the impressive cultural extravaganza, with as many as 5,000 people attending the three-day event held from May 6.…
SourceAJMER, INDIA, May 9, 2005: The famous Brahma temple in Pushkar, a Hindu pilgrimage town near here, has been declared a protected monument of national importance. The only temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma (there are also a few in Thailand) was declared a protected monument through a Government of India Gazette notification. It was reconstructed in the 14th…
SourceTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA, INDIA, May 12, 2005: The Guruvayoor Temple, India’s second-richest shrine after Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) has revoked the new dress code it introduced last month following pressure from devotees. Temple rules introduced in April said that for security reasons, men would have to enter the sanctum without their shirts. Earlier, male devotees were allowed to take off their…
SourceUSA, May 11, 2005: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issued the following press release: “HAF invites you to the Hindu American Foundation’s Inaugural programs in the United Kingdom. From 14-15 in London, you will have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Mihir Meghani, President of HAF, and other supporters in our community, learn about HAF’s achievements and plans, and find…
Hinduism TodayKAUAI, HAWAII, May 13, 2005: To get an idea of the strength and vigor of the current Hindu renaissance, one only needs consider the growing number of swamis and other Hindu leaders doing powerful work in India and elsewhere. In its upcoming issue (the July-August-September ’05 issue, coming out in 3 weeks), Hinduism Today magazine will feature a major…
SourceWASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 1005: Swami Dayananda Saraswati, founder of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, had a breakfast prayer meeting recently with US President George Bush at an invitation from the White House. He was invited to represent the Hindu religion at the annual event, which brought together national religious leaders to promote universal peace and harmony, a press release said. Swami…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, May 11, 2005: VGP group of companies, a prominent trading house in the city, will donate a six-and-a-half-foot-high statue of saint-poet Tiruvalluvar to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The statue, made of stone and weighing about 1,500 kg, will be sent to the international symposium on the Tamil treatise, Tirukkural, written by the saint-poet over 2,000 years ago. The three-day…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, May 12, 2005: Hinduism Today is putting together an educational insight piece on Lord Ganesha for the next issue of the magazine. The insight will likely be titled “My Friend Lord Ganesha.” We want to show how Lord Ganesha is integral to the life of Hindus. One section will comprise testimonies from Hindus telling their personal experience with…
SourceWASHINGTON, D.C., May 11, 2005: A US Congress-mandated commission advised the Government on Wednesday to blacklist Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan for alleged violation of religious freedom and beliefs. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom also sought the removal of India from the Government’s list of “countries of particular concern” following “significant” improvements in that country since the defeat of…