Gandhi’s Legacy in South Africa Fades

SourceDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, September 20 2004: Mahatma Gandhi continues to evoke reverence in South Africa, but his legacy is in danger of fading with some not seeing him as a hero and some simply unaware of his role. Key landmarks in Pietermaritzburg, Durban and Johannesburg have become pilgrimages for every visiting Indian dignitary, but Gandhi’s memory weakens each generation of…

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India’s New Medical Tourism

SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, October 21, 2004: Three months ago, Howard Staab leaned that he suffered from a life-threatening heart condition and would have to undergo surgery at a cost of up to US$200,000–an impossible sum for the 53-year-old carpenter from Durham, N.C., who has no health insurance. So he outsourced the job to India, begins this article. Staab last month…

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How Spiritual Are You? Take This Test

SourceUNITED STATES, October 20, 2004: Are you fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be scientifically explained? Do you seem to have a “sixth sense” that sometimes allows you to know what is going to happen? Do you sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism? To find out how…

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Hindu Dharamshala Razed in Pakistan

The Pakistan NewswireHYDERABAD, PAKISTAN, October 15, 2004: The 98-year old historic building Hindu Dharamshala on station road Hyderabad, one of remaining 63 buildings declared historic by government, was being dismantled by a builder to build a plaza in its place. This was one more example how the builder mafia was eroding the historical places of city. There were in all…

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Advice Sought on Hindu View of Use of Cadavers in Medical Training

HPIKAUAI, HAWAII, October 22, 2004: Pandit Suraj Persad, Hindu chaplain at the University of Toronto, asks for responses on this question which has come up with regard to the training of medical students. In the use of cadavers, he asks, “Should any ritual, prayers, purificatory service or observances be done for Hindu students by a qualified Hindu Minister prior to…

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Hinduism In Hawaii

SourceHONOLULU, HAWAII, October 10, 2004: Hinduism’s presence in Oahu’s faith community is not easy to find. On an island where Buddhist temples are often found on thoroughfares and interspersed with Catholic and Protestant churches, and where Shinto shrines and Taoist temples are often set along the main drags, you have to go to the Neighbor Islands to see a Hindu…

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Packaging Durga Puja’s Grandeur For Foreign Tourists

SourceKOLKATA, INDIA, October 12, 2004: After its resounding success last year, a group of Kolkatans have come together again to package the Durga Puja festival — the main festival of Bengalis the world over — as a major tourist attraction. Positioning Durga Puja — a five-day cultural fiesta revolving around the worship of Goddess Durga during her mythical sojourn on…

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Guru Arrival Celebrated At New Jersey Hindu Temple

Source NEW JERSEY, USA October 21, 2004: The Dwarkadhish Temple is in the midst of a weeklong 10th anniversary celebration at its Washington Road site. To this point the celebration has been a success, with no complaints from residents or officials. Events will culminate this weekend, as thousands are expected at the temple Saturday, and a procession through town will…

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India Celebrates Dussehra

Source DELHI, INDIA, October 22, 2004: A spirit of jollity pervaded the air as Dussehra, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, was celebrated with traditional fervor in most parts of the country today. Effigies of king Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhakaran blazed and crackled in fiery splendor at sundown marking the culmination of the ten-day festivities. In…

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