SourceSINGAPORE, October 16, 2003: About 3,200 men made the ceremonial dash across a pit of hot coals at Sri Mariamman Temple yesterday, as part of the annual Hindu festival of Thimithi. The fire-walking festival has been held at the South Bridge Road temple since 1840. It is celebrated before Deepavali, which falls on October 24 this year. Hindus cross the…
SourceAYODHYA, INDIA, October 16, 2003: Police in northern India continue to arrest thousands of Hindu activists even as efforts are under way to defuse tensions over their plan to rally near a controversial religious site, states this BBC article. The activists, who belong to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), are heading to Ayodhya, as part of a campaign to build…
AAP NewsfeedBALI INDONESIA, October 12, 2003: On a mountaintop in Bali, the grieving and injured found some solace today from the horror of the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, 88 of them Australian, a year ago today. For the 550 Australian survivors and family and friends of the dead, it was a time for both private mourning and tribal…
The Pakistan NewswireKARACHI, PAKISTAN, October 9, 2003: The following report appeared on the Pakistan Newswire, which is essentially the government voice. “Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Rauf Siddiqui has said that it was the duty of every Muslim including rulers in Muslim countries to safeguard rights of minorities. He was addressing at a concluding ceremony of 295th year Sundrani…
HPIKAUAI, HAWAII, October 16, 2003: Arun Venugopal of India Abroad points out that yesterday’s article on Hinduism in American schools by Trisha Pasricha, age 14, was originally published in India Abroad. He says he was “amazed by the author’s writing skill.”
SourceKAUAI, HAWAII, October 15, 2003: During the course of the Nashik Kumbha Mela, our correspondent, Mr. Rajiv Malik, interviewed Shri Arun Khonde, a journalist, on the history of the sadhu organizations at the Mela. Khonde gave a very lengthy explanation (“source” above) and we are looking for someone to read through this interview (which is in rough form) and comment…
SourceINDIA, October 7, 2003: The annual Hindu festival season feels more like a trade fair this year than a holy event says this article. With declining interest rates and a booming stock market, India’s middle classes are consuming on a scale and in a style that is unprecedented. In the past 12 months, the number of mobile phones in India…
Agence France PresseNEW DELHI, INDIA, October 11, 2003: The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (“National Volunteer Corps”) have called for an end to the “barbaric practice” of animal sacrifice in India. The RSS pointed out in its newspaper “Organiser” that God did not need animal sacrifices to “bestow grace” on His devotees. “There is a great need to cleanse Hinduism. And the…
SourceHOUSTON, TEXAS, October 2003: Trisha Pasricha, age 14, has written this outstanding article describing her predicament as a Hindu girl dealing with incorrect information on Hinduism in her text books. Trisha says, “When 8th grade starts, India and Hinduism are summed up in a few short sentences by the teacher. India is described as filled with pollution, cows and poverty-stricken…
HPITRINIDAD, October 15, 2003: Diwali will be celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday October 24, 2003. Diwali is observed as a national holiday in this twin island nation in the southern Caribbean. To commemorate this festival, the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) hosts a nine-day celebration know as the Diwali Nagar. This year, says the Chairman Pundit Deokienanan…