Temple Demolition: Pakistani Hindus Seek Redress

Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 5, 2014 (Business Standard): As Pakistani authorities are all set to raze a 79-year-old temple in Rawalpindi, anger and disappointment prevail among the country’s Hindu minority that is seeking protection and freedom to practice their religion in an Islamic state. Hindus have been living in Rawalpindi for over a century and the 1935-built Maharishi Valmik…

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Australian PM Tony Abbott Returns 11th Century Stolen Statues to Modi

Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 5, 2014 (New Indian Express): Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday handed over to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi two antique statues of Hindu deities which were stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu before being bought by art galleries in Australia. During his meeting with Modi, Abbott returned the statues, one of which is…

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Daily Inspiration

Source Do not say that you do not have time for God. The busiest of men will have the most leisure, and the laziest will always be short of time, for the former utilizes time and the latter only wastes it. If you really want God, you will find time for Him.— Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati (1912-1954), 34th pontiff of Sri…

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Call for papers: Digital Hinduism Academic Anthology

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 5, 2014 (Press Release): In this anthology edited by Vamsee Juluri and Murali Balaji, we seek to show how the digital age has transformed the way Hinduism is communicated — and practiced — across the world. From online worship services and philosophical forums, articulations of LGBT Hindu identities through online portals, devotional social media sites and non-Indian…

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Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Owns $1.6 Billion in Properties across India, Nepal

Source HYDERABAD, INDIA, August 27, 2014 (Deccan Chronicle): Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has land, shopping complexes and other buildings not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in Nepal, Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Pondicherry, Haryana and Odisha. “The market value of the landed properties owned by the TTD is about US$1.6 billion. In all, there is 4,657.51 acres…

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Ganesha Festival in UK

Source UNITED KINGDOM, September 3, 2014 (Echo): Thousands of people turned out to the country’s biggest festival celebrating the Hindu God Ganesh. More than 10,000 Hindus descended on Shoebury’s East Beach for the Ganesh Visarjan on Sunday after a procession from Blackgate Road to a marquee on the beach. Worshippers enjoyed food, live music, singing and dancing. The festival ended…

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Chinese President Xi May Offer India New Route for Kailash Yatra

Source INDIA, September 4, 2014 (Hindustan Times): In a major political gesture, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to announce the opening of a new safe route for Indian pilgrims visiting Kailash and Manasarovar in Tibet via Sikkim during his forthcoming visit to India. Besides a package of major investments, Xi may announce the opening of the route sought by…

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Thousands Come to Altare Ashram to Celebrate Ganesh

Source ALTARE, ITALY, august 31,2014 (La Stampa–translated from Italian): Over two thousand Hindu devotees and a large number of dignitaries came to celebrate the annual festival of Ganesha Caturthi at the Gitananda Ashram. The event was a great success. As has been a tradition for many years now, the Ashram hosted a heartfelt celebration dedicated to the the birthday of…

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Two Elephants in Catania’s Municipal Plaza

Source CATANIA, SICILY, September 1, 2014 (CTZEN–translated from Italian): The Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of the son of Shiva and Parvati, called Ganesha Chaturthi, has been celebrated with a quiet but colorful procession through the streets. Fifty devotees, all of Mauritian origin and from the little temple of the Catania Shiv Shakti Association took part in the event.…

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Houston Celebrates Janamashtami

Source HOUSTON, TEXAS, August 28, 2014 (Indo American News): This year attendance at the premier, nonprofit event marking the birth of Lord Krishna – on 17 August, 3228 BC, according to the Bhagvata Purana – was at an all-time high of 8,000, reversing a decline over the past few years that had concerned the organizing group, the Hindus of Greater…

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