SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, July 16, 2004: A leading footwear company of London, which displayed the sacred Om symbol on its sandals, has apologized to Hindus and withdrawn the sale of the product after the community members protested against the “insensitive” depiction. “I take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of Lacey’s Footwear for any offence or hurt the design on the…
ReutersKATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 23, 2004: Now a “sweating” icon of Bhima, the second Pandava, is troubling Nepal amid a bloody revolution launched in the name of the great Communist icon, Mao Zedong. The stone image began dropping ” beads of sweat” on Tuesday at the renowned Bhimeshwar temple in the eastern town of Dolakha that earlier served as a trade…
SourceJOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, July 12, 2004: South African children got a glimpse of Hindu rituals and the rationale behind them at a temple here in an event aimed at fostering cross-cultural understanding. Children of devotees at the Swaminarayan Temple joined many others, including some invited from homes in Gauteng, to share the diversity and depth of culture in South Africa.…
SourceJuly 11, 2004: An HPI reader sent us this article, but we have neither the author nor the original URL, except that it appeared on the Newindpress.com website. Some educated Indians think that science is at loggerheads with religion, relegating science to the laboratory and denigrating religion to the level of superstition. The attempt to propagate this ideology has far-reaching…
SourceSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, July 15, 2004: Bail was increased from $100,000 to $500,000 today for a man accused of stealing $2 million in jewelry and thousands of dollars from a temple, and now under investigation for theft of an assault weapon. James Gilbert Richards, 27, is charged with 49 counts, including burglary, possession of forged checks, possession of false identification…
SourceJAMMU, INDIA, July 14, 2004: The official Amarnath yatra began today and keeping in mind the immense security problems, the administration has deployed around 6,400 security personnel. Special commandos from the CRPF have also been deployed at the base camp in Jammu for the first time in view of definite intelligence reports that Muslim militants may try to target it.…
Religion News ServiceOTTAWA, CANADA, July 14, 2004: HPI found this interesting as it paralleled the recent situation at a Florida housing development over restrictions on the flying of Hindu flags, jandhis, as an observance of the Guyanese and Trinidadian Hindu residents. There are also significant communities of Carribean Hindus in Canada who might benefit from this ruling: Freedom of religion…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA July 10, 2004: People worldwide are turning to the intensive Art of Living course on lowering stress and finding renewed vigor and clarity through age-old Hindu breathing techniques. More than 2 million people, from students at the Art of Living ashram in southern India to the techies of Silicon Valley, CEO’s of Manhattan and prisoners in New…
Financial Times, by Edward LuceDELHI, INDIA, July 10, 2004: It is a sweltering summer’s day in New Delhi and Swami Agnivesh is talking about Hindu philosophy. The Swamiji – an honorific given to all respected Hindu religious figures – is explaining the importance of “detachment,” the goal of freeing oneself both from the consequences of one’s actions and from ties…
Mahant Ram PuriUJJAIN, INDIA, July 11, 2004: Paramanand Puriji Mahara assumed the ancient seat of the Pir of Dattatreya Akhara as head of one of the major monastic orders of India yesterday in Ujjain. Mahant Ram Puri, who witnessed the event, reports: “The abhishek (water blessing) yesterday was the stuff of legends. I sat with the eight brahmins and three…