Paras RamoutarTRINIDAD, September 12, 2004: Ram Leela reflects the human condition in man’s journey to divinity, according to prominent Trinidad Hindu thinker, Ravji. The Indian-trained thinker and Hindu activist noted that Ram Leela is a ritual which attempts to stitch together the metaphor of our journey from animality to humanity and then on to divinity. “Ram Leela is an on-going…
SourceHOUSTON, TEXAS, September 10, 2004: Jayanthi Raman, whose touring Indian temple dance Gajamukha visits Houston Saturday, has created nine full-length ballets, won a slew of awards and gained a reputation as one of the nation’s premier classical Indian dancers. Gajamukha draws on stories about the Hindu deity Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed “remover of obstacles” who is worshipped at the beginning…
SourcePANCHWAD, INDIA, September 12, 2004: Indian police used a baton charge to drive back hundreds of slogan-shouting Hindu hardliners trying to make their way to a controversial 17th century Muslim general’s tomb they have threatened to demolish. Police said they charged a crowd of about 500 people throwing stones at them and passing vehicles in Panchwad village near the heavily…
SourcePALANI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA, September 12, 2004: Palani temple, the second richest after Tirupati, is all set to have a ropeway to the hilltop shrine. The new rope car system is being installed at an estimated cost of US$1.1 million. Palani, is one of the most popular temples in Tamil Nadu dedicated to Lord Muruga, the supreme commander of the…
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, September 10, 2004: The VHP announced plans to tear down the controversial tomb of a 17th century Muslim general on Sunday, according to this report from Reuters. The report goes on to say that thousands of police have been deployed around the tomb near Mahabaleshwar, a hill resort about 250 km from Mumbai, to prevent communal violence as…
SourceCOLOMBO, SRI LANKA, September 11, 2004: The writer, director and star of the U.S. movie “Hollywood Buddha” has apologized for offending Buddhists by sitting on the head of a Buddha image for a poster advertising the movie and has promised to withdraw it. A Thai foreign ministry official told reporters film director and writer Philippe Caland had promised the Thai…
International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship –†Yoga in Daily Life International/PPJOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, September 11, 2004: His Holiness, Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda and his group of international disciples were warmly welcomed by devoted South African bhaktas on their arrival into Johannesburg, on September 8. Swamiji’s inaugural public lecture to the citizens of Johannesburg was introduced by the Consul General…
SourceDELHI, INDIA, September 9, 2004: Under attack over its methodology that reflected in “high growth” figures of Muslim population, the Census Commission today excluded the data of Jammu and Kashmir and Assam in the 2001 Census figures to show that the Muslim growth rate has actually declined over 1991 figures. In a damage-control exercise after Monday’s publication of the Census…
SourceDELHI, INDIA, September 10, 2004: Ridiculing the revised Census figures that show a decline in Muslim growth rate over 1991, the VHP on Friday demanded prosecution of the minister concerned “at whose behest the data reflecting high growth rate of Muslims was changed overnight.” It also threatened to take the issue to court. “Change in the figures because of exclusion…
SourceDELHI, INDIA, September 10, 2004: High growth in the population of Christians in North-Eastern region is another alarming feature of India’s compartmentalized demographic character. The Christians form a big chunk of the population in some of these states. The growth rate in this part is also considered significant. The community forms 2.3 percent of India’s population. According to the Census…