SourceTAMIL NADU, INDIA, June 17, 2004: Police in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu have a difficult situation on their hands: a 13-year-old boy who has become a swami, or Hindu holy man, and founded his own monastery without the permission of his parents. At the weekend, Bharanidharan, who has renounced all worldly goods, wears a rough robe made…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, June 19, 2004: A clever content management system from heritage experts, Oxford ArchDigital, has enabled the Bodleian Library to publish online the digitized version of a celebrated Sanskrit manuscript, the Shikshapatri, employing a range of multimedia tools to help people of all backgrounds to better understand its significance. The project was funded by the New Opportunities Fund under…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, May 9, 2004: The British government has recommended that the basics of Hinduism be taught in schools because it is one of the six major religions in the country. A report drawn up by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the government’s curriculum and examinations watchdog, says: “It is important that schools make every effort to ensure that…
SourceVISAKHAPATNAM, TAMIL NADU, June 15, 2004: The preliminary screening of candidates for recruitment to Junior Commissioned Officers (religious teachers) posts will be held at Chennai on September 6, followed by a written test on September 12. Candidates from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have to send their applications to the Head Quarters Recruiting Zone, Fort St. George, Chennai-9 on or…
SourceORISSA, INDIA, May 30, 2004: When black market ivory prices soar, the deadly fate of elephants in Orissa increases proportionately. Conservationists have indicated that the elephant population recorded as 1,841 elephants in 2002 is at risk of being wiped out. The article says, “Official records reveal that during the last 13 years, poachers in Orissa have killed at least 181…
SourceVADODARA, INDIA, June 11, 2004: Four sadhus (monks) and a disciple of the Vadtal Swaminarayan sect were sentenced to death by a Nadiad sessions court on Friday. The five were convicted for murdering Swami Gadadharanand, who was chairman of the Vadtal temple committee, and burning off his body to destroy the evidence a little over six years ago. Judge Sitaben…
SourceTIRUPATI, INDIA, June 15, 2004: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the second richest religious body in the world after the Vatican, is facing a problem of plenty. As much as 8,000 kg of studded ornaments, to be precise. The Devasthanam is not authorized to dispose of gold jewelry studded with stones, presented by the devotees of Lord Venkateshwara. Not that…
Tampa TribuneTHONOTOSASSA, FLORIDA, June 10, 2004: The stretch of Fowler Avenue between Interstate 75 and U.S. 301 will one day be home to an intricate marble temple attracting thousands of Hindu worshippers every weekend. The number of practicing Hindus in the Tampa Bay area has grown rapidly over the past decade. Tampa’s first Hindu temple opened on Palm Avenue in…
SourceORLANDO, FLORIDA, June 15, 2004: Professor Kuldip C. Gupta, president of the Hindu University of America, writes: “Namaste and Greetings from Hindu University of America! It is my pleasure to invite you to participate in the New Facility Dedication and the First Commencement ceremonies of Hindu University to be held on HU campus at 5:30pm on Saturday June 19, 2004.…
SourceSRI LANKA, May 23, 2004: It’s a small sign that life may eventually return to normal in this war-ravaged region. When Sri Lankan born Jey Surier left Sri Lanka in 1982, before the civil war started, to attend an electrical engineering school in North Dakota, he did not know that he would not return to his country until the year…