SourceVADODARA, GUJARAT, October 5, 2003: The mass conversion of Dalits (“Untouchables”) to Buddhism ended quietly today with the Vishwa Boudh Sangh forced to make the conversion ceremony a “dharma sabha” (meeting on dharma) following refusal of permission by the Vadodara district administration under the new Anti-Conversion Act in force in Gujarat. Under the Act no permission can be given unless…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, October 8, 2003: In response to an earlier request for a Vedic Wedding Script, Mahamandeleshvara Swami Veda Bharati has send us the document at “source” above. The introduction reads: “An Abridged Version of the Vedic Wedding Ceremony translated by Swami Veda Bharati. The celebration of a full traditional ceremony make take between four hours and four days. Here…
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, October 8, 2003: The Science Sacree website at “source” traces its roots to the work of Rene Verdon, an early French Vedantist. The site is available only in French at this time. HPI would appreciate it if someone could occasionally send us English summaries of useful articles.
HPIKAUAI, HAWAII, October 8, 2003: Swami Amarananda of the Centre Vedantique in Geneva (amarananda@bluewin.ch), Switzerland, writes, “In reference to the query in regard of the discovery (of a low sound emanating out in a galaxy) by Chandra Observatory. Swami Vivekananda used to say, on the basis of his experience, that one coming to the normal state of consciousness from a…
SourceINDONESIA, October 8, 2003: This interesting article on the history of Hinduism in Indonesia (“source” above) begins, “Over 400 years ago most of East Java was exactly like Bali is today. Prior to 1815 Bali had a greater population density than Java, suggesting its Hindu-Balinese civilization was even more successful than Java’s. When Sir Stamford Raffles wrote his History Of…
SourceCHICAGO, U.S.A., October 5, 2003: Devotees and swamis of the Ramakrishna Order joined priests in chanting Vedic mantras to purify the land where the first Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple is to be built near Chicago. Various mantras and prayers were chanted for spiritual advancement, high attainment, protection and success. The Vivekananda Vedanta Society, Chicago, is building a center of harmony…
SourceLONDON, U.K. October 4, 2003: A cake in the form of a mini football pitch, hip henna tattoos to accessorize Brit-Indian costume chic, dozens of advertisements for ‘Diwali-dinner-and-dance’ evenings, thousands of twinkling tea lights. Six-hundred people meeting every night during Navaratri in Bradford, U.K. to dance the garba. An English town hall, ceremonially ‘switching on’ its Diwali lights and a…
SourceNEW YORK, NEW YORK, October 6, 2003: The musician who calls himself Krishna Das was born on Long Island as Jeff Kagel. When he sings in Hindi or Sanskrit, he does so with an undeniably American accent, says this article in Time magazine. But Das, who is known as K.D., has no desire to hide his New York roots or…
SourceINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, October 4, 2003: After 31 years of hoping and praying, Dr. G.L. Ahuja, a retired physician, will get to see his dream move one step closer to reality Sunday when ground is broken for the first Hindu temple in Indiana. “The dreams are coming to be true,” says Ahuja, a native of India who moved to Indianapolis in…
SourcePITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, August 15, 2003: Rajendra Pillai, founder and director of Turning Point, an organization dedicated to equipping and inspiring Christian writers, has written this article on cultural “insights” that can be used to convert Hindus to Christianity. Much of the article is excerpted from his book, “Reaching the World in Our Own Backyard.” Pillai says, “We are slowly realizing…