No Camphor Burning in Batu Caves, Malaysia
GO TO SOURCE PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA, January 20, 2001: Several Indian religious organizations and groups have welcomed the proposal to bar devotees from burning camphor during the Thaipusam celebrations in Batu Caves on January 28. Malaysia Hindu Sangam president A. Vaithilingam said the burning of camphor was not a mandatory requirement and some temples in India had in fact stopped…
RSS Training Popular With Hindu Girls Born Outside India
GO TO SOURCE MUMBAI, INDIA, JANUARY 8: They prefer to call this country Bharat, not India. Words like shakha, hindutva, dharma and samiti pramukh sanchalika roll off their tongues, thick with accents ranging from Birmingham to Durban. They are the latest batch of graduates — girls aged 15-25 — of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti camp held at Reshimbagh, the RSS…
India Bans Smoking on Trains and in Stations
Source: Indian Express DELHI, INDIA, January 19, 2002: Indian Railways, the largest railroad system in the world, has decided to ban smoking in trains, railway stations and all railway offices. Anybody violating the ban could be fined US$2.00. The decision comes in the wake of Supreme Court direction banning smoking in public places.
Adivasis Vow to Save Hindu Religion
GO TO SOURCE JHABUA, INDIA, January 18, 2002: In what was clearly a rare spectacle in a tribal-dominated district, nearly 200,000 adivasis, hands lifted in air, intoned an oath on Thursday to save the honor of the Hindu religion and, if necessary, fight for its cause with at an impressive “Hindu Sangam” organized by the RSS under the aegis of…
Man Arrested With Gun at Sai Baba’s Ashram
Source: The Hindustan Times BANGALORE, INDIA, January 18, 2002: A 26-year-old man who allegedly tried to shoot Sai Baba on Thursday with an air pistol at his ashram in Whitefield on the outskirts of Bangalore, was overpowered by ashram volunteers. The air pistol and some pellets were recovered from the man, Somasundaram, the police said. Somasundaram was overpowered when he…
South African Tamil Songstress Releases New CD
GO TO SOURCE SOUTH AFRICA, January 19, 2002: Tamil Songstress Mahenthri Pillay, one of South Africa’s prominent Hindu classical musicians, has just released her fourth CD, Isai Gaanam, “Fragrance of Music.” It is a compilation of popular Tamil devotional songs made famous by the renowned Thyagaraj Bhagvathar. See her biography and interview at the Sunday Times link above. Her previously…
One-International Helps Mumbai’s Women and Children
GO TO SOURCE MUMBAI, INDIA, January 19, 2002: One-International is a volunteer organization working toward the betterment of life in Mumbai. It is a non-governmental, non-profit organization whose main target is the street children and thus the families of Mumbai. The main goal of One-International is improving the future of the children and women in Mumbai by providing food, clothing,…
Vatican to Hold Peace Meeting in Assisi
GO TO SOURCE VATICAN CITY, January 18, 2002: According to the website at “source,” the Pope has called for a meeting of several religions, including Hindus, at Assisi January 24 to pray and fast for world peace. According to the website, Shri Krishnarajav Vanavarayar, Mrs. Karuna Vanavarayar, Mrs. Dhanashree Srinivas Talwalkar, Swami Agnivesh, Prof. Raj Krishan Srivastava, all of India,…
Kids Under Stress
Source: Hindustan Times NEW DELHI, INDIA, JANUARY 16, 2002: The suicide of an eight-year-old boy in Delhi on Sunday brings to light the rising levels of stress and depression among young children in urban India. Huge parental expectations, rising levels of competition, examination pressure and a break down of traditional family structures, are some of the contributing factors affecting children…