GO TO SOURCE AFGHANISTAN, DECEMBER 30, 2001: The new Afghan Government has said it plans to rebuild the historic giant statues of Buddha at Bamiyan destroyed by the Taliban. The giant Buddhas were dynamited by the old regime which viewed them as an affront to Islam. The new Minister of Information and Culture, Raheen Makhdoom, said his government would like…
GO TO SOURCE CAMPBELLTOWN, AUSTRALIA, December 27, 2001: For over 10 years Prem and Rama Misra have been worshipping a sacred Hindu icon, a gift from King Birendra of Nepal, in their Australian home. They have been recently ordered by the Land & Environment Court that the small temple on their residence be used solely for private worship. Judge Dennis…
GO TO SOURCE KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 3, 2002: Devotees and scholars of Lord Murugan-Skanda are invited to the Third International Conference Seminar in Malaysia on May 2003. Focusing on the worship of Lord Muruga in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagasgar and Fiji, and recognizing its origins in the Tamil culture, the conference will explore similarities and differences of the…
Source: Associated Press MUMBAI, INDIA, December 30, 2001: Late at night the chattering youngsters, many dressed in Western-style casual clothes go to a “shop floor” whose walls and pillars are adorned with colorful posters. They settle down behind computers, pull on headphones and spend several hours speaking English with an American accent. These 18- to 26-year-olds working for eFunds Corp…
Source: Spirituality and Health NEW YORK, NEW YORK, January 2, 2002: Intercessory prayer for infertile couples appears to dramatically improve the chances of pregnancy according to recent research at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The research involved 199 women attempting in-vitro fertilization in Seoul, Korea. The mothers were randomly placed either in a group where they were…
GO TO SOURCE LUCKNOW, INDIA, January 2, 2002: Security around the 17th century marble monument had been tightened following an e-mail threat from the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Kashmiri militant group, who New Delhi blamed for an attack on its Parliament last month. “They have threatened to blow up the Taj Mahal, some other monuments and important government buildings in Lucknow,”…
GO TO SOURCE BANGALORE, INDIA, December 25, 2001: Tickling your funny bone, this article expounds on the health benefits of a good peal of laughter. Whether you are holding your earlobes and laughing face to face with someone (called the forgiveness laughter) or laughing for a good stretch of time (called the metre laughter), Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the…
Source: The Hindu CHENNAI, INDIA, December 28, 2001: The State “Idol Wing” CID has seized 30 temple icons, including 11 of antique value in the last four months. Nine persons have been arrested in this connection. The antique icons were those of Arthanareeswarar, Madurai Veeran, Hanuman, Kaliamman, Subramaniar, Bairavar, Vinayaka and Nandhi. The seizures were made at Pudukottai, Kumbakonam and…
Source: Fijilive.com FIJI, December 28, 2001: Two Indo-Fijian males and a female, all from farming backgrounds, committed suicide this week, taking this year’s suicide total to 241. Senior Superintendent of Police Romanu Tikotikoca said the police have yet to analyze and compile a report on the underlying causes leading to high number of suicide in the community. Women’s Crisis Centre…
Source: The Hindustan Times KATHMANDU, NEPAL, December 26, 2001: As war clouds gather over India and Pakistan, Nepal is busy short-listing Vedic peace hymns for the inauguration of the three day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit beginning here from January 4. A SAARC diplomat said on Wednesday, “Nepal is making a departure from the past by agreeing…