Source UNITED STATES, September 8, 2015 (Hindu American Foundation by Murali Balaji): When I was nine, my teacher asked me if the monkey-brain eating scene from an Indiana Jones movie was a common Hindu practice. Unfortunately, that was the least of my problems in class. Now, as the Director of Education at the Hindu American Foundation, I’m making it my…
Source DHAKA, BANGLADESH, September 8, 2015 (The Shillong Times): Bangladesh’s High Court today rejected a writ petition by a Hindu lawyer questioning constitutional acknowledgement of Islam as the state religion in the “secular” country. “The court summarily rejected the petition,” Deputy Attorney General Khorshedul Alam told reporters after the two-member bench came up with the ruling on the writ filed…
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, September 8, 2015 (Deccan Chronicle): The ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam, near Tiruchy, which is among the 108 Divya Desams, shines majestically with its grandeur restored. According to sources, the renovation carried out for US$2.7 million ensured the restoration of the original sheen of the temple, its gopurams and the rajagopuram. The effect of the massive renovation…
Source There is something beyond our mind which abides in silence within our mind. It is the supreme mystery beyond thought. Let one’s mind and one’s subtle body rest upon that and not rest on anything else.— Maitri Upanishad
Source UNITED STATES, September 2, 2015 (Hindu Students Association): As of June 2015, same sex marriage has been legal nationwide in the United States of America with the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that state level bans on same sex marriage are unconstitutional. The court also ruled that the denial of marriage licenses to same sex couples and…
Source INDIA, September 7, 2015 (Ancient Origins): Imagine a country so dry that you have to build a 10-level stepped structure going down into the earth to get water. Such is India, where thousands of ingenious stepwells were built from the 2nd century AD through the 19th century, many financed by philanthropists, to whom the parched population were entirely grateful…
Source HYDERABAD, INDIA, September 4, 2015 (The Hindu): The annual Vinayaka Chaturthi festivities will commence on the 17the with installation of around 100,000 statues in the city and culminate with immersion of statues on September 27. The centralized statue immersion procession will head for Hussain Sagar lake. Speaking to press persons here on Wednesday, Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi General Secretary…
Source LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, September 6, 2015 (YouTube): HPI recommends this charming short by comedian Rajiv Satyal on the marvel of being “Indian”.
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, August 27 2015 (Times of India): India has 2.87 million people who have no faith in any religion — 0.24% of the country’s population of 1.21 billion — according to the 2011 census, which was the first to include a non-faith category . The figure includes atheists, rationalists as well as those not interested in any religion…
Source NEW YORK, U.S., September 2, 2015 (Oswego): In a newly published book, physics professor Alok Kumar and his co-author seek to set the record straight on how Europe’s scientific revolution depended profoundly on ideas and innovations passed down from ancient cultures. “A History of Science in World Cultures: Voices of Knowledge,” published by Routledge, traces the origins of European…