GO TO SOURCE KANCHEEPURAM, INDIA, January 8, 2003 : In response to the Kancheepuram ashram’s call to start bhajana programs in villages, over 5,000 applications have come in to the ashram. H.H. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi said that bhajana singing was an ancient practice, but has been on the decline over the last few years. So far representatives from 2,000 villages…
GO TO SOURCE PATNA, INDIA, January 12, 2003: The concept of “Hindutva” should be redefined on a broader perspective, salvaging it from what some believe are the “narrow confines” of a particular religion, two religious leaders said. “Love for all fellow beings, refraining from causing any harm to anybody with a spirit of sacrifice and dedication to come closer to…
GO TO SOURCE SOUTH AFRICA, January 15, 2003: HPI ran a story where views from one South African Indian Hindu were quoted opposing Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s recent proposal for dual citizenship for India’s diaspora. Thavashan Govender’s response to this story follows: “I myself am a South African of Indian origin and a Hindu as well. I am…
GO TO SOURCE TEMPLE, TEXAS, January 15, 2003: The Hindu Temple of Central Texas, 4309 Midway Drive, Temple, Texas, announces their kumbhabhishekam. The installation of the Deities and dedication of the temple will be held in three different stages. The first, for Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavati (donated by the Thirupati Thirumalai Devasthanam), will take place on January 17, 18,…
Source: Washington Post BALI, INDONESIA, January 12, 2003: In difficult moments, I Made Pastika hikes briskly up a mint-green mountain toward a cool, silent place above the clouds. At the summit, after a two-hour climb, the Indonesian investigator in charge of solving the worst case of international terrorism since Sept. 11, 2001, sits cross-legged before an ornate, centuries-old temple carved…
Source: Nepal News KATHMANDU, NEPAL, January 9, 2003: Christian missionaries have congregated on the outskirts of the capital city, where they are discussing the pros and cons of a strategic plan which aims to multiply churches across the Himalayas. They plan to achieve this by exploiting the marginal conditions of religious communities in the face of the worsening conflict. More…
GO TO SOURCE ALLAHABAD, INDIA, Kumbha Mela, 2001. The place is packed with nearly four million people. Stranded in the crowd, eight-year-old Subodh holds out a 10-rupee note (US$0.21) and sobs, “Please take this and help me find my father.” The milling crowd has separated the two. After wandering around for a few hours, the boy finds himself before the…