SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, July 26, 2003: In an attempt to uncover ancient Hindu cultural sites, the Indian government, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, has started excavating along the legendary Saraswati River from Haryana to Gujarat. The task is an arduous one in a land where the local people are often not aware of the value of their heritage…
SourceCHANDNER, GHAZIABAD, August 1, 2003: Recalling his previous life in perfect detail, four-year-old Aishwary was taken by his parents in this life to meet his former family. At first, his father of this life was skeptical about the four-year old’s stories, but he finally decided to look into the child’s reminiscences. After contacting the villagers of Kamalpur to confirm Aishwary’s…
SourceWASHINGTON, DC, July 31, 2003: The nation’s largest circus will have to defend itself against charges that it mistreats elephants that perform under the big tent. A federal judge has declined to dismiss a lawsuit by animal welfare groups claiming Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has abused Asian elephants in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The groups…
SourceCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, July 31, 2003: Changing her name legally from Karin Robertson to GoVeg.com has had just the effect the 23-year-old, employed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has wanted. Whenever she presents her driver’s license at an airport, bank or anyplace else, a conversation is initiated about the benefits of vegetarian food or the treatment of…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, July 24, 2003: The Cartoon Network, an entertainment channel owned by the Turner Entertainment Network, is coming out with an animated series ‘Hanuman-the Monkey God’ next year for India. As the powerful saviour who is going to save the world from demons, Hanuman, is all set to give a tough competition to Western counterparts like He-Man and…
HPIKAUAI, HAWAII, August 3, 2003: Our thanks to M P Bhattathiry (mpmahesh@asianetindia.com) for providing the following list of festivals and related resources. In this month, August 2 is Naag Panchami, 4 is Tulsidas Jayanti, 12 is Raksha Bandhan, 15 is Sri Aurobindo Jayanti, 19 is Sri Krishna Jayanti, 31 is Ganesh Chaturthi. 1.Sri Aurobindo’s words – excerpts from the book…
SourceHYDERABAD, INDIA, July 30, 2003: Hundreds of thousands of devotees took a holy dip in Godavari river at the start of the 12-day Godavari Pushkaram in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Pushkaram is revered as the “Kumbh Mela of the South,” and occurs once in 12 years. State officials said over 35 million pilgrims are expected to visit the state for…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, July 31, 2003: New Delhi: Astrologers and seismologists are meeting in New Delhi on Friday to pool their ability to foretell earthquakes quickly and accurately, according to Vijay Madan, an executive member of the Astrology Study and Research Institute. “Scientists will analyse the seismic data recorded before the Gujarat earthquake as well as during its aftermath. We…
SourceFAIZABAD, INDIA, July 31, 2003: Ramchandra Paramhans, chief of the Ramjanmabhoomi Trust and one of the main figures in the Ayodhya movement for close to eight decades, died this morning in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh. He was 90. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has condoled the death of the mahant. “The death has shocked me profoundly. His contribution towards the Ramjanmabhoomi…
SourceBHOPAL, INDIA, July 30, 2003: The Muslim community in a small town in Madhya Pradesh has set an example in communal amity by generously contributing to the renovation of a 300-year-old dilapidated temple. The temple was in urgent need of repairs and few people visited it. In fact, many in the area did not even know about its existence. “Had…