Indian Govt Says Holi on March 19, But Priests Say March 18
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, March 14, 2003: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs may have declared March 19 as the official holiday for Holi, but confusion continues. Several religious organizations have announced that they will celebrate Holi on March 18. Officials say that date for Holi was decided about a year ago after consulting the panchangam (the Hindu religious…
Elephant Saver Raman Sukumar Fourth Indian in a Row to Win “Green Oscar”
Source: www.ndtv.com LONDON, ENGLAND, March 14, 2003: Founder and Director of the Bangalore-based Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Center, Professor Raman Sukumar, has won the Whitley Golden Award, the most prestigious international award in the field of environment conservation, for his work in saving endangered Asian elephants. Sukumar received the award popularly known as the “Green Oscar” along with a…
Old Dancers Loose to Youth in Delhi High Court
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 12, 2003: How old is too old when it comes to dancing on stage? Do age, weight and fitness matter? And who should be the final arbiter? All it has taken for these questions to come bouncing to the surface is one court case where the Delhi High Court rejected Bharatanatyam dancer Komala…
New Temple Hall Opens in UK
GO TO SOURCE HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND, February 18, 2003: Hindus in Huddersfield, England, celebrated the opening of an extension at their Huddersfield temple. The new wing doubles the size of the hall, located on Zetland Street. Officially unveiled by the Mayor of Kirklees Margaret Bates, Mayor Bates was garlanded by Kiran Bali, secretary of the temple’s executive committee. Representatives from all…
High Birth Rate in Asian Immigrants Raise Concerns in UK
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, March 5, 2003: According to the United Nations 2002 Revision of World Population Prospects, international immigration to countries like the UK, USA, Germany and Canada is likely to average about two million people per year. It also predicts a negative population growth in Europe. But what concerns most people is the prediction that fertility rates…
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi Speaks on Hinduism
GO TO SOURCE KERALA, INDIA, March 13, 2003: The following comments made by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi are excerpted from the interview at source: “Hinduism is not about one God. It is about seeing God in every manifestation of nature, be it an ant, bird, cow or snake. Don’t we have temples for nature’s creations? Other religions may believe in one…
Sivaratri Speech Celebrates Hindu/Muslim Unity in Kashmir
GO TO SOURCE KASHMIR, INDIA, March 13, 2003: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed delivered a speech at the India Habitat Center that touched the hearts of one and all present, according to this article. The occasion was Sivaratri where Sayeed said, “This is a festival that is celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir with equal…
Diamond Armor Created for Udupi Deity
GO TO SOURCE UDUPI, INDIA, March 8, 2003: The temple town of Udupi prepares to dedicate the $625,000 Vajra Kavach (diamond armor) to the presiding deity Lord Krishna at 10:45 am on March 10. More than 100,000 devotees from all over the country and abroad are expected to witness the spectacle. Sri Vidyadeesha Theertha Swamiji of the Paryaya Palimaru Math…
Ancient Hindu Temple Discovered in Cambodia
GO TO SOURCE CAMBODIA, March 6, 2003: The Chen Sran temple has been discovered around 40 kilometers from the Thai-Cambodia border, deep in the jungle of the northern Preah Vihear province. It was constructed in dedication to Hindu beliefs in the ninth or tenth century, cultural officials said. The monument was not known to authorities until villagers reported it to…