Source: Deccan Herald JAIPUR, INDIA, September 22, 2002: As many as 108 Muslim families embraced Hinduism again at a village in Ajmer district of Rajasthan, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesman claimed here on Sunday. The Muslims took a vow in the presence of VHP International general secretary Praveen Togadia to follow Hindu traditions and the way of life at Amba…
Source: ndtv.com SARANGPUR HANUMAN, GUJARAT, September 27, 2002):Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the head of the Bochanwasi Swaminarayan sect, today made an appeal for peace and compassion in Gujarat. “What happened in Akshardham should not become an excuse for violence. People should maintain the calm and peace and not take the law into their own hands. God will dispense the justice,” Pramukh…
Source: Hamilton Spectator HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, September 19, 2002: Before the ruins of a burned-out temple, Hamilton’s Hindu community broke new ground yesterday and vowed to rebuild. About 60 people attended a traditional sod-turning ceremony held on the lawn outside the charred Hindu Samaj Temple. “It’s a great day,” said N. D. (Andy) Patel, the temple’s general secretary. “When people…
Source: United News of Bangladesh DHAKA, INDIA, September 18, 2002: The Trustee Board of Hindu Religious Welfare Trust under the Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced a budget of US$378,000 for 2002-2003 fiscal year. The budget was approved at a meeting held here today with State Minister for Religious Affairs and Trustee Board Chairman Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan in the chair.…
Source: Hindustan Times MUMBAI, INDIA, September 18, 2002: Exotic French wines, cheese layered crisp pastas, and crystal chandeliers are finding there way into today’s modern Indian Weddings according to this article by Jacinta D’Souza. The Indian wedding, largely a grand affair, with months of painstaking efforts going into drawing up the invitees’ list and checking out the best venues in…
Source: ndtv.com PARITALA, INDIA, September 22, 2002: The tallest Hanuman statue in the country is coming up at Paritala, 240 km from Hyderabad. By early next year, Lord Hanuman will stand tall here at 135 feet. Work has been in progress at this site for 18 months now. Standing way above the world, this is a marvel in engineering and…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 26, 2002: The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose temple in Gandhinagar was the target of a terrorist strike on Thursday, said that it did not support any bandh, general strike, called over the killings and appealed to the people to maintain peace and unity. “Bandhs only cause economic losses to the country. Even if…
Source: Rediff GANDHINAGAR, INDIA, September 26, 2002: They are the unknown and unsung heroes, the few brave men who made a real difference in containing the massacre at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat: police officers who crawled into the temple to take on the terrorists in the middle of the night; commandos martyred even as they helped finish off…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 25, 2002: Temples and other places of worship across the country are under tight security following the terrorist attack at the Swaminarayan Temple in Gandhinagar. Keeping in mind the recent riots in Gujarat after the Godhra train massacre, the Army has deployed 3,000 personnel to sensitive areas of Gujarat as a precaution against…
GO TO SOURCE PUNE, INDIA, September 22, 2002: The entire city came out on the streets on Friday afternoon to bid farewell to Lord Ganesha, and patiently waited until the early hours of Saturday when the last idol was immersed. The procession began after mayor Deepti Chaudhari performed puja (worship) of the first Ganapati exactly at noon at the historic…