GO TO SOURCE WOODSTOCK, NEW YORK, October 18, 2002: Spray-painted on a rock face along Route 28 in the Catskill Mountains is the Hindu sign for Om. It is a subtle suggestion of the energy that vibrates throughout the region, according to this recent article. Some call it the bhajan belt, applying a word derived from Sanskrit for devotional song…
Source: The Hindu TALACAUVERY, INDIA, October 18, 2002: Thousands of devotees of the Goddess Cauvery were able to witness the annual event where the Goddess emerges from a tiny pond in the form of a holy spring. Priests chanted Vedic hymns during the ceremony called “teerthodbhava” that ended with many pilgrims jumping into the tank for ablution. In preparation for…
GO TO SOURCE KOLKATA, INDIA, October 27, 2002: Mathematics in its early stages developed mainly along two broad overlapping traditions, geometric/arithmetic and algebra. Among the Pre-Greek civilizations, it is in India that we see a strong emphasis on both these great streams of mathematics. The oldest known mathematics texts in existence are the Sulba Sutras of Baudhayana, Apastamba and Katyana,…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, October 25, 2002: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Deepavali, celebrated by Hindus worldwide, contains a message for “all of us, whatever our faith.” Stressing that “Britain’s diversity of backgrounds and experiences has brought tremendous strengths and benefits to the society,” the Prime Minister said festivals like Deepavali “play an important role in helping us…
GO TO SOURCE ORISSA, INDIA, October 21, 2002: One finds images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses decorating walls of government offices in Orissa nowadays. One also finds those walls cleaner than before. The Orissa government is making use of religious sentiments to keep people, especially those who chew paan, from spitting on walls. Former Works Secretary and Chief Engineer, N.…
GO TO SOURCE INDIA, October 24, 2002: Some thought provoking and articulate books by modern Hindu thinkers are now available in complete form online. Sita Ram Goel’s Heroic Hindu Resistance to Muslim Invaders, Hindu Society Under Siege, Muslim Separatism, and The Story of Islamic Imperialism in India can be found there. Books by David Frawley, Koenraad Elst and Shrikant Talageri…
GO TO SOURCE TIRUPATI, INDIA, October 23, 2002: The controversial BBC News feature on the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), shown under its “Business Bizarre” slot, called “The Business of Faith,” was shown today to the local media by the TTD’s public relations department in a bid to set at rest the controversy it has caused. The July 9 telecast caused…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, October 25, 2002: The beauty parlor at Tihar Jail was the scene of unusual rush this week. The effort put in by the parlor staff was evident in Jail No. 6 where the women inmates looked strikingly beautiful this Karva Chauth (Husband’s Day). Dressed in their best saris, new back clips and hair specially set…
Source: Shrinivas Tilak October 26, 2002: Following are the major and minor festivals of Hinduism for the next month. October 26, KARVA ( or Karwah) CHAUTH: Married Hindu women of North India observe fast and offer prayers seeking the welfare, prosperity, and a long life of their husbands and families. The fast is broken only after the moon is sighted…
Source: Agence France Presse KUTA, INDONESIA, October 18, 2002: Hindu priests led hundreds of villagers and tourists in a solemn ceremony at the site of a massive car bomb explosion where nearly 200 were killed. Crowds carrying flowers and wreaths walked along the narrow Raya Legian Street to Bali’s “Ground Zero.” They were allowed inside a police cordon to say…