SourceJAKARTA, INDONESIA, November 18, 2004: Crowds are flocking to a Hindu temple on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for a glimpse of an ancient banyan tree which has begun oozing a honey-like substance said to have mystical properties. The sweet-tasting liquid started drizzling from the canopy of the tree onto temple buildings at the village of Baktisegara on the northern…
SourceUSA, November 21, 2004: This latest essay by Rajiv Malhotra explores the validity of the oft-repeated claim that “Hinduism is the same as other religions.” From his earlier writings (Problematizing God’s Interventions in History: here), Malhotra had classified religious movements as History-Centric and non History-Centric. According to Malhotra: “The former are contingent on canonical beliefs of their sacred history. Non…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, November 21, 2004: Hinduism Today is looking for scriptural quotations from Vaishnavism that declare that Vishnu is not only the Preserver, but, as the Supreme Godhead, also performs the functions of creation and destruction. We would like similar quotations for Shakti, for Brahma and for Siva. These scriptural citations will be useful in the on-going effort to dismantle…
SourceNEW YORK, U.S.A., November 16 2004: Animal-rights activists have launched a novel campaign arguing that fish are intelligent, sensitive animals no more deserving of being eaten than a pet dog or cat. Called the Fish Empathy Project the campaign reflects a strategy shift by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as it challenges a diet component widely viewed…
SourceKANCHEEPURAM, INDIA, November 19, 2004: A local court on Friday remanded Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati to three-day police custody for interrogation in a murder case. Passing orders on a police petition, First Class Judicial Magistrate G. Uttamaraja said the police custody would be from 12:05 pm Friday to 10:30 am on November 22. The Shankaracharya was arrested on November 11…
SourceRANCHI, INDIA, November 20, 2004: The BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK stands cut off following the way the Jayalalitha government in Tamil Nadu handled the arresting process of Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, party’s general secretary Rajnath Singh said here today. “The whole process (of the Tamil Nadu government) with regard to the Sankaracharya issue is unbecoming. So there is no more…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, November 20, 2004: The Madras High Court dismissed the bail application filed by the Kanchi seer, Jayendra Saraswathi, who was taken into custody on Novemeber 11 in connection with the murder of a Kancheepuram temple official on September 3 last. Giving his order on the bail application on Saturday evening, Justice R Balasubramaniam said “I am dismissing the…
HPIGUADELOUPE, FRANCE, November 20, 2004: Reunion Island is an overseas “department” of France. Its 745,000 residents are full citizens of France, and a significant number of them are of Hindu origin. Following their migration to Reunion in the 19th century, most, under strong pressure, became Roman Catholics. They have in recent decades been inspired toward a return to their Hindus…
SourceKANCHIPURAM, INDIA, November 17, 2004: There are now fears that the allegations against the Shankaracharya could become an excuse to threaten the financial autonomy of the Kanchi math. Observers point out that the pitch for control of the math’s huge assets has been raised in recent weeks. Residents of the math are trying to get back as much as possible…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, November 17, 2004: The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, ruled out taking over the administration of the Kanchi Sankara Mutt. “We do not have any sort of such thinking. The government has high regards for the 2,500-year-old mutt. The mutt should continue its tradition of preserving the Hindu religion,” she told, the state assembly in an obvious reference…