Source INDIA, November 3, 2014 (Swarajya, by Sanjeev Sanyal): Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism has long suffered from a very basic problem – the difficulty of defining it. One can describe a particular sect, or philosophy, but it is not easy to explain the whole. Thus, it is not uncommon for people to ultimately fall back on saying that it is…
Source INDIA, December 23, 2014 (The Hindu): Kolar district is set to take a big leap forward to eradicate untouchability. Enthused by the response for Grihapravesha — a campaign that made Dalits’ entry into the houses of upper caste people possible in several villages in the district in the last five months — the organizers have now devised a program…
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.–Shukla Yajur Veda, Advayataraka Upanishad 16
Source INDIA, December 23, 2014 (The Hindu): People worship cows on Gokulashtami Day each year. But for the households of Rajaputra Street in Chittoor, not a single day in a week round the year will pass without offering prayers to the sacred animals. A score of cows with their calves can be seen in this street, with history dating back…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 11, 2014 (Daily Pioneer): Remnants of a Shiva temple having two shrines were found during an excavation carried out at Jami Masjid mosque and its adjacent areas in Gujarat about 35 years ago, the Government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. On the details of scientific excavations carried out at the archaeological monuments of Rudramahalaya…
Source UNITED KINGDOM, December 14, 2014 (Daily Mail): The lifestyle of a typical Middle Class Briton has been laid bare in wide-ranging research published yesterday. Analysts discovered a social group living in semi-detached suburbia and worrying about how to pay the mortgage. And while many of the findings reinforce the stereotype of a middle-class family, some of the research is…
Source If you have not seen your own Self, if you have not pierced the knots of your Heart and washed away the filth of your mind, then what does it matter if you are a human being?— Kabir
Source KAUAI, HAWAII, December 21, 2014: The Hindu calendar, or panchangam, for 285 cities are now available in both pdf and iCalendar formats. iCalendar panchangams may be imported into iCal, BusyCal and Google calendars. The 2015-2016 calendar begins on May 5, 2015 and ends on April 22, 2016. These detailed calendars provide all lunar information as well as nakshatras and…
Source CHENNAI, INDIA, December 13, 2014 (Deccan Chronicle): A group of 11 people, all corporate heads above 45 years, are exposed to yoga for the first time at a workshop. Almost all complain of pain in the neck, back and the knee while performing asanas and while sitting on the floor for minutes together. Dr. Krishna Raman, consultant physician, internal…
Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, December 20, 2014 (Daily Pioneer): In a significant judgement, the Allahabad High Court has ruled that the religious conversion of girls “without their faith and belief in Islam” and “solely for the purpose of marriage” to Muslim boys could not be held valid. Justice Surya Prakash Kesarwani passed the order while dismissing a batch of petitions filed…