The Kashmir TimesSRINAGAR, INDIA, April 3, 2003: Three major changes will distinguish the yearly Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage this season. Affluent pilgrims could fly to the Himalayan cave from Srinagar in state-owned helicopters. The shortest route, the Baltal route used by about 25% of pilgrims, has been widened from 6 ft to 12 ft, allowing for 1,500 instead of 800 pilgrims…
SourceSINGAPORE, April 6, 2003: Buddhists and Hindus recently came together for purification prayers to free the world from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The event was organized by the Singapore Buddhist Lodge and Arulmigu Velmurugan Gnanamuneeswarar Temple. Priests from Hindu and Buddhist temples recited prayers for 24 hours, seeking divine blessings and to help the world to be relieved of…
SourceKERALA, INDIA, April 13, 2003: The Global Malayalee Council and Sree Sankara School of Classical Dances are jointly organizing a national dance and music festival to be held at Kalady, Kerala, May 6-9, 2003. Some of India’s leading dancers and musicians will be performing along with the top performers from Kerala’s youth festivals. Organizers anticipate over 200,000 people to attend…
SourceSRINAGAR, INDIA, April 5, 2003: Kashmir is witnessing an increase in conversion from Islam to Christianity. Christian groups are putting the number of new converts at over 10,000 and a Sunday Express investigation confirms that conversions have been taking place regularly across the Valley. At least a dozen Christian missions and churches based in the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands and…
Media CenterPONDICHERRY, INDIA, April 7, 2003: Mother of Shri Aurobindo Ashram, affectionately known as Shri Ma, was a great devotee of Lord Ganesha. The Pondicherry Shri Manakkula Vinayaka Devasthanam released a booklet in August, 2001, which gives an inspiring story of Shri Ma and her relationship with Lord Ganesha. “There is a famous 700-year-old temple of Manakkula Vinayaka adjacent to…
SourceDHAR, INDIA, April 8, 2003: A day after the Archaeological Survey of India ordered open the disputed Bhojshala shrine for Hindus every Tuesday nearly 600 people offered prayers there in an atmosphere of peace. The devotees, some of whom were beating drums, entered the shrine at 9:00 AM and there were no signs of any tensions. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from…
HPINEW DELHI, INDIA, March 28, 2003: Dalits, viewed as the traditional target for conversion, are not the only ones turning to Buddhism here. Even high-caste Hindus with upper middle-class backgrounds are increasingly attending Buddhist meditations. Their practice has a Japanese connection for there are about 100 Nichiren Buddhism cells in Delhi, says Madhumita Sen. She works for an international NGO…
SourceKWADUKUZA, SOUTH AFRICA, April 6, 2003: A Hindu temple that was abandoned by sugarcane farmers and their families because of crime and land invasions is to be converted into a church after being donated to a Christian organization. The Shree Hanuman Temple was built in 1982 by the Sing brothers and members of the Nonoti community, outside KwaDukuza. Madhan Sing,…
HPIKAUAI, U.S.A., April 7, 2003: The March 26 HPI carried a story about specially trained priests who are helping to give additional meaning to Hindu rituals. Several readers have requested who they can contact about this program and how to get the books mentioned in the article. Readers may kindly contact Mr. Girish Bhapat at Jnana Prabodhini, 510 Sadashiv Peth,…
SourceKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, April 5, 2003: Parti Keadilan Nasional wants the practice of charging fees for religious rites during Thaipusam changed and has submitted a memorandum to the Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) asking for its help. The party’s nine-member delegation handed the 17-point memo to Sangam president A. Vaithilingam yesterday. “We are asking the MHS to intervene for the benefit…