SourceTHEKKADY, INDIA, October 29, 2003: Of all the distinctively flavored seeds, barks, roots, fruits and leaves that we call spices, pepper is the most widely used, and for centuries it was the most valuable, begins this informative (and long) New York Times article on the pepper trade which so influenced India’s history. In ancient times, the demand for pepper was…
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, October 26, 2003: The mortal remains of social reformer and Magsaysay Award winner Pandurang Shastri Athavale were consigned to flames at Tatwajnana Vidyapeeth, Ghodbunder, in Thane district on Sunday evening. The last rites of the 84-year old spiritual leader were attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and…
SourceATEHGARH SAHIB, INDIA, October 26, 2003: India’s “son complex” is visible in this prosperous market town on the rich plains of the Punjab. Girls, by the thousands, are missing. Local parents in search of a son, a prize in Indian culture, have used ultrasound machines to determine the sex of the fetus growing in the mother’s womb. If the fetus…
SourceKARACHI, PAKISTAN, October 26, 2003. The Hindu community on Saturday celebrated their religious festival of Diwali, illuminating their houses with Chiraghs (oil-lamps) and electric lights at various places of the metropolis. Special prayers were offered at Ram Swami Mandir, MA Jinah Road, for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country. The Hindu community living at Ratan Talao, near Urdu…
SourceFIJI, October 27, 2003: Diwali celebrations took an ugly twist when a temple in Raralevu, Nausori, was burnt to the ground on Saturday night. Hindu residents who were celebrating Diwali in their homes broke down in tears when they heard that the Naga Baba Kutti temple had been razed in a fire. Police have confirmed the reports of the fire…
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, October 22, 2003: Amar Khamkar thought he had found the perfect apartment in Mumbai when the agent asked him “Is your family vegetarian?” “I was shocked,” said Mr. Khamkar, “What did that matter?” Quite a lot, the agent said, the building was reserved for vegetarians. A number of buildings, both old and new, in the city are unofficially…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, October 26, 2003: Swami Nirliptananda (“source” above) sends this announcement: “His holiness Srimat Swami Akshayanandaji Maharaj, President of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, (93 years old) at the request of the devotees is visiting the UK from October 24 to November 4 on his way to other countries. Swamiji is a direct disciple of Jagadguru Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj who founded…
SourceNEW JERSEY, U.S.A., October 21, 2003: Scholars of the Indian and Romuva (ancient indigenous Lithuanian religion) civilizations took a step towards understanding each other. The first conference in a series planned to increase understanding of the ancient traditions of Indo-Romuvan civilizations was held in New Jersey last week. The conference brought together about forty-five eminent scholars belonging to Indian and…
HPIOTTAWA, CANADA, October 25, 2003: Brijendra K. Sood, of Calgary, Alberta, was honored by the Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, at a ceremony October 24 in Ottawa as a member of the Order of Canada. According to government material, “The Order of Canada recognizes people who have made a difference to our country. From local citizens to national and…
SourceKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, October 25, 2003: HPI received this announcement, “On this great day of Divali let me announce the world’s first website dedicated to and expounding the Saivite Hindu Religion in the Malay/ Indonesian language that reaches out to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Southern Thailand, Southern Mindanao (Phillipines) and Singapore, a total of nearly 245 million people.” Click “source” above…