Source KATHMANDU, TIBET, June 2, 2015 (by Shirish B Pradhan, Outlook India News): About 25,000 foreign tourists, mostly Indians, planning to visit Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through Nepal have been forced to change their plans as China has shut down all border points in the region after the recent devastating earthquakes in Nepal. Nepal’s tourism and civil aviation ministry has…
Source This body of mine brought seeds with it. Illness is one of them. Activity passes on and so does the body. Of what concern is it to us? All this was settled long ago. Don’t be afraid of anything.— Satguru Siva Yogaswami (1872-1964), Sri Lankan mystic, towards the end of his life
Source CANADA, May 25, 2015 (Huffington Post): Whenever I tell my friends that I’ve thought about getting married to a guy that my parents will pick for me, I always get the same response. “Wait a minute, an arranged marriage!?” “But why? Aren’t you worried!?” Like any other woman, when I was younger I was adamant about being in a…
Source UNITED STATES, May 26, 2015 (Telugu People, from a press release): South Asian Youth Symposium at the White House spearheaded by North America Telugu Society was a Thunder success! Close to 200 South Asian youth got the opportunity to be part of a prestigious event. With the support from the White House, NATS leadership, Chapter Coordinators and other volunteers,…
Source INDIA, May 27, 2015 (The Guardian): On Thursday the widow of the late maharaja will crown a new king — but his nephew is preparing a legal challenge to claim the US$12 billion estate estate. The fortune is the legacy of one of India’s richest princes, which tens of thousands have died in battle to protect. Now however, it…
Source God is with us. It is He only who gives us the strength to work. If we live with this inspiration in our heart, we will surely experience Divinity in our life. Our work will become our devotion, and means of our spiritual progress. — Rameshbhai Oza, inspired performer of Vaishnava kathas
Source OXON HILL, MARYLAND, May 28, 2015 (Huffington Post): For the second straight year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee ended with co-champions each holding onto one side of the golden trophy while they were showered with confetti. Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam were the last two standing Thursday after exhausting the 25 words reserved for the final three spellers without…
Source UNITED STATES, May 20, 2015 (U.S. Department of State): Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, issued a detailed testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, on Nepal in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake that struck on April 25th. The outpouring of concern from the U.S. Congress…
Source NEPAL, May 28, 2015 (Ecumenical News): Nepalese authorities have imposed a ban on visiting places of worship such as temples in the country, saying the earthquake that struck Kathmandu last month puts the stability of the structures in question. The country is still reeling from the temblor and the government says it is needs to temporarily stop local people…
Source Stop all your attachments to false values. In an ever-changing world there is nothing worthwhile for us to desire or weep for. Joys and sorrows are bound to come in human life; they are just two sides of the same coin.— Swami Chinmayananda (1916-1992), founder of the Chinmaya Mission