Source GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, July 8, 2017 (mlive.com): For the first time, a Hindu parade called Granth Dindi was performed in the U.S., bringing 3,000 people to downtown Grand Rapids. The parade began at 8 a.m. July 8 outside DeVos Place and ended an hour later at Van Andel Arena. The intricately-choreographed performance included dancing, drumming and Hindu scriptures being…
Source UTTARAKHAND, INDIA, July 6, 2017 (Hindustan Times): After the Union government’s plans to start a spiritual circuit, Uttarakhand said it was all set to promote “mystical and supernatural” tourism. “Uttarakhand is not just about the five dhams. We are making a new tourism policy and I need to tell you that in our state there is an unusual (kind…
Source ATLANTA, GEORGIA, July 1, 2017 (BAPS): His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj joined devotees and well-wishers in celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia. The festivities welcomed guests from all parts of North America and from around the globe. His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj performed the unforgettable inauguration ceremonies in 2007 surrounded by the…
Source The way to freedom is a way of silence–of silent resolve and silent service.— Sadhu Vaswani, (1879-1966) founder the Sadhu Vaswani Mission
Source (place of origin unknown), July 7, 2017 (YouTube): Image and temple worship form the central practice for many Hindus. However, the unfamiliar rituals and ideas can often be judged as primitive and pagan. But as this video explains, Hindus see God not only as transcendent but immanent in creation. Through the science of ritual and faith the infinite omnipresent…
Source SOUTH AFRICA, July 8, 2017 (Rising Sun): The organizers for the Lord Ganesha Float Procession held its 11th annual launch at the Shree Marieammen Temple in Mount Edgecombe on Friday. The function was well attended and devotees enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of satsangs, dances and tucked into a delicious supper. The organizers awarded certificates to the temples who had…
Source KASHMIR, INDIA, July 11, 2017 (BBC): Seven Hindu pilgrims, six of them women, have been killed in a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir after their bus apparently got caught in crossfire. The bus was returning from the Amarnath Cave pilgrimage site in the Anantnag district when the attack took place. Police told the BBC the target appeared to be…
Source A “Dial-a-Prayer” app has been released for atheists. You call it up, it rings and rings, but nobody answers.
Source HYDERABAD, INDIA, July 3, 2017 (Deccan Chronicle): Devotees visiting major temples have to pay more from July. Major temples, which have more than US$31,000 annual revenue, are brought under GST purview. There are 149 such temples in Telangana state. Section 73 of the GST Act states renting of rooms, where charges are $15.50 or more per day, renting of…
Source HYDERABAD, INDIA, July2, 2017 (Deccan Herald): It seems even gods cannot exempt themselves from GST (the newly instituted Goods and Services Tax), as 171 temples in Andhra Pradesh above US$31,000 income have come under the new tax regime. There are 23,834 temples in the state, of which 45 temples come under the $155,000 income category, 63 temples up to…