Srouta Saiva Leader Sadguru Sivananda Murthy Passes Away

Source INDIA, June 10, 2015 (Business Standard): Renowned spiritual leader Sadguru Kandukuru Sivananda Murthy died today at his Warangal residence after being indisposed for over a month. He was 87. The end came in the wee hours around 1.55 am at his home Gurudham in Warangal, where he was shifted to recently from his ashram in Bheemunipatnam in Visakhapatnam district.…

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Daily Inspiration

Source Devotion must not be like the flood of the rainy season in which all get washed away. Devotion should be like the river that retains water even in the hottest season. — Saint Kabir (1440-1518)

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Religious Devotees Worry About the Yoga-ization of Meditation in the U.S.

Source UNITED STATES, June 6, 2015 (Washington Post): Inside the newly opened Meditation Museum in Silver Spring, exhibits refer to the pursuit of “God,” the “Supreme Soul” and often “The One.” A constant visual theme is orangeish-reddish light emanating from a vague, otherworldly source. The message is clear: Meditation is about connecting with the divine. Yet in gyms, businesses and…

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Telangana Agrees to Hike Pay for Priests, Strike Called Off

Source HYDERABAD, June 9, 2015 ( Deccan Chronicle): Priests and temple staff called off their three-day-old strike after the government agreed to increase their salaries. The government will hike the grant to each temple from Rs 2,500 per month to Rs 6,000, of which Rs 4,500 would be paid to priests and Rs 1,500 to conduct basic rituals. Endowments minister…

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Black and Desi: A Shared History

Source INDIA, June 2, 2015 (by Anirvan Chatterjee, India currents): In January 28, 1900, Swami Vivekananda looked out at the white audience at the Universalist Church in Pasadena, California, and spoke out against anti-Black racism. “As soon as a man becomes a Mohammedan, the whole of Islam receives him as a brother with open arms, without making any distinction, which…

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No Entry for Non-Hindus to Somnath Temple Without Permit in Gujarat

Source RAJKOT, INDIA, June 3, 2015 (Times of India): Now non-Hindus will have to take permission from THE office of general manager of Shree Somnath Trust before entering into Somnath Temple for darshan. It has been made mandatory to all non-Hindu pilgrims. Shree Somnath Trust, which manages the ancient Somnath temple, put up a prominent notice board at the temple…

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Priests and Temple Staff in Telangana on Indefinite Strike

Source HYDERABAD, INDIA, June 5, 2015 (Deccan Chronicle): Archakas and temple staff in several temples, under the banner of the Telangana State Archaka Sangam, went on an indefinite strike across the state on Thursday demanding the government treat them at par with government employees and pay salaries besides other perks. However, archakas and staff of some of the major temples…

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Daily Inspiration

Source Joys and sorrows are time-born and cannot last. Therefore, do not be perturbed by these. The greater the difficulties and obstructions, the more intense will be your endeavor to cling to His feet and the more will your prayer increase from within. And when the time is ripe, you will gain mastery over this power. — Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982),…

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Portuguese Yogi Honored by Government of India

Source PORTUGAL, April 9, 2015 (Boas Noticias): The president of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation, Jorge Veiga e Castro (Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda), has just been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri prize by the Government of India, for his “exceptional contribution” to the promotion of peace and yoga in the world. This is the first time anyone from Portugal has received…

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