Religion News ServiceApril 20, 2004: Religious differences fuel many of the world’s violent conflicts, detractors and supporters of organized faith often lament in unison, says this article. Author Jonathan Kirsch narrows this charge. He blames the leading monotheistic religions–Judaism, Christianity and Islam–for much of history’s bloodshed. The reason, he maintains, is their brand of monotheism with its traditional claim to…
SourceUJJAIN, INDIA, April 19, 2004: Starting from midnight, some 3.5 million devotees took their holy dip at the Kshipra river on the banks of Mahakaleshwar temple here today on the occasion of the Amavaysa in the ongoing Simhastha Mahakumbh mela. The crowds have arrived here in trains and buses, landing at the satellite towns some four-five kilometers away from the…
HPIUJJAIN, INDIA, April 21, 2004: Hinduism Today correspondent Rajiv Malik and photographer Thomas Kelly reported by phone from the Kumbha Mela grounds yesterday to the Hinduism Today office in Kauai, Hawaii. Rajiv said the 3.5 million devotees for the bath on the 19th was by far the largest crowd ever in Ujjain. “There were so many people,” he said, “the…
SourceCAMBODIA, April 21, 2004: Swiss architects and students are braving the heat and dust to help restore an ancient Khmer temple in the heart of Cambodia. The aim of the project is to preserve the crumbling Banteay Srei temple, which is part of a Unesco World Heritage site. “It all started by accident when the former cabinet minister, Jean-Pascal Delamuraz,…
SourceSCOTLAND, April 21, 2004: June 23 to 25 will be His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s first visit to Scotland. His engagements will include: Time for Reflection at the Scottish Parliament, meeting with the NHS Executives and Staff, education events with children and teachers from schools across Edinburgh and Glasgow, address to students and staff at the University of Edinburgh,…
Worcester Telegram & GazetteMASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., April 8, 2004: When John H. Stubbs, vice-president for field programs at the World Monuments Fund, first visited the historic City of Angkor in Cambodia in 1992, he describes his reaction to the beauty and grandeur of Angkor as speechless. Little did he know that the World Monument Fund would be involved at the historic…
Desert Morning NewsUTAH, U.S.A., April 10, 2004: Utah’s Hindu Community welcomed spring with a 15-day celebration of Gudipadwa which the article describes as a common Hindu festival that celebrates new life and new beginnings. Hindu New Year also falls during the festival. Shyamala Chivukula, chairwoman of the religious committee for the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple in South Jordon, explains, “Even…
SourceKWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, April 18, 2004) A dance group from KwaZulu-Natal has been invited to perform at the presidential inauguration on April 27. The Surialanga Dance Company left for Pretoria today to begin rehearsals for the prestigious event. Suria Govender, professor of languages at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and director of the company, said it was wonderful to be asked…
Indo-Asian News ServiceMARLBORO, SOUTH AFRICA, April 15, 2004: More than 8,000 people attended the recital of Hanuman Chalisa, a 40-verse salutation to the Lord Hanuman, organized by a Hindu youth organization in South Africa. The Shri 108 Hanuman Chalisa recital was hosted by the Sandton Yuvak Mandal in Marlboro. Initiated by Hindu Youth South Africa (HYSA), a group aimed at…
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, April 17, 2004: Author James Laine yesterday submitted a fresh apology to the Bombay High Court, in what appears to signal the end of the controversy over his book Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India. The state government informed the court that it would consider withdrawing the first information report (FIR, a police charge) against the publishers, Oxford…