SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, April 10, 2005: A pink sandstone and white marble temple complex of the Swaminarayan sect (BAPS) that opens here in November will double as a modern center of spirituality and learning about Indian culture. The Swaminarayan Akshardham temple complex, coming up on 30 acres of the Yamuna bank, will be a place for cultural education and entertainment,…
SourceLUCKNOW, INDIA, April 11, 2005: The narrow lanes could get roomier and the squalor on the roads a thing of the past. Ayodhya is set for a facelift, with the Uttar Pradesh government deciding to repackage the temple town to change its image of a communal flashpoint, as the Western media has described it, to a tourist destination for both…
SourceUSA, April 14, 2005: HPI received this request from Martin Ostrow: “I am a documentary film producer who is researching a film about the wide variety of things that are being done by different religious faiths around the world, to focus attention on and to try to remedy the current environmental crisis. I am having trouble finding examples of ecology…
Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.ONTARIO, CANADA, March 19, 2005: The B’nai Brith in Canada has been lobbying to add the following changes to the Criminal Code of Canada, “To make Holocaust denial a hate crime, for racist groups and symbols to be banned and for public schools to adopt zero-tolerance policies for hate, anti-Semitism and racism.” Paula Banerji, a Manitoba Hindu,…
SourceNEW YORK, NEW YORK, April 4, 2005: For two months in 2005 (April and May), Celebrating India will be travelling nationwide to showcase Indian artists with emphasis on Indian dance. The performers had their debut in the first week of April at Symphony Space. The news release explains, “There was a production called Masters of Kathakali followed on by Priyadarsini…
SourceDEWAS, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA, April 11, 2005: The toll in the drowning tragedy at Dharaji, near Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, mounted to 52 on Monday. The toll, which earlier stood at 37, has risen to 52 with the recovery of more bodies during search operations, Chief Minister Babulal Gaur, who visited the site this morning, said. “The incident is unfortunate.…
SourceRICHMOND HILL, UNITED STATES, April 11, 2005: Phagwah is the Indo-Caribbean celebration of spring known as Holi in India. Local celebrations vary, and always color plays a big role. Indians who went to the Caribbean as indentured laborers in the 19th and early 20th century brought the holiday to Guyana, Surinam and Trinidad. Since 1970 many Guyanese emigrated to the…
SourceDEHRA DUN, INDIA, April 8, 2005: The Char Dham Teerth Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has threatened to not allow reopening of the doors of the Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines if the Government does not drop the move to bring about an Act to regulate the management of the shrines and temples in Uttaranchal. Describing the move as an attempt…
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, April 9, 2005: Residents today celebrated the Hindu New Year in a traditional colorful manner and welcomed the year Shalivahan Shaka 1927 by erecting decorated gudis. The day is commonly known as Gudi Padwa and households across the state witnessed hectic activities with family members getting ready after bath to erect the traditional gudi – long bamboo stick…