SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, February 24, 2004: Kumudini Mayur notifies us from Mumbai that her brother, Dr. Rashmi Mayur, has passed away in Mumbai on February 10, 2004. There will be a memorial on March 23, 2004, near the UN in New York. She says that his friends and well-wishers are most welcome to attend. E-mail her at kamud@hotmail.com for details. An…
SourceDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, February 22, 2004: Thieves targeted a Hindu temple and national monument in Ladysmith three nights in a row. Religious icons, lamps, crockery and prayer carpets were stolen from the 100-year-old Hindu Thirukootam and Shree Ganasar Temple. “We have damage estimated at about US$1,500. We had icons and lamps that came from India. Some of the lamps are…
SourceCOLOMBO, SRI LANKA, February 16, 2004: Sri Lanka is an avowedly Buddhist country, and the majority population is Sinhala-Buddhist. But the Buddhist here are also ardent worshippers of Hindu Gods. When the need arises, they may even indulge in Hindu ritualistic practices, says this report in the Hindustan Times. In fact, the worship of Hindu Gods is intrinsic to the…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, February 23, 2004: Hinduism Today magazine is preparing a major feature story on the woman saints of Hinduism of the past (i.e., not currently living, that will be a separate story). We need complete our list of names of these outstanding religious women, as well as resource material and references on their life. Kindly e-mail “source” above.
SourceBHOPAL, INDIA, February 22, 2004: Authorities clamped an indefinite curfew on the temple town of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh after clashes between Hindus and Muslims, police said on Sunday. Officials said two people received injuries in the clashes late on Saturday night. Witnesses put the number at more than 50. Saturday’s clashes began after authorities demolished a row of shops…
SourceNAINITAL, INDIA, February 18, 2004: The government-organized pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash each year from India is open only to first-timers, according to this news report. Only 16 batches of 44 persons each are selected in a lottery system to go on the arduous pilgrimage which proceeds mostly on foot from India over a 19,500 foot pass into Tibet. To qualify,…
SourceBANGALORE, INDIA, February 1, 2004: As many as 618 Bangalore-based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) received over US$80 million in funds from foreign agencies during 2001-02, according to the Union Home Ministry’s latest annual Foreign Inward Remittance Report. Among the cities in India, Bangalore tops the list of recipients, followed by Chennai with over US$ 69 million and Mumbai with over US$…
News ReportsFebruary 21, 2004: Many reports were received regarding the celebration of Maha Sivaratri, “Siva’s Great Night,” on February 18/19. The all-night worship is the foremost celebration of Saivism and is celebrated on the night before the new moon in the lunar month of February-March. Fasting and an all-night vigil are observed as well as other disciplines: chanting, praying, meditating…
Utusan.comBOMBAY, INDIA, February 17, 2004: Queen of rock and roll Tina Turner has been signed for a mystic Hollywood movie by US-based Indian director Ismail Merchant. The 63-year-old pop diva and grandmother, who is a convert to Buddhism, has spent two weeks touring India to familiarize herself with Indian culture before filming the movie, “The Goddess,” which is about the…
SourceCHENNAI, INDIA, February 20, 2004: The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has lifted a ban on the sacrifice of animals and birds in Hindu temples. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, said the restrictions were being withdrawn following requests from across the state. Last year, her government decided to enforce strictly existing legislation against animal sacrifice despite opponents…