East Indians from Gujarat are Well-Established in the Hotel Industry
SourceDALLAS, TEXAS, April 30, 2004: In the 1960’s and 1970’s, an individual from outside the U.S.A could immigrate to America if they were able to invest $10,000 to run a business. It was during this time that the Gujarati community from India established itself in the hotel industry. From humble beginnings, as the hotels purchased initially were often in run-down…
Meditation Techniques Taught on Air Sahara Flights
SourceBANGALORE, INDIA, May 10, 2004: Air Sahara may be the first airlines to incorporate meditation sessions on flights in the Bombay-Delhi sector. Right after takeoff, passengers may learn the Art of Living techniques which calm the mind, promote relaxation and bring stress under control. Prashanth Nair of the Art of Living Foundation says, “Passengers are reacting to it positively. It…
An Expedition to Raise Awareness of Pollution on the River Yamuna
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, May 23, 2004: Twenty-four students from Shri Ram School began a fifteen-day mission recently to figure out how to save the Yamuna River from pollution. These 12-year-olds are part of a project initiated by We for Yamuna and Development Alliance. The group will stop at thirteen destinations on the River Yamuna so that water purification tests can…
Commentator Tavleen Singh Speaks Out Against “Hindu” Being Used As a Term of Abuse
SourceINDIA, June 14, 2004: Tavleen Singh writes in the Indian Express: One of our new “secular” ministers talks of making the Sindhu Darshan festival less communal. The new HRD Minister, the venerable Arjun Singh, constantly talks of detoxifying textbooks. Excuse me? My inner voice has been giving me a hard time again. In this new dawn of shining secularism, when…
Hinduism’s Appeal To Texan
SourceBIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, June 06, 2004: The first question most people ask the tall, blond, blue-eyed Hindu Swami Akhilananda from Texas is how he got to be a Hindu swami, as most seem to be from India. During a recent visit to the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Birmingham, Alabama, he wore sandals, beads, a saffron robe and a “tilak,”…
Sri Lanka Parliament Considers Anti-Conversion Bill
SourceCANADA, June 9, 2004: The Voice of the Martyrs, a Canada-based evangelical Christian organization issued the following news statement today: Within the next two weeks, it is expected that an anti-conversion bill will be presented to the Sri Lankan parliament by members of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) in an apparent attempt to stem the growth of Christianity, particularly among…
Palani Hills Temple Removes Replacement Deity
TVS HariPALANI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA, June 9, 2004: The famous hill temple of Palani is in the news again, this time for correct reasons. Some time ago, when the priests in the temple observed that the navapashana icon (that is, made of nine compounds) in the sanctum sanctorum was being eroded due to excessive abhisheka (pouring of items like milk,…
Hindus Bless New Temple Ground
Chicago Daily HeraldGRAYSLAKE, LAKE COUNTY, USA, June 02, 2004: Hundreds recently blessed the ground on which the Hindu Mandir – Lake County’s first temple – will be constructed. Sheltered from the rain by a white tent, traditional prayers were held before a fire and an icon of Ganesh, the Hindu God of beginnings. “It’s very important, before we start any…
Singapore Hindu Temple Loses Land Claim
Channel NewsAsiaSINGAPORE, June 7, 2004: Thirteen Hindu deities at an unregistered Hindu temple will have to find a new home after the High Court threw out its caretaker’s claim that the land on which it is situated belongs to him. Sri Marathadi Muneeswarar Temple, which has devotees here and from Malaysia, has stood on the state-owned site for 48 years.…