Source INDIA, November 1, 2015 ( World Hindu News):The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act of 1951 allows State Governments and politicians to take over thousands of Hindu Temples and maintain complete control over them and their properties. It is claimed that they can sell the temple assets and properties and use the money in any way they choose. A…
Source CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, October 26, 2015 (Chicago Maroon by Urvi Kumbhat): Yoga and its relationship with the West have been constant sources of bemusement to me and Indians all over the world. Back home, yoga isn’t a fitness regimen or a fashion trend; it’s a way of life that’s seamlessly integrated into our daily routines. I’ve practiced yoga since I…
Source VARANASI, INDIA, October 31, 2015: At source above is a rare first-hand report of the attack upon a Ganesha Visarjan procession in Varanasi on September 20 which received modest coverage in the media (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Kashi-tense-over-Ganesh-idol-immersion/articleshow/49057862.cms), and that blaming the procession organizers. At issue was a court order forbidding the immersion of the Deities in the Ganga, because of the pollution…
Source DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TEXAS, October 30, 2015 (DFW Diwali Mela): On October 31, 2015, the DFW Indian Cultural Society is hosting their annual DFW Diwali Mela at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX. This is the 10th anniversary of this event and it has gained significant popularity among the South Asian communities in North Texas over these last 10 years,…
Source INDIA, October 28, 2015 (The Hindu): The huge Sivalinga at the sanctum sanctorum of the Sri Brihadeeswarar temple, better known as Big Temple, was swathed in cooked rice and decorated with boiled vegetables as Annabishekam (lit. “food bathing”) ritual was performed on the occasion of Aippasi Pournami on Tuesday. The ritual was performed in all Siva temples in Thanjavur,…
Source BENGALURU, INDIA, October 29, 2015 (Deccan Chronicle): Devotees seeking darshan of Goddess Chamundeshwari-the presiding deity of Mysuru city- have to adhere to the dress code to be implemented soon. Accordingly, men wearing bermuda shorts and women in short skirts are barred from entering the temple. But they will be given the dhoti to wear before entering the sanctum sanctorum…
Source UNITED STATES, October 25, 2015 (Wall Street Journal): Peter and Jennie Stillman felt a divine calling to preach the gospel abroad. So the Southern Baptist couple left Texas with their three young daughters 25 years ago and became missionaries in Southeast Asia. Now, the Stillmans are responding to a new call: early retirement. They are among hundreds of Southern…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 28, 2015: (HPI Note: We include this story only because what to us seems a major diplomatic issue with considerable consequence to the Hindus of Nepal is largely ignored in the world press.) India’s strategic establishment was scrambling this evening to counter Nepal’s biggest diplomatic swerve away from New Delhi in years after Kathmandu inked…
Source LISBON, PORTUGAL, October 14, 2015 (Blasting News, translated from the original Portuguese): A twenty year old desire of the Shiva Temple Social Solidarity Association to build a temple in Lisbon is about to manifest. Using plans drawn up by architect Jose Troufa Real, the project of the Shiva Temple will be built on land ceded by the Municipality of…
Source On the pathway of spiritual excellence, words that discourage and those that publicize faults of others are lethal poisons.— His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha