sfgate.comNEW DELHI, INDIA, July 5, 2003: The pharmacy clerk pulls a box of skin lightening cream from a glass cabinet, places it on the counter and says it’s obvious why he sells so much of it. Women want to be beautiful and the key to that is inside the box, which has a series of drawings showing a woman growing…
Charisma News ServiceKATMANDU, NEPAL, July 11, 2003: A Christian missionary and two local Christians jailed for four months on alleged proselytism charges in Nepal’s western region have been released from jail. Earlier this year, they were on their way to visit a Christian family in the Pyuthan District when they were stopped and interrogated by police. After finding Bibles and…
SourceLAUTOKA, FIJI ISLANDS, July 8, 2003: Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam of Nadi, Fiji, has announced the celebration of the 9th Anniversary of Maha Kumbhabhishekam of the Sri Siva Subrahmanya Swami Temple on July 15, 2003, and the opening of new Navagraha Prathista on July 17-20, 2003. Sri K. V. Ravi Gurukal from the Sri Siva Subramanya Temple in Thirutani,…
SourceJAMMU AND KASHMIR, July 9, 2003: The annual Amarnath pilgrimage got under way Wednesday morning amid confusion and chaos, as the first group of 3,500 devotees left for the Himalayan cave shrine from the Maulana Azad Memorial stadium. Charges of police harassment and protests by the pilgrims delayed the start by over two hours. The discontent against repeated frisking and…
SourceHYDERABAD, INDIA, July 6, 2003: Because of a public outcry and litigation in the high court, the Andhra Pradesh government has backed off from its demand of US$7,774,202 from Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirupati, however lesser known temples may not be so lucky. The Naidu government has initiated moves to take away temple lands and distribute them among poorer sections…
Deccan ChronicleVISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA, July 7, 2003: The famous Puri Jagannath Swamy Temple will soon have a US$21 million corpus fund. The temple managing committee has decided to sell “unwanted lands” of the temple which are located in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. Chairman of the temple managing committee, Gajapathi Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, told a group of newsmen…
SourceNASHIK, INDIA, July 8, 2003: This Kumbha Mela may witness the coming together of the disciples of Lord Siva and Vishnu. The Saivite mahants are trying to persuade Vaishnavite sadhus to take a holy dip at Trimbakeshwar during the fair to end an age-old feud between the two sects. Mahant Purushottamdasji Maharaj of Anand Akhada of the Saiva sect and…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, July 6, 2003: The arrest of Vaman Ghiya last month by the Indian police on allegations of stealing antiques has sent shock waves through London’s antique trade world, and is likely to lead to an investigation of Sotheby’s, the British auction house. A six-month investigation by the Indian police, called Operation Blackhole, has identified four more icons listed…
HPICHENNAI, INDIA, July 9, 2003: Sri T.S. Sambamurthy Sivachariar attained the lotus feet of Goddess Kaligambal on July 7, 2003, at 4:15 am in Chennai and was cremated with all rituals on July 8. Sri Sambamurthy was a diabetic, on kidney dialysis and had had heart by-pass surgery. He stopped eating solid food on January 3 of this year and…
SourceKATMANDU, NEPAL, July 4, 2003: H.H. Swami Chidananda Saraswati, affectionately known as Muniji, head of the Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh, will lead nearly 200 pilgrims from 13 countries to Lake Mansarovar, near Mount Kailash in Tibet, to inaugurate a rest house for tourists and pilgrims. The project, funded by the Rishikesh-based India Heritage Research Foundation (IHRF), includes running a…