GO TO SOURCE NEW YORK, USA, November 10, 2001: Shoba Narayan, a working mother residing in New York, reflects on her return to religion. “Recently, I had an epiphany of the sort one normally experiences in middle age: I realized that, within my social circle, religion had become quite fashionable. Many of my friends are middle-aged Hindu Indians with successful…
GO TO SOURCE SCOTLAND, U. K., November 12, 2001: Researchers at a Scottish university have been awarded government funding to investigate the effects of spiritual healing on asthmatics. The Scottish Executive is backing a team of scientists from Aberdeen University in their bid to test the effects of spiritual healers on 50 people and will investigate claims by practitioners that…
GO TO SOURCE HIVALI, INDIA, November 11, 2001: In Uttar Pradesh, Dalits are taking Buddhist vows and firing parting shots at the upper castes. Leading the movement is Udit Raj, an income-tax official who headed the November 4 conversion ceremony of thousands of “outcaste” Hindus to Buddhism in Delhi. “Since we were thwarted in Delhi [by the police preventing more…
GO TO SOURCE PURI, INDIA, November 11, 2001: Close on the heels of the burglary at the 11th century Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar a week ago, miscreants stole two icons including that of Lord Madan Mohan from the Sri Jagannath temple here early on Sunday. The two-foot-high ashtadhatu or eight metal idol, regarded as the representative of Lord Jagannath, was…
GO TO SOURCE CARDIFF, WALES, October 26, 2001: Hundreds of Hindus joined together in Cardiff for a feast at the city’s India Centre as the community joins others across the world in celebrating Durga Puja. Friday’s colorful event marks the culmination of 10 days of festivities and religious ritual at the Centre in Splott. Up to 200 of Cardiff’s Hindu…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 10, 2001: Markets are relatively deserted, retailers are disillusioned. It’s apparent that a depressed economy has eaten into the country’s biggest spending season, with everyone penny-pinching. Business has been less than ever before and shows no sign of picking up even with the festival of lights only a few days away. With higher…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, November 7, 2001: A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the commission of sati (Prevention) Act 1987, which bans sati and its glorification, but held that the act did not apply to existing sati temples. The 1987 Act was enacted in the wake of the suicide of Roop Kanwar on…
GO TO SOURCE HOUSTON, TEXAS, November 8, 2001: A hundred teachers, counselors and psychologists from the Houston school districts gathered at the Strake Jesuit College to attend the first seminar on Hindu Culture And Values, held by the World Hindu Council of America (Vishwa Hindu Parishad / VHP) — Houston Chapter. Erudite Hindu scholars and members of the community sought…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, U. K., November 10, 2001: London-based Premier Christian Radio was given a “yellow card” by the Radio Authority for a number of breaches of program rules, including criticism of other religions. Premier said it has since introduced “rigorous measures” to prevent offensive material being broadcast in future. The authority warned of “substantial sanctions” if more occur.…
GO TO SOURCE BANGLADESH, November 7, 2001: Bangladeshi border guards have detained 124 people belonging to the country’s minority Hindu community while they were trying to cross the border into India. Police officials from the southern border district of Satkhira said the detained included many women and children. None had any valid travel documents. Local journalists say these Hindu families…