GO TO SOURCE PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, November 18, 2002: Cambodian teachers are demanding the word God be removed from school textbooks amid an increasing encroachment of outside religions on a mainly Buddhist society. The rankling references appear in 12th-grade social science textbooks. According to the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), mentioning God is a direct contradiction of the Constitution. CITA…
GO TO SOURCE BANGLADESH, INDIA, November 29, 2001: This interesting article is by Rationalist International, an Indian-based society of nonreligious secular humanists who believe in a scientific approach to life devoid of theology. In this article they accuse India’s Christian missionaries of orchestrating the recent conversion of Dalits, or “untouchables,” not to Christianity, but to Buddhism. The hidden agenda, believes…
GO TO SOURCE PHOENIX, U.S.A., November 22, 2002: Sunday, November 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. a celebration of Deepavali and India is being held at the Heritage Square, Phoenix, Arizona. The program includes North and South Indian Food, arts and crafts, henna design, books, music, Indian clothes, jewelry and accessories. Demonstrations include Indian cooking, the sari and talks…
GO TO SOURCE THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, November 20, 2002: Elaborate facilities have been arranged at the police camps for police personnel who wish to go on pilgrimage to Sabarimala. Unlike in the West, where police guards would stay aloof from a religious ceremony, in India it is common for the police on duty to participate in the worship as much as…
GO TO SOURCE SABARIMALA, INDIA: November 16, 2002: The Lord Ayyappa temple was opened this afternoon for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, one of South India’s largest religious events. The Melsanthi, A. R. Raman Nampoothiri, opened the sanctum and lit a traditional lamp amid chants of “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa,” at 5:30 p.m. The new Melsanthi (chief priest), Perikamana Sankara Narayanan Nampoothiri,…
GO TO SOURCE KOTTAYAM, INDIA, November 17, 2002: The famous Ponkala celebration, popularly known as “Ladies’ Sabarimala,” at Chakkulathukavu in Neerattupuram, Kerala, will be held on November 20. At the famous hill shrine of Sabarimala women are not allowed to visit the temple of Lord Ayyappa during the reproductive time of their life. This has led to the rise of…
Source: Deccan Chronicle NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 15, 2002: The dome shape of parliament is being blamed for the frequent bedlam that ensues inside the building as well as the large number of internal and external problems the country is facing. Vastu expert Ashwinie Kumar Bansal says the Parliament building is an odd piece of architecture that has been built…
GO TO SOURCE NEW YORK, USA, November 5, 2002: The name “Grandma” conjures up varied images for each of us, depending on the personal experience we may have had with this individual in our family. This long and informative article reveals that grandmas have been the objects of many studies around the world. Biologists, anthropologists, sociologists and demographers have focused…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, November 14, 2002: Gaming company Eidos has agreed to remove scenes from the video-game “Hitman 2: Silent Assassin” after Sikh youth complained it was racist and offensive. One of the game’s levels is set in a temple and players are asked to “shoot the men in turbans because they are terrorists.” Sikhs say the scene…
GO TO SOURCE LOUISVILLE, USA, November 18, 2002: Few U.S. employers list the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur as employee holidays. The same goes for Ramadan, Deepavali or the thousands of other holy days celebrated by other religions. As the workplace has become more diverse, firms have tried to devise ways for their Hindu, Buddhist,…