SourceJOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, January 2004: A replica of the famed Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh is being built in an Indian township in South Africa. The Transvaal Andhra Sabha saw a 27-year-old dream reach fruition when the foundation-laying ceremony of its temple took place in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg. Founded in 1976, the members of the small but dedicated community…
SourceSCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, January 10, 2004: The son of migrant workers who now helps the underserved and uninsured get services, and Hindu twins who created a program to teach tolerance, will be honored Monday, January 12, as Diversity Champions. The awards will be presented at the 10th annual Scottsdale Community Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner Celebration. Meghan and Manali Bhave,…
SourceJODHPUR, INDIA, January 3, 2004: The most famous Marwari horse was Chetak who saved the life of Maharana Pratap, one of the great military heros of Hinduism. It is counted among one of the many gifts from the Gods brought forth at the “churning of the ocean” — and was originally equipped with wings. But this courageous breed is now…
http:/www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/00102164560.htmDHAKA, BANGLADESH, January 2, 2004: Thirty people were injured, five of them seriously, when a group of armed attackers led by a local BNP leader allegedly set fire to 20 houses belonging to minority Hindus in Bangladesh on the first day of the New Year. The minority Hindu houses at Lalpur Village of the northern Natore district were set on…
SourceBERHAMPUR, ORISSA, January 6, 2004: The Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth, Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, has urged the Hindus to save at least one rupee (US two cents) every day and contribute it to a fund for development of tribal areas to stop illegal conversion. People are taking advantage of the poverty and under-development of tribals to wean them away from…
SourceDECEMBER 30, 2003: In the last several decades, countless Westerners have turned to Eastern religions for inspiration and spirituality, according to this article on jewish.com. Jews have been no different. Many American Jews flocked to Eastern religions as part of the hippy counter-culture of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and today, India and Thailand are havens for Israelis seeking to explore…
HPINEW DELHI, INDIA, January 5, 2004: The Ardha or half-cycle celebration of the Kumbha Mela at Haridwar is to begin January 14 and carry on through May. As many as 20 million devotees will pilgrimage to the Ganges during that time. This Mela occurs on the 6th year between the main Melas which are on a 12 year cycle. There…
SourceCENTRAL JAVA, INDONESIA, January 3, 2004: Resembling a temple in India, the Bima Temple in Java was built about 7th century ce, and the traditional rites performed at the temple are steeped in Javanese mysticism. Twenty-four statues called Kudus originally blessed the upper part of the Bima temple. After successive thefts, deities only remain on the western and southern sides…
SourceSRI LANKA, January 2, 2004: It has been almost two years since a ceasefire was announced between the Tamil Tigers and the government. After twenty years of civil war, the Tamil Tiger rebels now control areas of northern Sri Lanka. In order to enter these areas, travellers must pass through immigration and custom offices manned by young Tamil Tigers cadres.…
SourceSRI LANKA, January 3, 2004: The Sri Lanka government is setting up all-religions peace committees at provincial and district levels to defuse the religious tension in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s Secretary, Bradman Weerakoon, held talks on December 31, 2003, with the Secretaries of the Buddhasasana, Hindu religious affairs, Christian affairs and Muslim affairs Ministries to discuss details.…