GO TO SOURCE ORISSA, INDIA, February 12, 2003: This report from The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada, a Christian watchdog group, states, “Four years after the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, India’s Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has claimed that none of the suspects are members of the militant Hindu group, Bajrang Dal. Graham Staines…
GO TO SOURCE KAUAI, USA, February 12, 2003: While researching an article on the Oduvars, the traditional temple singers of Tamil Nadu, Hinduism Today’s staff has unexpectedly not been able to determine the literal meaning of the term “oduvar,” or its origin. Anyone with information on the term itself may e-mail “source” above.
GO TO SOURCE KAUAI, USA, February 12, 2003: Hinduism Today is researching the vratyastoma ceremony, the re-entrance to Hinduism, which is mentioned in the Vedas. Such ceremonies are being performed today by the Arya Samaj, the VHP and others. Hinduism Today wishes to document the forms of these ceremonies, as well as their scriptural basis. Anyone with information on the…
GO TO SOURCE SINGAPORE, February 5, 2003: In a centuries-old practice, one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples, Sri Senpaga Vinayaka Temple, celebrated its Maha Kumbhabishekam (great ceremonial consecration), and was also formally designated as a historic site by the National Heritage Board. Thousands of Hindus, along with Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, attended the event. At exactly 10:00 A.M., priests…
GO TO SOURCE VELLORE, INDIA, February 6, 2003: Thousands of devotees witnessed the first Maha Kumbhabishekam of the Balamurugan temple in Ratnagiri, near Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The new moolasthanam (sanctum sanctorum), the melvimanam, built atop the moolasthana vimanam, the new sannadhi of Selva Vinayaka and the newly-built mugappu mandapam were consecrated by Sri Balamuruganadimai, hereditary trustee, and others. Devotees from…
Source: Religion News Service WASHINGTON, D.C., February 11, 2003: The grandson of Mahatma Gandhi has been named chairman of the board of directors at the Interfaith Alliance. Arun Gandhi will lead the Washington-based group, which lobbies for religious freedom and interfaith understanding. Gandhi is the co-founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in Memphis, Tenn., and a prolific author.…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 6, 2003: Popular brands of bottled water sold in India contain pesticide residues that can cause cancer or disorders of the nervous system, a study has found. Seventeen brands in and around New Delhi were taken for testing by the city’s non-government Center for Science and Environment (CSE). Using methods approved by the…
GO TO SOURCE RAJASTHAN, INDIA, February 10, 2003: The Indian state of Rajasthan plans to introduce a ban on Hindus carrying a traditional religious icon, the trident. The three-pointed spear, or trisula, appears in Hindu iconography and traditionally symbolizes the power of Lord Siva as three fundamental saktis or powers — iccha (desire, will, love), kriya (action) and jnana (wisdom).…
GO TO SOURCE HYDERABAD, INDIA, February 2, 2003: When the Department of Ocean Development scientists recently announced that they had discovered the world’s oldest human settlement in the Gulf of Cambay off the coast of Gujarat, they attracted the attention of renowned marine biologist, S.R. Rao. Rao explains, “Such a flippant and premature announcement to the media prior to publishing…
GO TO SOURCE BANGALORE, INDIA, February 4, 2003 : Many Hindu pilgrimage sites are undergoing a high tech-makeover intended to offer a superior pilgrimage experience. The prominent ones which are sinking in tens of thousand of U.S. dollars in this e-transformation process include Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD), Shirdi Sai Baba Devasthanam and Khalsa Heritage, among others. Tirupati will use an…