SourceAMARNATH, JAMMU & KASHMIR, July 12, 2003: Amidst chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Bholanath” the first devotees on the annual Amarnath pilgrimage paid obeisance at the holy ice Siva Lingam at the cave shrine. “For me there is no emotion parallel to the darshan of the ice Lingam, it gives a feeling of being one with God. That…
SourceDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, July 6, 2003: The South African Hindu Maha Sabha recently discovered that Beacon Sweets, a sweets manufacturer owned by Tiger Brands, uses bovine gelatin in many of its products. It has alarmed the community as cows are sacred to Hindus. Rugbeer Kallideen, secretary of the Maha Sabha says, “We received complaints from members of the Hindu community…
SourceCOLOMBO, SRI LANKA, JULY 11, 2003: The Sri Lankan Government has decided to grant citizenship to 168,141 people of Indian origin who had opted, but failed to return to their native country. Officials said the Cabinet approved a plan to grant citizenship to 84,141 people who had obtained Indian passports to return home, but could not travel for various reasons…
SourceSIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, July 12, 2003: A year ago, tourist buses jammed the parking lots around the ancient temples of Angkor. Trash piled up and exhaust fumes from taxis colored the air a hazy blue. These architectural wonders were in danger of being overrun — not by the surrounding jungles, but by hordes of travelers. “The serenity of one’s visit…
The StarKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, July 6, 2003: Misusing his sacred position, a priest serving in an Amman temple in Malaysia has been accused of knowingly deceiving devotees into giving him money and jewelry in exchange for communicating with dead relatives. He then allegedly proceeded to enact bogus encounters with living relatives and the deceased and often conned survivors into giving…
SourceKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, July 7, 2003: All Hindu-based organizations should come under an umbrella body to better address issues and resolve problems related to the Hindu community, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu believes. He said such a council was needed to handle problems such as the demolition of haphazardly built and badly managed temples by the authorities, which he said,…
SourceSWITZERLAND, June 6, 2003: Switzerland is home to a diverse mix of religious groups thanks to its large community of immigrants, many of whom go to great lengths to set up their own places of worship. Immigrants often feel their religion is a strong part of their identity and provides a sense of security in a foreign land. According to…
SourceGENEVA, SWITZERLAND, July 8, 2003: According to the Human Development Report (HDR) 2003, social indicators that comprise life expectancy, adult literacy, education and per capita income positioned India as number 127 out of 174 countries. Last year, it ranked 124. The reason for the drop: other countries are performing much better than India in tackling basic human needs. While India…
SourceLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, JULY 2003: Traveling by air and ordering a vegetarian meal can be like playing Russian roulette. You simply don’t know what will appear on your tray. Vegetarians who are planning to travel by plane may wonder what vegetarian food choices are available. Vegetarians in Paradise (“source”) provides a chart of airlines who serve vegetarian/vegan meals as well…
SourcePITHORAGARH, NEPAL, July 11, 2003: The Kailash-Mansarovar yatra came to an abrupt halt on the third day of the pilgrimage on Thursday when landslides blocked the road at Teentola, about 15 km from Dharchula, leaving the pilgrims stranded at Tawaghat, police said. This group is coming from India directly into Tibet, and not via Nepal through which most of the…