Source FIJI, February 28, 2015 (by Shayal Devi, Fiji Times): As thousands of Hindus in Fiji prepare to celebrate Holi on March 6, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called on devotees to work towards fostering unity among in communities. President Jay Dayal said Holi was one of the most joyful Hindu celebrations. “Though there are many customs and traditions associated…
Source GLEN ROCK, NEW JERSEY , February 24, 2015 (by Chris Harris, NorthJersey.com): Schools in the borough will be closed on Nov. 11, since the Board of Education voted to add Diwali, a Hindu holy day, to the district’s calendar. District officials claim Glen Rock, which has a burgeoning Indian community, is the first district in Bergen County to formally…
Source INDIA, February 26, 2015 (by Adam Taylor, Washington Post): Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic missionary who became an international icon for her charitable work, has been dropped into modern India’s religious debate after the head of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) criticized the intentions behind her work. “It’s good to work for a cause with selfless…
Source KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA , February 24, 2015 (Freemalaysia Today): Hindraf Makkal Sakthi is seeking an urgent meeting with Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali on a reported 100 Hindu temples in the state which have purportedly been earmarked for demolition.The NGO maintains all these temples in Selangor were legally built. The meeting follows a public admission by Selangor Exco V.…
Source Parents must teach children to appreciate those who are different, those who believe differently; teach them the openness that they need to live in a pluralistic world where others have their unique ways, their life and culture; teach them the value of human diversity and the narrow-mindedness of a provincial outlook; give them the tools to live in a…
Source The syllable gu means shadows. The syllable ru, he who disperses them. Because of the power to disperse darkness, the guru is thus named.— Advayataraka Upanishad
Source NETHERLANDS, February 23, 2015 (Discovery): Researchers at the Drents Museum in the Netherlands made a shocking discovery when they imaged an ancient Chinese statue and found a nearly 1,000-year-old mummy inside. Sitting in the lotus position, the mummy fits within the statue perfectly. “On the outside, it looks like a large statue of Buddha,” the museum said in a…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 23, 2015 (NDTV): Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan today claimed that modern medicine originated in India and that Indians had practiced inoculation against smallpox even before the vaccine for the disease was invented by Edward Jenner. Dr Vardhan, who is himself an ENT surgeon, said that most of what is taken to be…
Source Silence is the first door to spiritual eminence.— Adi Sankara (788-820), in his Vivekachudamani, 368
Source WASHINGTON, USA, February 20, 2015 (Indian Express): Tulsi Gabbard, the first ever Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, will marry cinematographer Abraham Williams in April in a Vedic ceremony, a media report has said. The marriage will take place in Hawaii. The second term Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, Gabbard, 33, announced her engagement about a month ago. She disclosed…