Entire Village Suffers Because of Sati Punishment Decree

Source: www.ndtv.com PATNA TAMOLI, INDIA, November 25, 2002: The Jabalpur High Court has served notice to the Madhya Pradesh government regarding the state government’s decision to collectively punish villagers of Patna Tamoli village. The punishment was meted out to this village after the residents allegedly helped a 65-year old woman commit sati (burning herself alive on the funeral pyre of…

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Historian Defends New NCERT Books

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 23, 2002: Eminent historian and archaeologist, Professor B. B. Lal has dismissed as baseless the allegations of misrepresenting history in the new history text books for class XI at a lecture organized by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT). He claimed that for some time, four myths had been perpetuated,…

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Speakers on Hinduism Sought

GO TO SOURCE UNITED STATES, December 5, 2002: Western-born and educated individuals who can speak on Hinduism, with a special interest on Hindu marriages, are being sought. Readers are invited to contact “source” above for further information.

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“Loving Ganesha, Hinduism’s Endearing Elephant-faced God” Is Now On-Line

GO TO SOURCE KAUAI, U.S.A., December 1, 2002: Himalayan Academy Publications continues its tradition of providing in-depth internet resources with the on-line release of the entire text of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami’s very popular book “Loving Ganesha, Hinduism’s Endearing Elephant-Faced God.” India’s rich spirituality begins with Ganesha. Even the most austere yogi starts his inward journey by invoking the God who…

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India’s Dysfunctional Elephants Become a Jumbo Problem

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 2, 2002: As more and more elephants that were once employed in logging camps enter the free market, India grapples with the problem of such domesticated tuskers being turned dysfunctional as a result of rough treatment and little up-to-date medical care from their unprofessional owners. Today, India’s population of domestic elephants is well…

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Goldsmiths in Orissa May Face Extinction

GO TO SOURCE ORISSA, INDIA, November 28, 2002: Goldsmiths in Orissa who craft handmade pieces of jewelry from gold and silver are suffering a plight that may bring an end to their profession. Machine-made ornaments now dominate the marketplace and merchants are able to buy from these suppliers on credit. Trinath Sahoo, a traditional craftsman says, “Big jewelers hardly display…

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Cross-Cultural Marriages Gain Popularity in Canada

Source: Toronto Star TORONTO, CANADA, November 23, 2002: Young Hindus growing up in Canada are often choosing a life partner who is not a Hindu. In fact, according to Dr. Ravi Shrivastava, a volunteer priest at the Mississauga Arya Samaj, three out of every four wedding ceremonies he performed this year were “mixed” marriages, that is young Hindus marrying mostly…

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Give Youth a Chance, Says Swami Chaitanya

GO TO SOURCE MULUND, INDIA, November 20, 2002: “Youth are blamed for being careless and useless, but in reality I feel that they are cared for less and are used less, and as a result the costliest resources of the society is getting wasted,” said Swami Atma Chaitanya, a spiritual leader from the Chinmaya Mission. Swami is in Mulund to…

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Sabarimal Pilgrims Go Wireless

GO TO SOURCE SABARIMALA, INDIA, November 20, 2002: The exclusive mobile phone service introduced by BSNL in Sabarimala is a controversial issue in devout Ayyappan circles. Sabarimala Melsanthi Sankaranarayanan Nampoothiri has asked that “the use of the mobile phone on the premises of the temple should be banned. Cell phones will be a disturbance to the pilgrims who offer prayers…

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Hanuman To Star in India’s First Animated Feature Film

Source: Associated Press Worldstream MUMBAI, INDIA, November 21, 2002: Hanuman is the star character in India’s first animated feature film. “Hanuman,” is scheduled to be released in 2003 in Hindi and English, and distributed in Asia, the United States and Britain. The movie depicts Hanuman protecting villages and Hindu priests by chasing away fire-breathing dragons, seven-headed serpents and green demons.…

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