SourceKATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 24, 2004: The temple of Lord Pashupatinath here, one of the holiest Hindu shrines, is also a haven for the dying. If you die there, according to popular Hindu belief, you are freed from the cycle of rebirth and pain. The Pashupati Arya Ghat Sewa Kendra is a three-storey building housing the very old and the terminally…
SourceSIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, June 8, 2004: Up until recently archaeologists were focused on studying the carvings on the stone walls of Angkor City’s temples that depict Hindu mythologies. The articles elaborates, “Angkor City, the capital of several Hindu kings who ruled over large swaths of Southeast Asia, flourished from the 9th to the 14th centuries, leaving a legacy of architectural…
SourceVALPARAISO, ILLINOIS, June 21, 2004: On a winter day in 1894, a train dropped off a lone Hindu monk in Valparaiso, not far from Chicago. It was Swami Vivekananda and he gave a talk to the largest audience ever at the Memorial Opera House. Local physician Arjun Gupta hopes to celebrate Swami’s talk at the opera house, 104 Indiana Avenue,…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, June 22, 2004: This rather cynical report from the BBC starts off, “Outsourcing gets religion in India. A Hindu puja: Now just a click away. Is nothing sacred? The hard-nosed commercialism that has spawned a boom in international business outsourcing is catching on in the religious world. In the West, there is a growing shortage of holy men…
SourceBHUBANESWAR, INDIA, June 19, 2004: For the second consecutive year, there were no elephants at the famous car festival of Lord Jagannath held June 19. As per tradition, an elephant is used to lead the procession of the Puri king, when he comes for ‘chherapanhara’ (the ritual sweeping of the chariot floor) on the ‘Ratha Yatra’ day. Getting an elephant…
SourceBHUBANESWAR, INDIA, June 19, 2004: Dasi Nayak is the King of Koraput, though for only one day in a year. He is a tribal chief of Rangabali Kumbha village near Koraput. He will be performing the ritualistic sweeping of the chariot of the three deities this year. Tribals have been given their due importance in the car festival at Koraput,…
The OrganizerKATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 27, 2004: While on one hand abject poverty and illiteracy have led the Maoists to strengthen their hold over Nepal, on the other, Christian missionaries are trying to convert innocent and poverty ridden Nepalese by offering them enticements of monetary assistance and other aid. According to the Himalayan Times, the strength of Christians is consistently increasing…
SourceJune 22, 2004: The Hindu festival of Guru Purnima falls on July 1 or 2 this year (depending on your location). This explanation of the festival is taken from “source” above: The day of full moon, Purnima, in the month of Ashadh is traditionally celebrated as Guru Purnima by Hindus. Also known as Vyas Purnima, the day is celebrated in…
SourceJAMMU, INDIA, June 22, 2004: Hindu groups are mounting a protest against the Jammu and Kashmir government for what they term its interference in the “religious affairs” of the community, including an annual pilgrimage to a Himalayan cave shrine. As the first mark of protest, a dozen youths got their heads tonsured here Tuesday after a gathering of several hundred…
SourceU.S.A. June 21, 2004: “While reading the book, Gandhi, the Man, I was profoundly influenced by the account of this principle-centered leader,” begins this article by Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. “In the book, Gandhi described what he found to be the secret of all success. He said, in effect, “It’s win-win to…