SourceSEYCHELLES, January 2004: The Hindu Council of Seychelles under the aegis of the High Commission of India, invited people to take part in “Vedanta Day” on January 12, 2003, to commemorate the 140th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, one of the geatest spiritual masters of India. The Seychelles is located off the coast of southern Africa and has a small…
Translation from Navbharat TimesHARIDWAR, INDIA, January 15, 2004: As Haridwar prepares for the four-month-long Ardha Kumbha Mela, Swami Chinmayananda expresses his concern about the inadequate preparations for the event. For the first time in history, the Central Government is footing the bill for the Mela and has given the Mela Administration the sum of US$30 million. However, according to the…
SourceSUVA, FIJI, January 18, 2004: Police are on the hunt for thieves who desecrated a temple early yesterday. The Shiu Narayan temple at Salato Circle in Newtown, outside Suva, was left in a mess when its priest arrived for worship. It was the fifth time thieves raided the temple. Police said thieves gained entry by removing louvre blades and making…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, January 14, 2004: The festival of Makar Sankranti was celebrated fervently throughout India recently. At Hardwar about 700,000 pilgrims and sadhus took a holy dip in the river Ganga to commemorate the beginning of the Ardh-Kumbh Mela. In West Bengal where the Ganga and Bay of Bengal meet, 200,000 devotees took a holy dip and performed puja…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, January 19, 2004: The annual Kauaian Days He Inoa no Kaumuali’i Parade moved along Kaumuali’i Highway to Kaua’i Community College Saturday without a hitch. The community event focused on honoring Kaua’i, its people and its past. Upcoming events include a Martin Luther King memorial on Monday, along with community events across the island. Among them is “Gurudeva Day,”…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, January 10, 2004: The Centre for Science and Environment conducted a study in November and December of 2003 to determine the level of pesticides in food eaten by the average consumer in India. Sunita Narain director of CSE says, “The results were startling. Of the eight pesticides, the theoretical maximum daily intake (TMDI) for five pesticides was…
SourceOREGON, U.S.A., January 10, 2004: Mad Cow Disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has caused alarm to some American consumers of beef after a Washington Holstein was identified as carrying the disease. Some are considering adopting a vegetarian diet. This article explains how the beef industry has permeated American Society. Cow by-products are used to make gelatin, soap, asphalt…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, January 11, 2004: The All India Democratic Women’s Association today demanded effective policy to end the evil of honor killings of young people marrying out of their community. There is the chilling tale of Geeta whose husband Jasbeer was killed before her eyes. Geeta is a Rajput and her husband was a Jat and the medieval customs…
SourceKUALA LUMPAR, MALAYSIA, January 14, 2004: The Hindu community has been celebrating Thai Pongal, also known as the Harvest festival, for over 5,000 years. Festival popularity has resulted in business for those catering to the festival. Traders sell milk, cashew nuts, raisins and honey to devotees who prepare to give thanks to the Sun for a good harvest. The tradition…
SourceRAWANG, MALAYSIA, January 16, 2004: Sweet success was spelt on the lips of all the participants in the People’s Pongal festival at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Rawang in Malaysia on January 15. The participants filled 1,001 earthen pots with freshly-cooked sweet Pongal rice. More importantly, their very presence tripled the size of last year’s Malaysia Book of Records entry for…