Asia PulseHANOI, VIETNAM, June 30, 2003: Another US$812,000 has been invested in preserving a cluster of five Champa temple towers at My Son, the Hindu holy land of the old Champa Kingdom, 70 km southwest of central Da Nang City. The project is being jointly carried out by the Vietnamese government, UNESCO and the Italian University of Milan. The towers…
African Church Information ServiceNAIROBI, KENYA, June 30, 2003: Controversy is brewing in Kenya between Christians and members of the public over the country’s national motto Kenya’s had for 40 years, “Harambee.” A number of Christians, drawn mainly from the Pentecostal churches, want the motto erased from the country’s coat of arms, alleging that Harambee gives honor to a Hindu Goddess…
SourcePURI, INDIA, July 1, 2003: They are chariot makers for the Gods, and millions of devotees depend on them to help make the festival, dedicated to Lord Jagannath, successful. The 10 artisan families in the temple town of Puri have been making the chariots of devotion for hundreds of years. They are known as Maharana, or carpenters, and are given…
SourceJAMMU AND KASHMIR, June 30, 2003. Set amidst rocky terrain and picturesque pine trees, the sacred cave shrine of Lord Siva in Chandanwari hills of South Kashmir is all set to redefine the annual Amarnath Yatra with the Jammu and Kashmir Government making efforts to open it for pilgrims this year. “Work on the construction of metaled foot path to…
SourceBOTHELL, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2003: For Hindus in Seattle, and as far a way as Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Canada, the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center has become the central place to worship. Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Lakshmi Devi are the main Deities presiding in the temple, which serves not only as a place of worship, but also as…
SourceCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, July 2, 2003: The Vivekananda Vedanta Society, Chicago, has completed its purchase of 15 acres where they will build the first Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in North America, Swami Chidananda, President of the society, announced today. “We are very pleased to share this historic news. The greatest activity of the Vedanta Society is to disseminate spiritual education, which…
SourcePURI, INDIA, July 1, 2003: Millions of devotees converged in Puri Tuesday to participate in the annual chariot festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The three chariots bearing the murthis of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were pulled through the main streets of the town and taken to Gundicha temple. The Deities will remain there until July 9 and then journey…
Rajiv Malik, Hinduism Today New Delhi CorrespondentNEW DELHI, INDIA, July 1, 2003: A special function was organized by Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, at Yoga Shakti Peeth, Mehrauli, New Delhi on July 1, 2003, to honor those undertaking the pilgrimage to Lake Mansarovar. A large number of saints, politicians, media persons and pilgrims attended the function. His Holiness, Swami Chidananda Saraswati, affectionately…
SourceUNITED STATES, June 30, 2003: Long unknown in East Asia, where centuries of tradition dictate that children care for their parents until death, retirement homes have become part of the American experience for a generation of aging immigrants. The cultural taboo, coupled at times with a language barrier, has made adjustment that much harder for some seniors and compounded the…
SourceTIRUPATI, INDIA, July 1, 2003: Since armed guards are forbidden inside the Venkateswara temple, one of India’s most revered religious shrines, authorities want to assign its security to a trusted insider, a Hindu priest with a black belt in karate. K. Seshadri has been asked by officials in Tirupati to teach younger priests to defend themselves and the temple from…