SourceUNITED KINGDOM, February 25, 2005: Mr. Sudarshan Bhatia in a BBC Asian Network interview on Thursday told the listeners about the shortage of qualified priests to carry out order of worship in the Hindu Temples throughout the UK. He said, “This situation has emerged due to implementing a new legislation making proficiency in English compulsory for Entry Clearance for the…
Rajiv Malik, HPI CorrespondentDELHI, INDIA, February 26, 2005: From February 23 to 25, up to one million people participated in “Bhagwati Jagran,” an all-night singing of devotional songs to the Goddess. The stage alone was 875 feet long and 200 feet deep in the middle. The event was very popular with residents. A large number of well known, internationally acclaimed…
SourceUSA, February 26, 2005: “Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst, Where there a’n’t no Ten Commandments an’ a man can raise a thirst;” written by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) in “Mandalay.” A federal judge quoted Kipling’s verse in his 2002 decision supporting a 41-year-old monument of the Ten Commandments near the Texas capitol. The…
SourceKOTA, INDIA, February 25, 2005: In Rajasthan, Kota continued to remain tense a day after Bajrang Dal workers attacked a Bible graduation ceremony at the Emmanuel Mission. They have alleged that forced religious conversions were taking place at the mission. The protests turned violent after the police stopped the workers from attacking the gathering. For now, the mission has been…
SourceBERKSHIRE, UK, February 26, 2005: The World Council of the Elders is a non-political, non-religious, non-profit, socio-culture forum, which intends to provide a platform for the elders of the ancient traditions and cultures of the world. There are over 750 members of the World Council representing more than 75 different cultures of the world from over 60 different countries. A…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, February 28, 2005: An Italian Parliamentary delegation today discussed possible areas of cooperation in traditional systems of medicine with the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Ramadoss. Initiating the discussion, Dr. Ramadoss gave an overview of steps being taken by his Ministry to integrate traditional and modern systems of medicine. Referring to the expansive infrastructure available…
SourceHOLLAND, February 25, 2005: Hans Meijer, president of Ned.Opl.Hindoe Geestelijke (Dutch Hindu Cleric Academy) writes, “Herewith we want to inform you about the present situation of the foundation of the World Hindu Minister Academy (WHMA). In reaction to our article(s) in HPI we received five requests for establishing a local academy (3 from India, 1 from Malaysia and 1 from…
SourceWASHINGTON, D.C., February 25, 2005: On March 2, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments regarding two cases that address the issue of whether displays of the Ten Commandments on government property are an unconstitutional endorsement of a particular religion. Suhag Shukla, Esq., Legal Counsel of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), will be present at the…
SourceRAJKOT, INDIA, February 23, 2005: In the wake of a scandal, trustees of the Radharaman Swaminarayan temple in Junagadh (Vadtal sect) now want to keep the sadhus on the straight and narrow. The new code of conduct announced on Monday bars contact and conversation with women, ownership of private property and all luxury items, including a television. At a meeting…
SourceTIRUPATI, INDIA, February 20, 2005: The TTD Trust Board, which overseas the popular Balaji Temple here, today approved around US$155 million budget for fiscal 2005-2006, which is around $6 million more than its 2004-2005 budget. Of the total income, the hundi collections alone account for $64 million, while the sale of laddus (a famed blessed sweet) is expected to fetch…