PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD, April 14, 2016 (HPI by Paras Ramoutar): For several weeks now, Hindus in Trinidad have joined their counterparts in the Indian diaspora worldwide in the observance of Nau Raatri and Ram Nowi. Observances have been taking place at hundreds of mandirs, other public places and in homes. Devout Hindus have been abstaining from all forms of merriment, alcoholic…
Source INDIA, April 15, 2016 (Verve Magazine): India is known around the world for the beauty and diversity of its handicrafts and textiles. Designer, craft revivalist and textile conservationist Madhu Jain had been championing this cause for over two decades now. Some indigenous textiles and techniques that she thinks you should take note of are: Nakshi kantha embroidery: “Bangladesh’s iconic…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, Deccan Chronicle): The Supreme Court on Wednesday reiterated that denial of entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 in Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala based on custom, faith or tradition cannot defeat the constitutional principles of equality. A three-judge bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, V. Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph was hearing a…
Source Like the household fire, devotees seek the glory of the Lord even from afar and enshrine it in their inner chamber for enlightenment. The glory of our Lord is full of splendor, all-illuminative and worthy to be honored in every heart.— Rig Veda 7.1.2
Source INDIA, April 12, 2016 (Swarajya Magazine by David Frawley): Traveling throughout India, including much time in the south, I have been trying to make sense of the proposed Aryan-Dravidian divide, and the call for a pure Dravidian culture that one hears in Tamil Nadu. The first thing one notices is that the most pure Sanskrit names are found in…
Source SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, April 12, 2016 (India West): Strengthening its fight against proposed edits to the California school curriculum, which seek to remove some references to India and Hinduism and replace them with the terms “South Asia” and “ancient Indian religion,” respectively, the Hindu American Foundation launched a campaign on social media April 6 to keep Hindu and Indian history…
Source NASHIK, INDIA, April 12, 2016 (Deccan Chronicle): The Trimbakeshwar Temple authorities have gone back on their April 3 resolution wherein they decided to ban entry of men, too, into the core worship area at the famous Lord Shiva shrine here. A meeting of the Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust held here on Sunday cancelled its earlier resolution restricting entry of males…
TRINDAD, April 11, 2016 (by Dr. Prithiviraj Bahadursingh, yatra coordinator): In February 2015, the first Shivganga Maha Yatra was held where Yyatris walked from Gangadhara (Marianne river, Blanchisseuse, Trinidad, considered as Mother Ganga in Trinidad) to the Patiram trace Shiva temple, covering 126 km over five days, carrying Ganga jala, observing maunam (silence) and doing the mental japa of “Om…
Source GUADELOUPE, April 9, 2016 (News Gram): Guadeloupe is situated in the Northern Caribbean and French is spoken on the island. In the mid 1860’s around 45,000 people were brought to here by the French government from south India to work in the sugar plantations. When the British government adopted a policy against hiring people from other territories, the French…
Source Try to treat with equal love all the people with whom you have relations. Thus the abyss between ‘myself’ and ‘yourself’ will be filled in, which is the goal of all religious worship.— Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982), God-intoxicated yogini and mystic Bengali saint