Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 9, 2014 (Hindustan Times): When minister Sushma Swaraj and other members of Parliament were sworn in last month, they chose to take their oath in Sanskrit. The language is gradually gaining popularity but there is still a long way to go when it comes to beating the misconception that Sanskrit is just related to the…
Source If you long to see God, take to spiritual practices. What is the good of merely crying, “O God! O God!”?— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
Source WASHINGTON, DC, July 10, 2014 (by Murali Balaji): Teaching history continues to be one of the biggest challenges in school districts across America, as schools must often grapple with outdated standards and old and inaccurate textbooks. In addition, teachers can sometimes struggle transitioning to the most current pedagogical approaches. History can also be highly politicized, as we continue to…
Source VICTORIA, BC CANADA, June 27, 2014 (Times Colonist): Music, movies, dance and the auspicious arrangement of home furniture are featured in this year’s Cultural and Arts Festival of India at the Victoria Hindu Temple. A Mosaic of Music, Movies and Dance is this year’s cultural theme for the festival, running today and Sunday, and the temple wants to honor…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 2, 2014 (Telegraph India): A retired history professor who has written articles arguing that stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are truthful accounts of events that took place has been named chief of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), the government agency to promote historical research. Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, whose interests include Vedic…
Source In my silence, I experience one vast garden, spread out through the universe. All plants, all human beings, all higher devas are about it in various ways and each has his own uniqueness and beauty. Their presence and variety give me great delight. Every one of you adds in a special way to the glory of this garden.”— Sri…
Source UNITED STATES, July 2, 2014 (The Atlantic by Tanya Basu): In early June, I visited my hometown of Glendale Heights, about 25 miles west of Chicago. Making my way through the old avenues that had marked my childhood, I noticed something curious: The churches that had dominated the street corners of my suburban youth–from magnificent stone structures with ornate…
Source HELSINKI, FINLAND, June 10, 2014 (New York Daily News): Passengers departing Helsinki can now reduce the stress of travel by participating in pre-flight yoga and Pilates classes being offered through the airport’s TravelLab, which aims to improve the experience of flying. As part of a testing phase, a limited selection of Om sessions are available to all passengers, regardless…
Source To enter into the spiritual life is a rare blessedness, it is a great good: to take it seriously and engage in active spiritual Sadhana is a second blessedness and a still greater good: but to persevere in the spiritual life, to be ever progressive and ceaseless in one’s spiritual life, is the greatest good, the crowning blessedness.— Swami…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKuOe9OlxHc BALI, INDONESIA, July 5, 2014 (YouTube): Ashok Thakkar has produced a informative documentary on the Hindu art of Bali. In this 15-minute film, he takes the viewer on a tour of temples and public sculptures, both ancient and modern found across the island.