Source: Leicester Mercury LEICESTER, ENGLAND, October 4, 2002: Thousands of people will join the colorful celebrations next week marking the Hindu festival of Navaratri. The festival runs from Monday until October 15. The nine nights are dedicated to the three main Goddesses of Hinduism — Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Visitors will travel nationwide to join huge parties at De Montfort…
GO TO SOURCE ENGLAND, October 8, 2002: A spicy ingredient of many curries may be an effective treatment for radiation burns, according to a study. Researchers in the United States believe it may prevent skin blistering and redness associated with cancer radiation therapy. The compound, which gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, was effective in tests on mice. Turmeric…
GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES, October 9, 2002: Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Illinois, yesterday said pageant officials have ordered her not to talk publicly about sexual abstinence, a cause she has advocated to teenage girls in Illinois. “Quite frankly, and I’m not going to be specific, there are pressures…
GO TO SOURCE PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD, October 11, 2002: Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie, Campus Principal & Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus, has endorsed the ninth edition of the Kashi Ka Patra for year 2003-2004. The Patra is a listing of all astrological information necessary for the year for calculating auspicious days, festivals, etc. Many in…
GO TO SOURCE DHAKA, BANGLADESH, October 9, 2002: Police have detained ten people suspected of vandalizing eight statues of the Hindu goddess Durga at the Shivkarunamoyee Laxmi Narayan Jeu temple in Narayanganj, near the capital city of Dhaka. The temple’s security guard and nine others have been detained on suspicion of vandalizing the statues, police said. Temple authorities said the…
GO TO SOURCE GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, October 7, 2002: The Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence was presented to Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in Geneva in recognition of Her lifelong work in furthering the principles of nonviolence. Previous award winners include Nobel Prize honorees Kofi Annan (Secretary-General of the United Nations) in 1999 and Nelson…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 7, 2002: Lord Ganesha has attracted new devotees in the capital and surprisingly in the embassy of Ireland, a predominantly Christian country. “Let Ganesha, considered to be a symbol of luck and prosperity instill confidence and shower blessings on hundreds of visa seekers who frequent the embassy,” said the Ireland Minister of Trade…
GO TO SOURCE KOLKATA, INDIA, October 8, 2002: Bangiyo Purohit Sabha, an organization of priests, has organized refresher courses, Pourahitya Prashikshan Sibir, training for performing pujas (ritual worship), at Sobhabazar Rajbari to assist priests in performing the rituals of Durga Puja in a ”perfect and professional way.” According to Sabha Secretary Ram Gopal Shastri, who also runs a Sanskrit academy…
GO TO SOURCE KISHOREGANJ, BANGLADESH, October 8, 2002: In the northern area of Kishoreganj, a temple was set ablaze and badly damaged Saturday. A leaflet left behind called for an end to “idol worship” and for a mosque to be built in the temple’s place, the Sangbad newspaper reported. One day later, a group destroyed statues of deities, made ahead…
GO TO SOURCE DHAKA, BANGLADESH, October 10, 2002: The Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has criticized Bangladesh, alleging large scale attack on the country’s minority community, particularly Hindus. Expressing concern over human rights situation in Bangladesh, Amnesty said the attack against Hindus by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters increased after the October general elections for their perceived…