Clarification on Ramakrishna Mission Presence in Australiasia

GO TO SOURCE SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, April 18, 2001: An HPI reader in response to our April 5 piece on the opening of a new center in Sydney write, “This news item gives a misleading impression that the mentioned Centre is the only Centre spreading the message of Sri Ramakrishna in Australia. Your readers may be pleased to note that there…

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Australian Telegraph Mistakenly Insults Sikh Community

GO TO SOURCE SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, April 6,2001: Shocking the sizable Sikh community of New South Wales, the Daily Telegraph newspaper mistakenly published a fish curry recipe and pasted it over the dome-shaped structure of a local gurdwara, known as God’s place. Giani Balbir Singh, the priest of the gurdwara in Turramurra, was disconcerted when the caption accompanying the picture featuring…

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World Hindi Convention in Fiji Promotes Peace

GO TO SOURCE SUVA, FIJI, April 6, 2001: Hosting the World Millennium Hindi Convention for three days in June of 2001 on the island nation of Fiji, the Fiji Hindi Sahitya Samiti, which is organizing the grand event, hopes to bring harmony between indigenous Fijians and ethnic Indians. In the past, racial and political tensions between the two groups has…

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Mahavir Jayanti Celebrated in Moscow

GO TO SOURCE MOSCOW, RUSSIA, Apr 14, 2001: A solemn gathering of Jains in the D.P. Dhar Hall here, on the 2,600 birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, celebrated the life and teachings of the great Indian saint. Mahavir’s principle of “ahimsa,” non-violence, has retained its relevance in the contemporary world. Prayers were offered and schoolchildren described the teachings of Mahavir…

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Tamil New Year Celebrated in South Africa

GO TO SOURCE JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, April 14, 2001: The South African Tamil community is celebrating its New Year’s Day with great expectations. The Tamil community makes up the majority of the 1.2 million South African Indians descended from the first settlers who arrived in 1860 to work on the sugar cane plantations. South African Tamil Federation president, Mickey Chetty,…

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Court Can’t Solve Ayodhya Tangle, Says Advani

GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 10, 2001: Home Minister L K Advani told the Liberhan Inquiry Commission on Ayodhya today that the temple dispute could only be resolved through negotiations or legislation as a court verdict would not provide a solution to the problem. “The BJP has always been of the view that the issue could be resolved…

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Stanford Hindu Students Council Celebrates Holifest

GO TO SOURCE STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA, April 8, 2001: Stanford University’s Hindu Students Council (HSC) celebrated their first Holifest on April 8. About 50 students gathered on Wilbur Field and played Holi with colored powder, colored water and water balloons. Holi is a festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Sumir Meghani, HSC coordinator said, “HSC began activities at…

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Grants Announced for Science and Religion Projects

GO TO SOURCE The Philadelphia Center for Science and Religion (PCRS) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for an exciting new grant program. The Local Societies Initiative provides three-year grants for $15,000 each available to academic and other organizations interested in developing new programs promoting the constructive engagement of science and religion. Each applicant must be able to…

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Jain Community Pulls Together After Earthquake

Source: Abhiyaan Gujarati Weekly AHMEDABAD, INDIA, February 24, 2001: Appealing for funds internationally to restore Jain temples in Gujarat after the devastating January 26th earthquake, the Jain community has made extensive efforts to preserve valuables at all locations.Thirteen villages suffered losses including the sacred pilgrimage place of Bhadreshwar. After locating 205 murthis in 65 damaged temples, a team of about…

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