Subject: Hindu Minister Certified as Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counsellor

SourceTORONTO, CANADA, March 28, 2004: The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) at its Fourteenth Plenary Meeting on March 18-20, 2004 held at Virginia Beach, Virginia, conferred the Certificate of Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor to Pandit Suraj Persad. He is the first Hindu person to receive certification from CPSP since its inception in 1990. Pandit Suraj Persad is…

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South India has highest suicide rate in world

SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, April 1, 2004: Family conflicts, domestic violence, failed romances and mental illness have pushed the suicide rate of young people in southern India to the highest in the world, researchers said on Friday. Suicide accounts for one-half to three-quarters of all deaths in young women and a quarter of deaths in young men in the region. “We have…

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US Congress Proposes $100 Million for Security at Houses of Worship

Religion News ServiceWASHINGTON, D.C., April 2, 2004: A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a US$100 million bill Thursday (April 1) that they say will help protect “soft targets” such as churches and synagogues from terrorist attacks. The High-Risk Non-Profit Security Enhancement Act would open $50 million in government grants to allow hospitals, theaters and houses of worship to beef up…

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Countdown Begins For Kumbh Mela In Ujjain

SourceUJJAIN, INDIA, March 28, 2004: The countdown for the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, has begun in the holy city of Ujjain. The festival will be held from April 5 till May 5. It is estimated that about 30 million people will attend the event. The mela is held every 12 years, in Ujjain, Allahabad, Hardwar and Nasik in rotation.

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Mumbai Hotel Decorated in Celebration to Lord Siva

SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, MARCH 27, 2004: A number of artists and scientists have helped to design the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai, India, as a celebration to Lord Siva. The hotel interior showcases over 100 commissioned artworks of various artists. The hotel’s lobbies, gardens and restaurants are around themes like the Sadashiva icon, deconstructed and seen as fragments of a puzzle…

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Buddhist Monks Win a Grammy

SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, March 29, 2004: It’s still a mystery how a CD of sacred Tibetan hymns, not widely circulated, muscled its way onto the Grammy jury panel. But creativity is known to break barriers. Monks of the Sherab Ling monastery, some 60 km from Dharamsala, achieved a first, winning the Grammy for the best traditional world music album. This…

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Wall Street Journal Upbeat on India

SourceNEW YORK, NEW YORK, June 9, 2003: This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal last year, but was only brought to HPI’s attention recently. It is by Bruce Gilley and called “Asia’s Quiet Miracle. It is given here in its entirety. As it nears the end of its fifth year in office as the head of a coalition government,…

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Sri Ganapati Sachchidanada Swami Visits Trinidad

SourceTRINIDAD, March 31, 2004: Thousands are expected to attend a three-day Ramayan Yagna this weekend at which renowned swami, Parama Puja Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidanda Swamiji, will deliver discourses on the first 100 stanzas of Sage Valmiki’s Ramayan. The event and is being hosted by quarry magnate Sieunarine Persad Coosal, at his Acono Road, St Joseph, residence. The Swami, who…

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Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj Going on Tour

SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, March 28, 2004: Charlie and Carol Hopkins write, “As devotees around the world remember and honor the Divine Guru, Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj, on the tenth anniversary of His Mahasamadhi, it is our joy to announce the first visit to North America of Swamiji’s spiritual son, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi. Baba will be coming to the US as part…

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