GO TO SOURCE COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, February 22, 2002: The Sri Lankan Government and Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to a permanent ceasefire as part of a Norwegian initiative to end almost two decades of civil war. Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe has signed a memorandum of understanding drawn up by Norwegian negotiators which puts an indefinite truce in place. The…
GO TO SOURCE AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, February 11, 2002: Imagine a documentary show-casing a pilgrim’s journey from New Zealand, through India, attendance at last years Maha Kumbh Mela, and culminating back in New Zealand for a soul-stirring performance with Indian sarod player Vikash Maharaj. Andrei Jewell, an Auckland film maker whose love of Indian culture began when he was 16…
GO TO SOURCE ORLANDO, FLORIDA, February 19, 2002: The developers of Orlando’s Hindu University of America are certain of one thing: the unique institution they are planning already has plenty of good karma. “When you are doing God’s work, He makes things happen,” says Hindu University chairman, Braham Aggarwal, 66. In Hinduism, the faith of nearly a billion people, the…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, February 18, 2002: More than a million imported items of endangered wildlife have been seized in Britain in the past five years, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) revealed today in the first detailed analysis of the confiscated goods. The study shows that even the most commonly recognized endangered species are being smuggled into…
GO TO SOURCE INDORE, INDIA, February 21, 2002: A helicopter carrying Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President, Radhakishan Malviya and noted recording and concert artist, singer Anuradha Paudwal, crashed here on Thursday near Kumheri Kakad village, official sources said. However, all the occupants of the copter survived, though one suffered a spinal injury. Paudwal, one of India’s most beloved performers, was…
GO TO SOURCE LUCKNOW, INDIA, January 6, 2002: Three tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar islands may have links with an African tribe, believed to be one of the world’s oldest human community and if established, the link could dramatically change the evolutionary history of mankind, a senior scientist said here. “After analyzing the genetic make up of endangered tribal…
GO TO SOURCE MAHARASHTRA, INDIA, February 19, 2002: The first issue of the Rudra Centre’s Rudraksha World Newsletter presents informative articles and personal testimonials regarding the historical and contemporary use of rudraksha beads. The naturally beads from India and Nepal have been worn for thousands of years by the yogis and the holy people of India as an alternative therapy…
GO TO SOURCE PARIS, FRANCE, February 20, 2002: About half of the world’s 6,000 languages are under threat of disappearing under pressure from more dominant tongues or repressive government policies, a new study says. From France and Russia to the Americas and Australia, minority languages and the heritage that goes along with them are at risk of dying out, according…
GO TO SOURCE CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH, February 19, 2002: The Hindu community celebrated the Saraswati Puja in the port city of Chittagong on Sunday. Students especially paid homage to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and learning, at the different puja mondops, temporary temples. Parents also honored the Goddess for the bright academic future of their sons and daughters. The devotees gathered…
Source: Jakarta Post PROLINGGO, EAST JAVA, February 16, 2002: Hindus in East Java perform a cremation ritual that helps the soul who has made their transition reach heaven. The ritual is similar to one practiced by Balinese Hindus. In the ritual, small statues made of leaves and flowers are created to represent the deceased person. Offerings are made while traditional…