Source INDIA, January 24, 2015 (by Seema Kamdar, DNA): The brouhaha over “coming back home” sits a bit oddly with a long-accepted practice of conversion by coercion or inducements in India. While the Mughals used force to augment their religious strength, various sects of Christianity have unerringly and silently set up bases in untended territories of the country or sought…
Source TORONTO, CANADA, January 24, 2015 (by Rakshande Italia, Scarborough Mirror): As North America dives into a deep freeze and temperatures reach minus degrees, its heartening to note thousands of miles away in India, people are celebrating the first festival of the year. Makar Sankranti is a four-day festival dedicated at paying homage to the elements of the sun, wind…
Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 20, 2015 (Times of India): “Har, Har Gange” reverberated in the air throughout the day as a large number of devotees headed towards River Ganga on Mauni Amavasya at Sangam, Jhunsi and Arail ghats. Mela officials claimed that around 9 million pilgrims and devotees had a holy dip at Sangam, Jhunsi and Arail ghats by late…
Source PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, January 19, 2015 (Turkish Press): Thailand is to return ancient Khmer artifacts looted from temples during the turmoil of the 1970s, Cambodian officials said Monday. According to the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, dozens of stolen relics were confiscated by Thai authorities in 1999 and Thailand has now agreed to return 16. A report in the Phnom Penh…
Source INDIA, January 14, 2015 (Swarajya): The national Indian debate about the recent ghar wapsi reconversion drive of some Hindu organizations bypasses the broader narrative of ongoing, aggressive campaign by Christian missionary organisations. Over the past month, Indian media has tirelessly covered and attacked the RSS for its plans to convert several thousand Christians and Muslims to Hinduism. The press…
Source Wealth’s Goddess dwells in the hospitable home of those who host guests with a smiling face.— Tirukkural
Source INDIA, January 21, 2015 (The Hindu): Mega Vedic ritual Aptoryamam got off to a start on the sprawling premises at Gargeyapuram near here on Tuesday. The ritual will go on for 13 days with over 125 priests performing various rituals during the course of the period. Kesapragada Harihara Sarma, who officiated the program, said a similar kind of string…
Source Go to God. Whatever name, whatever form you worship is no problem. Just go to Him. He accepts all names and all forms. If God can be worshiped in only one way then He is not God!— Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Muniji), president of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh
Source INDIA, January 16, 2015 (Press Information Bureau): The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today released the Gujarati translation of Thirukkural, which holds a prime place among the classical literary works of Tamil. On Thiruvalluvar Day, the Prime Minister also paid homage to the great poet and philosopher. “I bow to the great Thiruvalluvar. Simple and vast in scope, his…
www.thehindu.com VARANASI, INDIA, August 10, 2014 (The Hindu): On December 22, 2011 when the only original pandulipi (manuscript) of Sri Ramcharitmanas (also referred to as the Ramayana) dated Samvat 1704 (1648 AD) and a few precious articles of its writer, Goswami Tulsidas, were stolen from the Hanuman temple in the Akhara Goswami Tulsidas on Tulsi Ghat, the Mishra family was…