Source TIRUPATI, INDIA, August 17, 2016 (The Hindu): The clay from the Gangetic plain has made its way from Bengal to the temple city of Tirupati where it is used for an eco-friendly initiative. The clay from Ganga is not only revered as auspicious, but also known for firm grip and smooth finish. Hence it is widely used in the…
Source SRINAGAR, INDIA, August 19, 2016 (The Hindu): The 48-day annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas ended on Thursday, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan, with over 220,000 pilgrims offering prayers to the naturally formed ice-Shivalingam despite the ongoing unrest. This year’s figure is the lowest in the past decade. The holy mace of Lord…
Source LONDON, UK, August 16, 2016 (NDTV): UK Prime Minister Theresa May today expressed her condolences to the British Hindu community over the death of Swaminarayan sect’s spiritual head Pramukh Swami Maharaj. “I would like to pay my condolences to British Hindus, especially the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, on the passing away of Pramukh Swami Maharaj,” May said. “Pramukh Swami Maharaj…
Source SARANGPUR, INDIA, August 17, 2016 (press release): HPI note: Complete video coverage of the ceremony is available at “source” above. Since Saturday, 13th August, after HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj abandoned his mortal body, almost 2.1 million devotees paid tributes to HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj in four days. Thousands of dignitaries from various walks of life also arrived at Sarangpur…
Source “To listen to some devout people, one would imagine God never laughs.”— Sri Aurobindo
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA August 15, 2016 (En.Prothom.Alo): There’s a new minority to contend with and, at a little over 33,000, they are fewer in number than the Parsis. But the unbelieving atheists-counted separately for the first time in Census 2011 — just cannot agree with the figure. To be precise, only 33,304 of India’s 1.2 billion citizens have declared…
Source UNITED STATES, August 9, 2016 (Yogadork): At almost 87-years-young Anna Pesce is inspiring people of all ages with her incredible transformation thanks to her new dedication to yoga practice. For decades, Pesce suffered from severe kyphosis — a hunchback-like posture that left her in a lot of pain. The condition was a result of a herniated disc, scoliosis and…
Source AHMEDABAD, INDIA, August 13, 2016 (The Hindu Business Line): Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual guru and head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) of Swaminarayan sect passed away on Saturday at his ashram located at Sarangpur. He was 95. Fondly known as Swami among his disciples, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, after a brief illness of about a month, breathed his last…
Source RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, August 12, 2016 (RNS): The International Olympic Committee had chosen only five “official” religions for the interfaith center. According to the Rio 2016 Olympic organizing committee, the choice of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism was based on IOC research that showed most athletes follow those faiths. But the IOC found itself facing heavy criticism…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 3, 2016 (Times of India): Now, be assured of vegetarian sweets. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned the use of any material of animal origin in silver leaf (chandi ka warq), commonly used in confectionaries and sweets like barfi for decoration and also in pan and packaged supari. According to…