Secretary Kerry to Host Diwali Celebration

Source WASHINGTON, D.C., October 22, 2014 (U.S. Department of State): Secretary of State John Kerry will host the Obama Administration’s Annual Diwali Celebration to honor the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain holiday celebrated throughout the world. The event will be held at 6 p.m. on October 23, in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the U.S. Department of State. After an introduction…

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Portals of Gangotri Shrine Closed to Public

Source DEHRADUN, INDIA, October 25, 2014 (Daily Pioneer): The portals of the Gangotri shrine were closed to the public for the winter on Friday. Meanwhile, preparations have also been made for the closure of the portals of Kedarnath and Yamunotri on Saturday. Multitudes of devotees from various parts of Uttarkashi district and beyond arrived at Gangotri shrine on Friday. After…

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Solving The Puzzling Mental Illness of Bhutanese Refugees

Source KANSAS, USA, October 28, 2014( by Alex Smith, Kcur):The community health specialist,Dr Lemaster has been working for the past several years to address the unique challenges of Bhutanese refugees. Many Bhutanese refugees have had trouble adapting to life in the United States. “Within a month of getting here, somebody committed suicide and we began to be become aware that…

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Pilgrims Leave for Badrinath Yatra Under Special Scheme

Source DEHRADUN, INDIA, October 14, 2014 (Daily Pioneer): As many as 29 pilgrims under the ‘Mere Buzurg Mere Teerth’ (MBMT) scheme left for the Badrinath pilgrimage from Bageshwar on Monday. MBMT is a free of cost scheme launched by the State Government for people above 65 years of age. The registration of the next batch of pilgrims which will leave…

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Singapore’s Three National Monuments to Undergo Repair Work

Source Singapore, October 15, 2014 (IBN Live): Singapore’s National Heritage Board (NHB) has disbursed more than US$1 million in grant for repairs and restoration work at three national monuments, including the oldest Hindu temple in the country. It has accorded $44,000 to Sri Mariamman Temple, a Dravidian style temple at South Bridge Road in the Central Business District (CBD) for…

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Diwali: Hearing Earth’s Cry

Source MINNESOTA, U.S., October 15, 2014 (Huffington Post by Anantanand Rambachan): On the occasion of Diwali 2014, I want to share a reflection on one of the central narratives associated, in the Hindu tradition, with this festival. This is the narrative that connects Diwali with the celebration and rejoicing over the return of Rama to his home, after a lengthy…

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Virtual Queue Booking Open for Sabarimala Pilgrims

Source THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, October 21, 2014 (Deccan Chronicle): With the Sabarimala pilgrimage season commencing on November 16, the state police have started booking for virtual queue, a system to ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees at the hill shrine. The virtual queue system introduced in 2011 as part of crowd control measures has been welcomed by the pilgrims and several hundred…

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Valmiki’s Ramayana goes Spanish

Source HOUSTON, TEXAS, October 27, 2014: Reynaldo Cuadros Anaya, former Bolivian representative to the OAS, attended the Ram Leela play at the Cullen Auditorium for the official launch of his Spanish translation of Valmiki’s Ramayana on October 12th. He spoke about the experience of translating Valmiki’s work and concluded by reciting a verse in Sanskrit and imploring “Sri Sita Ram…

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Hindus in Houston organize Food Drive to Mark Diwali

Source HOUSTON, TEXAS, October 20, 2014 (Houstong Chronicle): As they celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, the Hindus of Greater Houston are joining hands in collecting food and distributing them through the Houston Food Bank. One of the most popular Hindu Events, Diwali is the celebration of victory of light over darkness, good over evil, hope over despair and knowledge…

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