GO TO SOURCE THIRUVANANTHAPPURAM, INDIA, May 26, 2002: According to this Times of India article, more than 200 people belonging to scheduled castes and tribes (or dalits, the lowest strata of Indian society) on Sunday embraced the Buddhist religion in a mass conversion program organized by the SC/ST All India Confederation, Kerala, and the Lord Buddha Universal Society. However, a…
GO TO SOURCE FRANCE, May 28, 2002: What could be the oldest lifelike drawings of human faces have been uncovered in a cave in southern France. The images were first recognized over 50 years ago, but were then lost after doubts were cast on their authenticity. The drawings were found on the floor of prehistoric painted caves. Over 1,500 slabs…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, UK, May 25, 2002: Spiralling violence between gangs in London’s Sri Lankan Tamil community has led to four violent deaths and up to 200 other incidents in the last two years. Commander Richard Bryan, whose patch in north west London has witnessed much of the violence, has set up a cross-London co-ordinating group in an attempt…
GO TO SOURCE MALAYSIA, May 28, 2002: Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj will be visiting Malaysia June 1-14, 2002. His itinerary will take him to several states and diverse segments of the Indian population in Malaysia ranging from the privileged to the mentally handicapped. The Venerable Yogi requested that he be brought to the poor and the forgotten members of this…
GO TO SOURCE NEW YORK, NEW YORK, May 24, 2002: Investigators arrested the first Roman Catholic priest yesterday to be charged in New York based on the old case files that the church recently turned over to sex-abuse prosecutors, according to this article in the New York Times. The priest, the Rev. Francis X. Nelson, 38, was handcuffed near his…
GO TO SOURCE GREAT BRITAIN, May 23, 2002: Highgatehill Murugan Temple is to become the first Hindu temple in Britain to be visited by the queen in her 50-year reign. The temple was picked to welcome the Queen as part of her wish to recognize each of Britain’s many faiths during her Golden Jubilee tour of the country. The Queen…
GO TO SOURCE DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, May 22, 2002: The Pluralism Project was developed by Diana L Eck at Harvard University to study and document the growing religious diversity of the United States with a special view to its new immigrant religious communities. The affliated Pluralism Project at the University of Michigan-Dearborn is a co-sponsor of the summer seminar “Worldviews: Foundations…
GO TO SOURCE MUMBAI, INDIA, May 19, 2002: Until May 26, a corner of London’s Oxford Street will look like Madhuri Dixit. Gaudy saris and bawdy sets have transformed century-old department store Selfridges into an Indian film set as part of a “23 Days of Bollywood” store promotion. Nearby, you can dine at celebrity chef Kuldeep Singh’s, new eatery —…
GO TO SOURCE PETALING, MALAYSIA, May 24, 2002: Concerned with the high number of Hindu youth not being able to find the right marriage partners, the Malaysia Hindu Sangam will continue its successful matchmaking program. The program is aimed at helping eligible Hindu bachelors, single women, widows, widowers and divorcees find suitable life partners. Held for the second time, the…
GO TO SOURCE SHIMLA, INDIA, May 19, 2002: The Himachal Pradesh government proposes to introduce astrology as a subject in regular classes at various levels of learning, said Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Introduction of astrology would help preserve the ancient system of knowledge so that the younger generation could know more about India’s rich culture and traditions as well…