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…
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.…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, November 29, 2002: According to The Center for Policy Studies, children are suffering because family stability in Britain is in decline, with marriage rates the lowest on record and the number of divorces the highest in Europe. Titled “Broken Hearts,” the report charts the unfolding tragedy of family decline and the consequences for society…
GO TO SOURCE MUMBAI, INDIA, November 26, 2002: Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, is organizing Natya Parva 2002, a 16-day theater festival which will be held in Mumbai beginning December 1. Natya Parva 2002 will feature 20 eminent directors and some of their best works in a variety of Indian languages. The audience will…
GO TO SOURCE THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, November 30, 2002: The future of the human race depends almost solely on women, and if she is not fully aware of her stupendous responsibility, humanity will suffer, said Mata Amritanandamayi on her return from the Global Peace Initiative of Women at the UN in Geneva where she received the coveted Gandhi-King Award for her…
Source: Sify News PATNA, INDIA, November 3, 2002: Having a son or daughter with a nonresident Indian status is a source of pride and joy for most Indian parents, who usually have encouraged them to study or settle abroad. But having family abroad often causes mental and physical trauma for many mothers and fathers, whose children’s handouts make them feel…
Source: Associated Press MIAMI, U.S.A., November 16, 2002: Many Hindus and Muslims growing up in America are following in the footsteps of their parents by having their marriages arranged. For example, one young couple, Mala Shay Kher who grew up in Florida and Prashant Kaul who grew up in London, were engaged in August and plan to marry in January.…
Source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times CORPUS CHRISTI, U.S.A., November 21, 2002: The National Conference of Community and Justice in collaboration with the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce has organized a six-month long series of luncheons to educate community leaders on diverse religions and cultures. Appropriately named, “Breaking Bread to Break Barriers: An Understanding of World Cultures,” the series for November was…
GO TO SOURCE JAMMU, INDIA, November 26, 2002: The Dharmarth trust, which controls most temples in Jammu and Kashmir including the Raghunath Temple, has decided to provide arms training to priests and supply them licensed weapons to protect themselves from militant attacks. “We conveyed our decision to Union Minister of State for Home, I. D. Swami, who visited the Raghunath…
GO TO SOURCE JAMMU, INDIA, November 25, 2002 : The attack on the historic Raghunath Temple, which claimed many lives and left dozens others wounded, was for Jai Gopal Shastri, a pujari of this temple, an unforgettable experience. Shastri, who is lying in the disaster ward of the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu, believes that it is his devotion…