SourceKOLHAPUR, INDIA, May 14, 2003: A Dalit (“untouchable”) movement to allow entry into temples in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra has taken a bloody turn with the upper castes resorting to violence against it. Earlier, upper caste community members had tried ostracizing and threatening Dalit Mahasangh, the group spearheading the movement. The Mahasangh is active in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur…
SourceANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA, May 12, 2003: Recognizing the need, the Andhra Pradesh government is allocating US$810,000 to restore ancient temples in the state. Minister for Endowments D. Sivaramaraju says, “The state government has decided to provide more facilities for visitors and devotees.” At a recent visit to the Swamy Temple, atop Durgamalleswara hill, gold gopurams were installed and the temple…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, May 14, 2003: Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan has directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to declare the Kalkaji temple in south Delhi a protected monument. The notification is aimed at protecting the temple from people who misuse the temple’s premises and property. The ASI will be empowered to clear the area of all illegal construction…
SourceGUJARAT, INDIA, May 12, 2003: A rare phenomena has captured the hearts and minds of inhabitants of a village in Gujarat. It all started last October when a leopard began making regular nocturnal visits to a cow in the village. At first the villagers were leery of the visits, but word soon spread about the unusual relationship. Rohit Vyas explained,…
HPINEW DELHI, INDIA, May 20 ,2003: The Sindhu Darshan Photo Exhibition was inaugurated by Shri Jagmohan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, on May 18, 2003, at the Tea Lounge of New Delhi’s Ashok Hotel. The exhibition will remained open for the public until May 19. Speaking to the journalists on this occasion Sri Jagmohan said the exhibition is connected to…
Associated PressRICHLAND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., May 5, 2003: Members of the India Association of the Tri-Cities took part in the 16th annual Tyagaraja Music Festival at Timbers Apartments in Richland, Washington. About a dozen musicians sat on the floor in the clubhouse singing and playing the music of the great composer, Tyagaraja Shishyaparmpara, more commonly known as Saint Tyagaraja. “There is…
SourceCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, May 17, 2003: Another Hindu temple of grandiose proportions is being built in the U.S. just outside Chicago in Bartlett. Supported by the Swaminarayan Sect (BSS) of the Gujarat community, US$30 million will be spent to erect the temple of Italian marble and Turkish limestone. Spreading over 100,000 square feet, the complex will be built in traditional Indian…
SourceNOIDA, INDIA, May 16, 2003: The musicians were playing, the 2,000 guests were dining, the Hindu priest was preparing the ceremony and the bride was dressed in red, her hands and feet festively painted with henna. Then, the bride’s family says, the groom’s family moved in for the kill. The dowry of two televisions, two home theater sets, two refrigerators,…
www.ndtv.com (archive)GUJARAT, INDIA, May 11, 2003: Wells in north Gujarat have run dry but there is one cattle camp in Surendranagar district with nearly 30,000 cattle still in operation. Veja Bhagat, who has been running the place for over 30 years has to buy 50 tankers of water a day, 600 kilos of bajra and 180 tons of dry grass,…
SourceJAIPUR, INDIA, May 9, 2003: Strapped for money, the Rajasthan Government approached the sadhus of the state to raise US$297,526.87 for a new university. “We have entered into an agreement with the sadhus of Triveni Ashram in Shahpura (near Jaipur) for collecting money for a new Sanskrit University,” Deputy Chief Minister Kamla said. “According to the agreement, the sadhus, led…