SourceDELHI, INDIA, April 9, 2005: With the start of Navaratri, the festival of nine nights, Hindu devotees thronged the temples today. This festival is celebrated twice in a year. Once in the bright two-week period of Shukla Paksha of the lunar month of Ashwani (Asuj in Kashmiri) – corresponding to September/October) from the 1st to the 9th date of the…
SourceSRINAGAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, April 10, 2005: In this new season of reunions and homecomings, Kashmir today took a significant step forward towards yet another reconciliation. For the first time, a group of Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims, including a senior separatist leader, gathered in an old Durga temple to celebrate Navratra (Hindu New Year) and talk about hopes, aspirations and…
SourceSRINAGAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR STATE, INDIA, April 10, 2005: Chief minister Mufti Sayeed on Saturday announced that the government is planning to sponsor a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits (KP) who have desired to visit their holiest temple at Sharda in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). “We will be doing it at the earliest,” he told KPs at Zeshta Devi temple on the…
SourceTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, April 8, 2005: The list of Malayalam television channels will grow to seven with the launch of Amrita Television on April 14. The channel, which would also be available to viewers in India, Middle East, North America, Australia and Japan, is promoted by Amrita Enterprises. The total cost of the channel amounting to US$5.4 million will reportedly be…
SourceDEVANAMPATTINAM, SOUTH INDIA, April 5, 2005: Project Hope — the name of the tsunami relief organization formed by Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (President of Parmarth Niketan Rishikesh and Chairman of India Heritage Research Foundation) and the famous actor Vivek Oberoi — has been working continuously for tsunami relief in South India. Please see “source” for details of work. There have…
SourceMIDNAPORE, INDIA, March 27, 2005: About thirty-four terracotta temples of the 18th century at Pathra in Midnapore district of West Bengal have an unlikely saviour–a Muslim clerk who fought against communal tension, apathy and negligence to ensure that they survive for posterity, says this article. For Yasin Pathan, the temples have been a point of attraction since childhood days. His…
SourceRAMALLAH, WEST BANK, April 6, 2005: Actor Ben Kingsley and U.S. philanthropists unveiled an Arabic version of the film “Gandhi” on Wednesday, hoping to bring the legendary Indian revolutionary’s message of nonviolent resistance to Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps. The release of the 1982 Academy Award winning film, dubbed into Arabic, comes at a key moment in the Mideast…
SourceKATHMANDU, NEPAL, April 4, 2005: A 17th-century icon of the Hindu God Vishnu has been stolen from Nepal’s world famous Pashupatinath temple, Xinhua reports. The two-and-a-half-foot tall Shankar Narayan icon was stolen Sunday night from the heavily guarded temple located in the city. Pashupatinath temple is one of the seven Unesco World Heritage Sites. Even though a police beat is…
SourceJOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA, April 4, 2005: About 800 Hindu devotees have appealed to the Johor Government to relocate the Sri Maha Mariamman temple which is located at the Shansi estate in Skudai. The 60-year-old temple was built by their ancestors, who worked at the rubber estate. Temple chairman Y. Sasinaran said the estate had since been sold to a property…
SourceDETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA, March 27, 2005: A proposal for a National Day of Prayer is causing considerable soul searching in Troy (a nearby city). At issue is whether the prayer day, set nationally for May 5, will be celebrated on city property, at City Hall, and, more importantly, if the event will include all religions or be limited to Christians.…