The New Marriage Criteria for NRIs

Source: The Telegraph NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 5, 2003: Apart from nostalgia and money to augment foreign exchange reserves, what is a major involvement with India and her nonresident Indians (NRIs)? The NRIs search for brides and bridegrooms assisted by parents in India and overseas is a top priority. There is an “A list” in India for prospective spouses, with…

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Vaishno Devi Pilgrims Increase

GO TO SOURCE Jammu, Kashmir, February 4, 2003: Over 100,750 pilgrims have visited the holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi during January this year, an official spokesman said on Tuesday. At present 4,000 to 5,000 pilgrims are reaching the shrine daily and during the last two weeks of January over 75,000 devotees worshipped at the cave shrine. Extensive arrangements are…

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Indian Government to Excavate Lost Cities

GO TO SOURCE KURUKSHETRA, INDIA, February 4, 2003: Jagmohan, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, announced on Tuesday that the Centre has launched a plan to unearth lost cities which once existed along the embankments of Saraswati River, and left a number of signposts of the Saraswati-Indus civilization from Adi Badri near Kurukshetra to Dhola Vira in Gujarat. Addressing the…

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Despite Prices, Indians Buy Gold for Weddings

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 29, 2003: India, the world’s largest gold consumer, is in the grip of a wedding fever as fears of war in Iraq push the precious metal beyond the reach of many aspiring brides. Domestic prices shot to a record high of US$383.33 an ounce last week due to the war fears. “People with…

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Saints Protest Ganga Pollution

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 1, 2003 : Prominent sadhus and Dharamacharyas are protesting the government’s failure to release additional water from Tehri Dam into River Ganga to enable millions of devotees to take a holy dip before Mauni Amavasya on Sunday. The religious leaders also protested the government’s “apathetic attitude” towards the increasing pollution of Ganga and…

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India’s Modern Diaspora

Source: Outlook India NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 12, 2003: Man Mohan Jha, 52, a manager with a steel ropes manufacturer in Patna, is counting the days until July when he will migrate to the U.S. with his wife. Jha is part of the most recent and biggest wave of migrants leaving India. The migrants are mainly white-collar professionals, students, and…

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Hindu Sadhus Lead Protest Against Ganges Pollution

Source: Associate Press Worldstream LUCKNOW, INDIA, January 17, 2003 : Hundreds of Hindu holy men and devotees observed a sit-in along the banks of the Ganges River to protest the increasing pollution of the waterway that is sacred to Hindus. Lucknow, a pilgrimage site for millions of Hindus, is located at the spot where the Ganges River merges with the…

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Joint Families May Be More Environmentally Sound

GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, January 14, 2003: Living with mom and dad, rather than venturing out on your own may actually contribute to saving the planet. A study, conducted by ecologist Jianguo Liu and his Michigan University team, targeted a biodiversity hotspot — a region where large numbers of species are endangered or threatened by human activity. India took…

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A Peace Movement for India’s Women

Source: The Hamilton Spectator NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 21, 2003 : Hindu scriptures are full of wonderful female role models, and there are thousands of Hindu temples devoted to Goddesses throughout India. If society in India reflected what Hinduism believes, women would have the upper hand in India. However in India, as elsewhere, for women life hasn’t always been easy.…

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