Indian Folk Art, a Delight in Anonymity

Source: The Nation, Thailand BANGKOK, THAILAND, February 4, 2003: The Indian Embassy recently brought 40 Madhubani paintings from India to display at Bangkok’s National Gallery where they were on display until January 30. This exhibition by women from the Indian state of Bihar, highlighted centuries of a folk art tradition Madhubani women have created for religious and secular ceremonies. All…

Continue reading

Hindu Encyclopedia Seeks Editor

GO TO SOURCE RISHIKESH, INDIA, February 4, 2003: The Encyclopedia of Hinduism is seeking an editor based in India to professionally review thousands of articles and edit the English to a uniform excellence. Those interested, or with recommendations, may email “source” above.

Continue reading

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…

Continue reading

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…

Continue reading

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…

Continue reading

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.…

Continue reading

Houston’s Meenakshi Temple Remembers Astronaut Kalpana Chawla

GO TO SOURCE HOUSTON, USA, February 2, 2003: Mr. B.L. Chawla lit a kuththuvilakku (oil lamp) at the Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Texas, Sunday in memory of his daughter Kalpana, one of the astronauts who died aboard Columbia. More than 1,000 members of Houston’s Indian community gathered Sunday to mourn and celebrate the life of NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla. Chawla,…

Continue reading

Gandhi Peace Prize Awarded to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 30, 2003: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, established with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi, has been awarded the coveted Gandhi Peace Prize for 2002. A five-member jury, headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, chose Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan because of its “significant contribution towards spreading peace and harmony among all religions and communities on the…

Continue reading

Magazine Apologizes for Offensive Gandhi Representation

GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, USA, January 31, 2003: A massive online protest by Indians and pacifists from many countries has forced Maxim, a British and American soft-porn magazine, to apologize for its literal Gandhi-bashing caricatures in its latest issue. In that issue, a martial arts expert is show in a series of cartoons “exercising” by beating up a character that…

Continue reading

India McDonald’s Controversy Over “No Beef” Posters

GO TO SOURCE VADODARA, INDIA, February 2, 2003: It seems to be a no-win situation for the US fast food chain McDonald’s which has now stirred up activists here for posters saying beef is not sold in its outlets. Sarvadharm Jivdaya Samiti activists entered an outlet on Saturday, asking that the display boards be removed. SJS activists said the boards…

Continue reading