Source: The Hindu LONDON, ENGLAND, March 7, 2001: A plan to build 2,108 quake-proof houses in Gujarat, proposed by the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir — the biggest Hindu temple outside India —has been launched by Prince Charles, bringing instant sponsors. Swami Atmaswarupdas, temple chief, said 6,500 volunteers of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanatha had rushed to the aid of the quake victims…
GO TO SOURCE KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, March 11, 2001: Tension remains high in a squatter settlement on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, following clashes between Muslim Malays and Hindu Indians which have left at least five people dead. More than 150 people have been arrested in the troubled squatter district of Kampung Medan since trouble first erupted…
GO TO SOURCE BAMIYAN, AFGHANISTAN, March, 11, 2001: The two giant Buddha statues had stood guard over the Bamiyan valley for centuries until they were destroyed by Afghanistan’s ruling Taleban. Foreign minister, Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Pakistan that demolition was still continuing, and all the country’s moveable statues had been destroyed. While the Taleban say…
Source: The Hindu TIRUCHI, INDIA, March 6, 2001: During a recent renovation, the honored deity of the Srirangam temple has come under close scrutiny by the temple heritage protection committee. Asking for reassurance from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister that a significant one centimeter image of Sri Vatsa-Lakshmi be restored to its proper place on Lord Ranganatha’s chest, the committee…
GO TO SOURCE UNITED KINGDOM, March 7, 2001: Ethnic minorities in the U.K. are being viewed in a different light. In order to deter the negative results of an aging population and falling birth rates, Britain needs a youthful work force to fund public pensions and health care. Minorities who start their own businesses and those who work in the…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, U.K, March 8, 2001: William Dowsing arrived in Cambridge in December, 1643, filled with Puritan zeal, determined to smash the lingering reminders of the old Roman Catholic faith. A similar determination inspired the Taleban in Afghanistan to destroy ancient images of the Buddha, horrifying the world. “Images, symbols, whether religious or not, always attract violence when…
GO TO SOURCE AYODHYA, INDIA, March 6, 2001: In the northern Indian city of Ayodhya, a visiting Korean delegation has inaugurated a memorial to their royal ancestor, Queen Huh. More than a hundred historians and government representatives, including the North Korean ambassador to India, unveiled the memorial on the west bank of the River Saryu. Korean historians believe that Queen…
GO TO SOURCE KOZHISSERI, NEW DELHI, March 04, 2001: Holi, the Indian festival of colors, will see the use of natural colors made from the extracts of flowers and fruit this year, to the relief of those worried about hazardous chemical colors being smeared on them. “We can get yellow from the ‘tesu’ plant, black from husk and blue from…
Source: India Abroad LONDON, ENGLAND, March 5, 2001: Foot and mouth disease that affects all cloven hoofed animals has rampaged through the countryside of the U.K. Determined to eradicate the virus, government officials have slaughtered an estimated 46,000 animals to date, many thousands of which are cows. Protesting the killing, Hindus in Britain, have spoken out about the way animals…
Source: News-India times ALLAHABAD, INDIA, March 2, 2001: The grand Maha Kumbh Mela which started January 9th and ended February 21st on Maha Sivaratri nourished over 100 million pilgrims at the “Sangam.” Hindu pilgrims travelled long distances and suffered hardship to participate in the event. Certain auspicious days during the 42-day festival attracted millions of fervent devotees. Having left Allahabad…