GO TO SOURCE KERALA, INDIA, June 17, 2001: A murthi stolen from the Arampunna Ayyappa Temple at Punalur last Sunday was found in a nearby paddy field on Thursday. Weighing over 64 kg. and worth around US$6,500, the icon was discovered with one of the hands badly damaged. Fingerprint experts have examined the murthi to obtain evidence as to the…
GO TO SOURCE LYON, FRANCE, JUNE 23, 2001: New research indicates that eating lots of red meat may create as much of a certain cancer-promoting chemical in the colon as smoking does. The findings, presented in Lyon at the European Conference on Nutrition and Cancer, were part of a study that supports the theory that fiber wards off colon cancer,…
GO TO SOURCE MUMBAI, INDIA, August10, 1998: To appreciate Indian efficiency at its best, watch this city’s tiffinwallahs at work, urges business magazine Forbes. In this old article, Forbes explains that these are the men who deliver 175,000 lunches (or “tiffin”) each day to offices and schools throughout Mumbai, the business capital of India. Lunch is in a tin container…
GO TO SOURCE UNITED KINGDOM, June 21, 2001: While the plight of cattle at slaughter houses in North America is cruel beyond description, Indian cattle, in some cases fair no better. Cattle that provide leather for a growing industry, are forced to walk for days, often collapse and then are beaten cruelly until they die. When the People For the…
GO TO SOURCE KATRA, INDIA, June 19, 2001: An unprecedented rush of pilgrims to Vaishno Devi has created chaos and confusion right from Katra, base camp, to the bhavan where thousands of yatris are awaiting their turn for “darshan” in the open. Against the room capacity of 10,000 to 12,000 in hotels and private guest houses between 40,000 and 50,000…
GO TO SOURCE PURI, INDIA, June 23, 2001: Over 800,000 devotees witnessed the famous car festival of Lord Jagannath, His elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra in the pilgrim town of Puri on Saturday. The downpour and power failure on Friday night didn’t deter devotees who thronged to celebrate the annual sojourn of the Lord. The “Mangala Arati”…
GO TO SOURCE HYDERABAD, INDIA, JUNE 23, 2001: Child marriages are banned under Indian laws, but a nongovernmental organization (NGO) working in Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh publicly organized 11 such weddings in one day. Uchita Viaha Vedika, a voluntary NGO which arranges free mass weddings of poor couples, organized those of 11 couples aged between 12 and 16 years…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI & TAMIL NADU, INDIA, June 23, 2001: They are calling it “the cause of the girl child.” Organizations such as the National Commission for Women, UNICEF and the Indian Medical Association, collaborating in their campaign against the gender bias, have invited religious leaders to participate in a national convention on Sunday, June 24th. Alarmingly, the…
GO TO SOURCE PHILADELPHIA, USA, June 17, 2001: What creates that transcendental feeling of being one with the universe? Scientists are asking whether spirituality can be explained in terms of neural networks, neurotransmitters and brain chemistry. Using powerful brain imaging technology, researchers are exploring what mystics call nirvana, and what Christians describe as a state of grace. In an experiment…
GO TO SOURCE BANGALORE, INDIA, June 18, 2001: Victoria Layout in the heart of the city seems to be a haven for unauthorized shrines, in this case Christian altars — mostly dedicated to St Mary. Many are small, but on Richmond Road Circle one is a full-fledged altar with its walls laced in marble, and a mini garden around it…