Religion News ServiceUSA, December 24, 2003: This interesting piece on the origins of Christmas appeared in the Religion News Service and is written by Yvonne Betowt: Did you know Alabama was the first state to declare Christmas an official holiday? That happened in 1836, 71 years before the last state — Oklahoma — followed suit in 1907. Christmas is the…
SourceSRI LANKA, December 15, 2003: Tamils in several parts of the northeast observed the 181st birth anniversary of the Saiva-Tamil revivalist Sri Arumugam Navalar on Sunday. Sri Arumugan Navalar is chiefly remembered for his work to revive Saivism in Jaffna and South India. He is also considered one of the important pioneers of Tamil revival in the 19th century. Though…
SourceCOLUMBIA, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES, December 19, 2003: Some things cannot be explained! Million in the United States claim to have near-death experience. They were actually declared clinically dead – but then, they regained consciousness. Their accounts of what happened during that event are strikingly similar. William Taylor, 61, who had a near-death experience. “In 1979 I had a cardiac arrest…
SourceTAMIL NADU, INDIA, December 3, 2003: Located one mile off the Nagapattinam coast of Tamil Nadu, a submerged city believed to be 7,000 – 17,000 years old has been discovered. Interest in the submerged city was first sparked by English marine archaeologist Graham Hancock who explored the Poompuhar site in 2001 and declared that the city was older than Sumeria…
SourceSEVILLE, SPAIN, December 18, 2003: More than 40 religious leaders from around the globe met in the southern Spanish city of Seville on Monday. Leaders representing Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism launched a new collaborative board, and discussed hostility and hospitality between the different faiths. While the media highlight religious conflict, “many important initiatives” are also being taken to…
The Trinidad GuardianMARTINIQUE, FRANCE, December 19, 2001, Nicole Etiene, 50, of Fort de France, Martinique, will receive the Upanayan Sanskar (sacred thread) at the Munroe Road, Chaguanas temple of Pundit Samsundar Ramdeen today. He is among five people who will be ordained as pundits in the ceremony. Etiene, whose native language is French, said yesterday that he was following in…
SourceJAIPUR, INDIA, December 20, 2003: The newly elected Minister of Education of Rajasthan, Ghanshyam Tiwari, created history on his birthday. He broke an ancient tradition and took his wife and daughter inside the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ghushmeshwar Siva temple in Siwad. In the process, Tiwari opened the temple area to all women, many of whom have expressed resentment at being…
SourceDELHI, INDIA, December 19, 2003: An animal welfare group is urging Indians to steer clear of wearing leather with an advertising campaign featuring singing cows. “Do I make myself clear? Keep your hands off my rear!” croons a cow in the 30-second TV advert. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) hopes the lip-synched bovines will persuade Indians…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, December 19, 2003: An industrialist sat in front of the television at 7 a.m. On the television screen in front of him is one of India’s best-known gurus who chanted a prayer in Sanskrit before launching into a soothing lecture on how to cope with stress. “Begin each day with a pure thought,” he advised. “When you…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, December 20, 2003: Hinduism Today magazine is seeking a copy of a recent issue of Mantram magazine (by SGA Media) which carried on article on the cartoon strip “Dilbert.” If you can loan us yours, please e-mail “source.”