SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, July 3, 2004: The sleepy suburb of Pallavaram, especially around Periamalai area, today woke up to tension and tumult as a temple murthi (icon) was found smashed to smithereens by unidentified miscreants. A trident and a previously mutilated peacock statue in the temple were also found broken. This morning the authorities of the local Balamurugan temple found the…
SourceFLORIDA, USA, July 7, 2004: Florida International University, the State University in Miami, Florida and Hindu University of America, located in Orlando, Florida will begin offering on-line Sanskrit courses this fall. The four-course sequence is fully accredited by FIU and is available to students worldwide. The classes begin August 30. The courses have been developed by Dr. B. V. Venkata…
SourceDEHRA DUN, July 6, 2004: At least 17 persons were killed and 28 injured when three vehicles were swept into Alaknanda river by heavy landslides triggered by a cloudburst that left nearly 5,000 pilgrims stranded near Badrinath shrine area in Uttaranchal’s Chamoli district, police sources said here. According to second report in The Hindu, the pilgrimage was today suspended for…
SourceAHMEDABAD, INDIA, July 5, 2004: The threat perception to Amarnath Yatra put forward by the Jammu and Kashmir Government was no deterrent for hundreds of Gujaratis who queued up for hours for registration for the pilgrimage at the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Ahmedabad on Monday. Though the registration was to begin at 3 pm, at least 1,000 persons were…
SourceSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, July 6, 2004: The Sydney Murugan Youth Circle announces that it is holding “Youth day ’04” on Sunday, July 25, from 9 am to 4pm at the Tamil Educational and Cultural Hall, Sydney Murugan Temple, 21 Great Western Hwy, NSW, 2145. The theme is “Absolute Happiness — the Hindu Way” and features guest speaker, workshops, music concert, drama,…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, July 6, 2004: The world’s best known chronicle of the English language, the Oxford dictionary, now has a stunning new range of Indian words, including the politically charged Hindutva, the colloquial chamcha and the pejorative badmash. Many new words of Indian origin ranging from the mundane to the sublime figure in the 11th edition of the Concise Oxford…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, July 2, 2004: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Minister, P.C. Ramasamy, today said kumbhabishekams for 16 temples would be performed as per a revised schedule, after completing the renovation work. Denying reports that kumbhabishekams for 83 temples had been postponed, he said in a statement here that fresh dates had been announced, giving adequate…
SourceBANGALORE, INDIA, July 04, 2004: Amid a haze of sandalwood incense, K.N. Somayaji fields yet another call from his bank of telephones, this one from the Indian subsidiary of a U.S. auto-parts manufacturer. It sounds like just another business conversation, but Somayaji, a balding, round-faced man with three stripes of sacred ash smeared on his forehead, is neither banker nor…
Source DHARMASALA, INDIA, July, 5, 2004: A spokesman for the Dalai Lama has applauded news that the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast-food chain has abandoned plans to open outlets in Tibet. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader had publicly urged the company not to go ahead with the plans. He said the mass slaughter of chickens violated Tibet’s traditional values. KFC’s parent…
SourceSEREMBAN, MALAYSIA, June 29, 2004: More than 2,000 pairs of footwear were left at the Sri Bala Thandayuphati Temple in Jalan Yam Tuan here by devotees who attended a consecration ceremony at the 109-year-old shrine on Sunday. Temple president R. Thangaratnam said the devotees were unable to retrieve their shoes and slippers because of the huge crowd. “Initially we only…