SourceNEW YORK, U.S.A., October 24, 2004: East Indians immigrating to the U.S. usually bring Hindu caste traditions in some form to America, the land that the article says prides itself on its standard of egalitarianism. The article points out that the economic and religious foundation of the caste system dates back thousands of years to the origin of Hinduism. It…
SourceVRINDAVAN, INDIA, October 17, 2004: For three days in October a large gathering of Indian women met in Vrindavan to discuss the challenges facing women in India. Foremost on the agenda was female foeticide. Sadhi Ritambhara, also known as Didi Maa, delivered the following message in her speech, “The growing incidents of female foeticide are bound to create a great…
SourceAUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, November 1, 2004: Thousands of people from many cultures helped Auckland’s Indian community celebrate Deepavali yesterday in the Town Hall and outside on Queen St. A constant stream of people moved from the Town Hall, where music, dance, art and a fashion show provided most of the entertainment, to Queen St where a stage was set up…
SourceMALAYSIA, October 24, 2004: Deepavali, the Festival of Light, brings joy, happiness and prosperity to every Hindu home. It is on this auspicious day–on November 11 this year–that the Goddess of wealth, Devi Mahalakshmi, is said to visit people’s homes. To show respect to the Goddess, it is important that the home be prepared properly, says Star columnist T. Selva.…
SourceKOLKATA, INDIA, September 20, 2004: It is not only the Durga icon or the pandals that fetched prizes this year during the Durga Puja festival – thanks to Finolex Cables. The company announced its Finolex Alok Suraksha Samman Awards to reward excellence in creative lighting and safety measures in the electrical arrangements in the pandals — and get some good…
SourceROANOKE, VIRGINIA, October 31, 2004: For telephone company CEO Norm Mason, a vegan and lifelong animal lover, there was never any doubt what he’d offer at his company cafeteria. Soy steaks and soy sloppy joes, veggie burgers, nachos and other meatless, eggless, butter-free delicacies are cooked daily using heavy bags of texturized vegetable protein. And it’s all free. Mason says…
SourceKERALA, INDIA, October 27, 2004: One of the world’s largest palm-leaf manuscript collections in Kerala is going digital. In a process expected to last more than five years, experts have begun digitizing the collection of over ten million palm leaves with centuries-old writing in the state archives department. The manuscripts on palmyra palm leaves are a rich source of history…
Religion News ServiceUSA, November 1, 2004: Internal Revenue Service IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said Friday (Oct. 29) that the agency is investigating more than 60 cases of nonprofit groups possibly engaged in illegal partisan activity. About one-third of the cases involve churches. Everson said the agency reviewed about 100 cases and found 60 that “merited examination.” Federal law prohibits the…
HPIKAUAI, HAWAII, November 1, 2004: Our thanks to Tom Parks for pointing out that the birthplace of President George W. Bush is New Haven, Connecticut, not Austin, Texas, as stated in yesterday’s HPI on astrological predictions for the US presidential elections.
SourceIDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, USA, November 1, 2004: (HPI Note: Occasionally a news item catches our attention because it reports a potentially remarkable scientific advancement.) Scientists at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory say they have developed the first system to convert dirty diesel fuel into a quiet, self-contained and efficient energy source. The system is the product of six…