SourceSRI LANKA, October 18, 2003: Sri Lanka’s Hindu Religious Affairs Ministry has released US$16,000 for the purchase of new clothes for people in thirty-five orphanages, homes of the aged, children homes and women welfare centers in the north east of the country for Deepavali, said a ministry press release. The Ministry had earlier made an appeal to all Hindu temples…
SourceWASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2003: President George W. Bush has sent greetings to Hindus in the U.S. and around the world for the festival of Diwali. In a White House press statement Thursday, Bush said that by “marking the beginning of the Hindu New Year, Diwali provides an opportunity to give thanks for the renewal of life, reflect on lessons…
Press ReleaseUJJAIN, INDIA, October 18, 2003: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Digvijay Singh praised the arrangements made for the Kumbha Mela at Nashik and he announced that the Ujjain Kumbha Mela scheduled for next year will be in line with the Nashik Kumbha Mela. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister visited the Sadhu Gram at Tapovan in Nashik on August 22, 2003,…
SourceTORONTO, CANADA, August 20, 2003: The Toronto Star’s Ombudsman, Don Steller, issued the following statement in response to Hindu complaints about a picture of an unclothed statue of the Goddess Durga run prominently in their newspaper: “UNDRAPED GODDESS. Durga is the multi-armed, Hindu goddess of power. Each fall, statues of Durga are worshipped for nine days at prayer festivals, and…
SourceU.S.A., 2001: “Stereotypes about India and Hinduism when taught as fact in American classrooms may negatively impact students of South Asian origin who are struggling to work out their identity in a multicultural, predominately Anglo-Christian environment,” begins this very long article by Yvette C. Rosser. The author explores the reactions of Hindu students who have studied about India in social…
SourceBANGALORE, INDIA, October 14, 2003: Coinciding with this day in 1956, when the architect of Indian Constitution, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, hundreds of Dalits (“untouchables”) from various parts of Karnataka today converted to the same religion, after taking a pledge to renounce Hinduism. They took the 22-point oath that Ambedkar administered at “dhamma” initiation to embrace Buddhism at Nagpur…
SourceTRINIDAD, October 15, 2003: Devant Maharaj of Trinidad’s Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha sends this report: “On the eve of 2003 Divali celebrations Pundit Krishna Maharaj, the Dharmacharya of Trinidad & Tobago, died today. Pundit Krishna, as he was fondly called, was the spiritual leader of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Trinidad & Tobago and considered the most revered Hindu…
SourceVICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, October 2003: A court case seen to be legal challenge to Christians’ freedom to question the validity of other religions is now underway in Australia. It is worth following as Hindus may also be able to prevent attacks under the same laws. Two Christian pastors accused of vilifying Islam at a seminar to explain the teachings of Islam…
SourcePENANG, MALAYSIA, October 13, 2003: Malaysian Hindus have been celebrating the festival Navaratri in their country since the early 1920’s. With each successive year, the festival has attracted more participants to the nine-day celebration in honor of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. This year the festival culminated with a 4 km chariot procession starting at 7 p.m. from Penang Street…
SourceBIHAR, INDIA, October 13, 2003: Bihar prison inmates may be in for a surprise in the next few weeks. State Jail Minister Basawan Bhagat announced at a meeting attended by senior officials, “The prisons have decided to stop providing nonvegetarian food to prisoners and bring about a qualitative change in the vegetarian food. High-quality rice, dal and vegetables will be…