Source INDIA, July 28, 2016 (The News Minute): Frustrated by their exclusion from a festival of the Deity Bhadra Kaliamman in the Mahasakhthi Amman temple, 250 Dalit families living in the Pazhangkallimedu and Nagapalli villages in Nagapattinam district recently threatened to convert to Islam. Although caste Hindu authorities have subsequently agreed to allow them a day to celebrate their Deity,…
Source “Sweet are the sounds of the flute and the lute,” say those who have not heard the prattle of their own children.— Tirukkural
Source HIMACHAL PRADESH,INDIA, July 27, 2016 (by Tia Ghose, Live Science News): A damaged and clamped pillar at the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in the Chamba region of India is a sign of a past earthquake. The damage likely occurred hundreds of years ago, meaning the nearby fault has had a lot of time to build up stress. Past earthquakes that…
Source HYDERABAD, INDIA, July 24, 2016 (Deccan Chronicle): Hyderabad and Cyberabad together will have a hundred thousand Ganesh pandals this year. The 10 day-festival will start on September 5 and the Khairatabad Ganesh along with statues exceeding 20 feet will be immersed on September 15. Samiti secretary R. Shashidhar said, “the number of pandals in the twin cities and Cyberabad…
Source HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA July 27, 2016 (Press Trust of India): The Himachal Pradesh government is all set to take over the famous Raghunathji temple in Sultanpur palace of erstwhile ruling family of Kullu under its control, as a proposal in this regard has been approved by the state cabinet. President of Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) and former BJP leader,…
Source Of all blessings we know of none greater than the begetting of children endowed with intelligence.— Tirukkural
Source CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, July 28, 2016 (press release): California has recently revised its history Framework for grade VI (equivalent to sixth standard in India). This document outlines what is to be in the textbooks. Sixth grade covers all ancient civilizations and has extensive chapters on Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions, whether living or extinct. Christianity and Islam are covered…
Source INDIA, July 25, 2016 (mydigitalfc.om by Michel Danino): For some reason, unless it is for no reason, the word “mythical” has come to stick to the bygone Sarasvati river, with most mass media articles about its supposed “rediscovery” religiously starting with it. Unfortunately, rarely if ever have their authors researched what they write about. And since cutting-edge technology sells…
Source Through meditation and by giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose.— Eknath Easwaran
Source USA, July 25, 2016 (Ed.gov Press Release): As part of ongoing efforts to encourage respect for students of all faiths and beliefs, the U.S. Department of Education today shared a series of actions that confront discrimination and promote inclusive school environments. The steps include a new website on religious discrimination, an updated civil rights complaint form, an expanded survey…