SourceFIJI, May 15, 2004: In an act of honor, Ratu Epeli, on behalf of the Great Council of Chiefs, publicly apologized for the events of racial tension in 1987 and 2000 against Indian residents. Ratu Epeli says, ” I am not claiming perfection and unfailing wisdom in the administration of the Great Council of Chiefs for the past 130 years…
SourceTRIPLICANE, INDIA, May 22, 2004: The Sri Parthasarathy Perumal Temple has been receiving a good dose of tender loving care. Situated near the Bay of Bengal coast, the 2,000-year-old temple, whose presiding deity Venkatakrishan was installed by Sage Athreya, has inscriptions from the 8th century. An air conditioner has been installed near the sanctum sanctorum and pillars have been given…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,”…
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…
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,…