Source INDIA, May 11, 2015 (First Post by Jakob De Roover): The annual reports of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) have long irked politicians and citizens from countries placed on its watch list. This is no different in India. In the 2015 report released about a fortnight ago, the country again occupies an unenviable spot in Tier…
Source U.S., March 3, 2016 (RNS): A U.S. religious freedom panel says it has been unable to obtain visas for members who planned to travel to India this week to assess conditions there. In its 2015 annual report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom included India on its list of Tier 2 countries — not the worst offenders but…
Source Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry and by service. The wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you.— Bhagavad Gita
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 2, 2016 (The Hindu):The exhibition by Sujata Bajaj titled “Ganapati” ends tomorrow at Art Alive Gallery, Panchsheel Park, till Thursday. Her preoccupation with Lord Ganesha started while she was confined to bed due to an injured foot. Since then artist Sujata Bajaj has painted, etched and sculpted Lord Ganesha for three decades, a passion that…
Source DEHRADUN, INDIA, March 3, 2016 (Times of India): Forest officials in Uttarakhand have denied permission for a mega yoga gathering that would likely have seen over 1,000 participants from 70 nations converge on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Chaurasi Kutiya, more famous as the Beatles ashram, over concerns about possible disturbance to the area’s rich wildlife. The ashram, reopened a few…
Source Do you realize now the sacred significance and the supreme importance of the guru’s role in the evolution of man? It was not without reason that the India of the past carefully tended and kept alive the lamp of guru-tattva. It is therefore not without reason that India, year after year, age after age, commemorates anew this ancient concept…
KAUAI, HAWAII, March 2, 2016 (Hinduism Today): Mr. Rajiv Malik, our Senior Correspondent for Hinduism Today magazine in India, will arrive in Vrindavan in a few days to research a feature story on the sacred area for our next issue. He will focus on the major temples, the sacred places of the Radha/Krishna tradition, the gurukulams, resident saints, sadhus and…
Source DELHI, INDIA, February 29, 2016: “Source” above has been providing an on-going analysis of the 2011 census of India data, which was released only recently. In this report, they begin discussing those states and regions where the Muslims or Christians have a significant and growing presence. As they have said earlier, for the purpose of analysis, they have divide…
Source DENPASAR, BALI, February 26, 2016 (Coconuts): Every year, all of Bali, including the airport, shuts down for Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu New Year and “Day of Silence.” Traveling is among four different things prohibited during the special holiday, along with no working, no entertainment or pleasure, and no use of bright lights. But safety is of course still a…
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, February 27, 2016 (Deccan Chronicle): The small temple town of Kumbakonam in the heart of the Cauvery delta must be now taking a deep breath of relief after having peacefully hosted a spectacular Mahamaham-2016, South’s own Kumbh that is once-in-a-12-year-wonder, a place revered in traditional narratives as Bhaskara Kshetram (Sun God’s abode). As the Theerthavari Utsav unfolded…