Source LONDON, ENGLAND, August 19, 2014 (BBC): A Hindu temple has opened in north west London, funded entirely by the local community. The ornate US$33 million Shree Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Kingsbury combines traditional Indian architecture and carvings with “green” technology. It features solar panels on the roof and a rainwater harvesting system. The temple’s opening has been marked with…
Source UTTARAKHAND, INDIA, August 19, 2014 (The Hindu): After being delayed by a year due to the June 2013 deluge, the 20-day Nanda Devi Raj Jat yatra, also called the Himalayan Kumbh, began amid religious customs and traditions from Nauti village in Chamoli district, on Monday. The yatra, which is dedicated to the Nanda Devi — the reigning Deity of…
Source Sattvic knowledge sees the one indestructible Being in all beings, the unity underlying the multiplicity of creation. Rajasic knowledge sees all things and creatures as separate and distinct. Tamasic knowledge, lacking any sense of perspective, sees one small part and mistakes it for the whole.— Bhagavad Gita 18:20-22
Source August 20, 2014 (youtube): In this short and entertaining YouTube video, comedian Rajiv Satyal proclaims, “I am Indian.” Noting that on out of every six people on the planet is Indian he goes on to extol India’s contributions in music, math, yoga, cuisine, religion and so much more.
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, August 18, 2014 (Indian Express): As part of grand preparations for its centenary in 2025, the RSS is working on writing a version of Indian history based on the Puranas. The Puranas are ancient Hindu texts eulogizing deities through stories told by one person to another. They cover creation of the universe to destruction and the…
Source Is there a deeper tragedy than that of a man immersed in the pursuit of the not-self who has no time to realize the Divine Self within?— Sadhu Vaswani, (1879-1966) founder the Sadhu Vaswani Mission
Source FLORIDA, U.S., August 15, 2014, (Florida Today): It was a long anticipated moment as dozens of people gathered in the warm glow of the rising sun this morning for the opening of the new $9.4 million Manav Mandir Hindu temple in Suntree. The morning ceremony began 8 a.m. at the sanctuary with devotees, including the temple’s board of trustees,…
Source COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, August 9, 2014 (SF Gate): Early this month, Sri Lankan Hindus in this country’s capital, Colombo, celebrated the Vel Hindu festival, which commemorates the victory of Sri Murugan, the Hindu God of War, over the forces of evil. Celebrations are scheduled to continue for several weeks. The festival begins with Sri Murugan’s silver-plated chariot and spear…
Source PUNE, INDIA, August 20, 2014 (ibnlive.in): One of India’s best known Yyoga gurus, BKS Iyengar, passed away on Wednesday in Pune. He was 96 years old. Iyengar was diagnosed with heart pumping failure and had suffered two heart attacks, one in 1998 and one 2000. The founder of the school of Iyengar Yoga and considered to be the father…
Source I felt great need of a holy pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days and God came to me.— Saint Kabir (1440-1518)