GO TO SOURCE SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, September 4, 2002: A growing number of churches and other religious institutions are utilizing a two-year-old civil rights law to fight local government officials over zoning disputes. The churches claim the zoning laws are being used to violate their religious freedoms. The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) filed an appeal last week with the U.S.…
Source: New Straits Times BATU CAVES, MALAYSIA, August 26, 2002: The natural and cultural attractions of Batu Caves will be enhanced to make the place an international tourist destination, Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Paduka Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said today. With its caves, tunnels, streams and a Hindu temple which attracted millions of devotees and tourists each year,…
GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, INDIA, Aug. 24, 2002: Concerned at the incalculable damage done to priceless and ancient sculptures and the structural stability of various temples, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department has placed a blanket ban on sandblasting, adopted to clean icons and walls. This directive is a sequel to objections raised by conservationists, historians and culture-lovers in…
Source: The Guardian LONDON, ENGLAND, August 21, 2002: Bradford’s Hindu Cultural Society has submitted a proposal to Bradford Council to allow a small stretch of the River Aire at Apperley Bridge to be used for the scattering of ashes after a traditional Hindu funeral. A spokesman for the cultural society says, “Most of our community still travel to India for…
Source: The Standard (St. Catherines) NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO, CANADA, August 23, 2002: Hindu families in Niagara Falls, approximately 200 in number, now have a place to worship each week. Three years ago the Hindu Samaj purchased the Moose Lodge and converted it into a temple. Previous to that, families had taken turns worshipping at each other’s homes since 1982. The…
GO TO SOURCE MASSACHUSETTS, USA, September 2, 2002: Two hundred participants attended the Vivekananda Family Camp in August. The camp was held in beautiful, lakeside facilities in the western Massachusetts town of Tolland. At this week-long residential camp, youth learned about and practiced Hindu values while participating in a variety of fun activities. Campers enjoyed yoga, crafts, games, classes on…
Source: Daily Post SUVA, FIJI, September 2, 2002: Amid racial slurs and religious backstabbing in the Senate, a temple was attacked here. A Hindu temple at Naila, along Bau Road in Nausori, was the target of vandals who ransacked and set it alight. Fortunately the smoke was spotted by a neighbor and the fire extinguished with minor damage. Other temples…
Source: Vancouver Sun VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, August 19, 2002: Hindus and Sikhs in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, can now rest assured that their loved ones will have their last rites performed according to tradition. Riverside Funeral Home and Crematorium located near the Fraser River at 7410 Hopcott Road is operated by a non-profit society. Mourners are able…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, August 17, 2002: This opinion piece by Vijay Rana reads in part, “The first time I was forced to declare myself as a devout Hindu was when I approached one of the finest schools in London for the admission of my daughter. The priest lectured me on the advantages of regular temple visits. He reluctantly…
Source: Hindustan Times KOLKATA, INDIA, August 28, 2002: While Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas dedicated generous celluloid space to the Bengali tradition of procuring earth from a prostitute’s threshold for Goddess Durga’s idols, the country’s largest body of sex workers has declined to yield to the pre-puja custom this year. For the first time, the conglomerate Durbar Mahila Samanvaya Committee has…