“One Nation, Under Vishnu?” — an Editorial Commenting on the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance Decision

GO TO SOURCE SAN FRANCISCO, USA, June 29, 2002: A well crafted editorial commentary by Mark Morford, SF Gate columnist has raised some interesting issues about the United States “Pledge of Allegiance” with it’s suddenly controversial phrase “under God” and bipartisan opinion about prayer in schools. A judge just recently ruled the pledge was unconstitutional, because it violated the US…

Continue reading

U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of School Vouchers

GO TO SOURCE CLEVELAND, OHIO, June 27, 2002: In a landmark church-state case, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a controversial Cleveland program that allows parents to use taxpayer-funded vouchers to send their children to religious schools. If the parents do not want to send their child to public school, they are provided a “voucher” worth perhaps $2,500 which…

Continue reading

Hindu Centre Singapore Announces Hinduism Classes

GO TO SOURCE SINGAPORE, June 29, 2002: The Hindu Centre Singapore is pleased to announce that a third class will be commencing for the “Introduction to Hinduism” course for youths and adults. There will be one two-hour class each week for 14 weeks, commencing July 6. Students should be 17 years old and above. 120 pages of reading material will…

Continue reading

First Kataragama Pada Yatra Since 1983 in Sri Lanka

GO TO SOURCE TRINCOMALEE, SRI LANKA, June 5, 2002: For the first time since 1983, pilgrims could undertake the arduous six-week pada yatra or foot pilgrimage to Kataragama, the ancient shrine to Lord Muruga. Sinhalese and foreign devotees as well as ardent Tamil devotees from Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya and Trincomalee reached the first leg in Trincomalee. Vallimalai Balananda Sadhu, bears…

Continue reading

Teacher Enjoys Role as Missionary for Kathak

GO TO SOURCE SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, June 21, 2002: Chitresh Das is renowned all over India for his mastery of kathak. In 1971, at 26, he arrived in the US on a Whitney Fellowship to teach kathak — a northern India style of dance — at the University of Maryland. Now 57, he runs six kathak dance schools in the…

Continue reading

Hindu Traditions in Thailand

GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, June 26, 2002: The successor to the present Rajaguru of the Royal Government of Thailand is all set to undergo training in different subjects such as purohitam, karmakanda, sastras, Sanskrit and Tamil at Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswamahavidyalaya at Enathur near Kanchipuram. The 12-year-old brahmin boy is currently on a visit to Chennai along with…

Continue reading

Swami Pareshananaji to Visit Puerto Rico

GO TO SOURCE PUERTO RICO, June 28, 2002: The Vedanta society of Puerto Rico is honored to welcome Swami Pareshanandaji, the director of Ramakrishna mission Ashram in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on his third visit to Puerto Rico. He will stay in Puerto Rico from July 2 to July 12, 2002. He will give a formal lecture on Meditation and Spiritual…

Continue reading

Vedic Literature and the Gulf of Cambay Discovery

Source: The Hindu CHENNAI, INDIA, June 19, 2002: The recent find of a submerged city in the Gulf of Cambay, off the state of Gujarat, perhaps as old as 7500 bce, brings attention to the existence of southern sources for the civilization of ancient India. The discovery of Cambay as well as Lothal, Dholavira and others in Gujarat have been…

Continue reading

Conference on Hindus in Trinidad

GO TO SOURCE TRINIDAD, June 23, 2002: The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) of Trinidad and Tobago and the History Department of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine will be jointly hosting a conference on the Hindu Presence in Trinidad and Tobago. The event will be held from October 25 to 27, 2002, at the SDMS Headquarters, Eastern…

Continue reading