Source INDIA, May 2016 (You Tube): This video will show the entire history of India from 29th century BCE to 2016 in the form of an ever-changing map indicating the location of the cultures and empires that existed over the centuries. Indus Valley and Vedic periods are shown as they changed decade by decade, after 413 bce, the maps change…
Source INDIA, September 26, 2016 (by Amrita Verma, The Asian Age): Hindu priests in Allahabad and Varanasi demanded a ban on performing the pind daan, a post-death ritual believed to ensure salvation for departed souls, over the Internet. The pind daan is performed mainly during the Pitra Paksh, a 16-day lunar period during which Hindus pay ritual homage to their…
Source To define God is grinding what is already ground; for He is the only being we know.— Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), founder of the Ramakrishna Mission
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, September 25, 2016 (Swadeshi Indology): The first Swadeshi Indology Conference was held in Chennai on July 6-7, 2016. A welcome address was given by Prof. K.S. Kannah and the keynote address by the organizer, Rajiv Malhotra. A few themes of the conference: Is Sanskrit dead or alive? Critique of Sheldon Pollock’s views on Shastras Ramayama as a…
Source INDIA, May 5, 2016 (The Hindu, by Dr. Prema Nandakumar): What makes Sri Ramanuja relevant today? Dr. Prema Nandakumar writes on the saint-philosopher in the context of his 1,000th birth anniversary. One thousand years have gone by. Ten centuries. In India alone, there were so many kingdoms which tried their best to put an end to the religious and…
Source Everyone has willpower. It is inherent to the makeup of the physical-astral-mental-emotional body. The center of willpower is the manipura chakra, located at the solar plexus. Unlike other energies, the more willpower we use, the more willpower we have to use. This happens when we work a little harder than we think we can, do a little more than…
Source INDIA, September 18, 2016 (Center for Policy Studies): Christianity in the Northeast has spread mainly through the conversion of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) of the region. There are numerous tribes that live here; specific tribes often dominate a specific district or even a sub-district. It is fascinating and instructive to look into how the religious demography of different tribes…
Paras Ramoutar PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, September 23, 2016 (Paras Ramoutar): “Mother Ganga–Mother of the Oceans and Rivers” will be the theme for the 30th edition of Diwali Nagar in Trinidad and Tobago, according to Dr. Deokienanan Sharma, president of the National Council of Indian Culture(NCIC). “This year’s theme has serious and profound religious meaning as Lord Shiva is reputed to hold…
Source SAKAI, JAPAN, September 20, 2016 (New York Times): The stubble-haired Buddhist priest lit incense at a small, cupboard like altar just as members of his order have done for centuries. As the priest chanted sutras, Yutaka Kai closed his eyes and prayed for his wife, who died last year of complications from a knee replacement. Mr. Kai, 68, set…
Source SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, September 19, 2016 (Press Information Bureau): A special event for the upcoming Confluence Festival of India in Australia showcased the best of the festival at a gala reception and concert at the iconic venue of the Sydney Opera House last night. The event included the infectious, happy tones of India’s most popular folk band, Raghu Dixit, a…