Hindu Temple Finds Home in Massachusetts Industrial Park

GO TO SOURCE LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, September 23, 2002: Last January, Wayne Burgett moved his tool manufacturing business into part of a vacant 50,000 square-foot building in the Black Brook Industrial Park in Lowell. Burgett figured it was only a matter of time before some other large firm snatched up what remained of the warehouse-like structure. Burgett has a new neighbor.…

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Teen Sex and Abortions on the Rise Across India

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 20, 2002: Sexual activity, abortions and deaths from illegal abortions among teens in India is on the rise. Up to 60 million Indian women seek abortions every year. Some 100,000 died last year due to hazardous practices used in embryo removal. Four out of every five who died were 15-19 years old. An…

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108 Muslims Return to Hinduism

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…

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Religious Leaders Appeal for Peace in Gujarat

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…

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Temple Attacked After 9/11 Breaks Ground for New Building

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…

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Bangladesh Sets Budgets for Hindu Trust

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.…

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“Being Different Syndrome” Hits Indian Wedding Scene

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…

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Tallest Hanuman Under Construction

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…

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Swaminarayan Sect Criticizes Call for General Strike

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…

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The Silent Heroes of Akshardham

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…

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