Source August 17, 2013 (Open The Magazine by Aatish Taseer): HPI Note: The author is a noted writer based in UK.) I had come to Sanskrit in search of roots, but I had not expected to have that need met so directly. I had not expected my wish for a “historical sense” to be answered with linguistic roots. Aged twenty-seven…
Source KATHMANDU,NEPAL, SEPT 9, 2013 (News24): Hundreds of small girls and their parents bustled near the ancient palace of Kathmandu on Tuesday, arranging themselves in rows ahead of a mass blessing. Every September, girls aged up to 5 gather for the ceremony of Kumari Puja, or virgin worship, believed to bestow good luck on those who attend, and a long…
Source Members of the younger generation are alike in many disrespects.
Source NEW DELHI, September 9, 2013 (India Today): As the 10-day Ganesh festival begins with great fervor across Maharashtra on Monday, new initiatives, rules and celebrations await the city. From regulations to mandals (temporary road-side temples) on the quality of prasad and fatter insurance covers to a growing demand for eco-friendly Deities, this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi and the festivities will…
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 KATHMANDU, NEPAL, September 8, 2013 (India Today): Cable operators in Nepal today blocked the broadcast of a Zee TV program on Lord Buddha, following protests that it depicted the ancient sage as being born in India instead of the Himalayan nation. The channel had aired the first episode of its new show “Buddha” that claimed that Buddha was born…
Source BANGLADESH, September 8, 2013 (bdnews24): The desecrations of Sharbojonin Kali Mondir at village Betati and Sharbojonin Mondir at Jongolboruari village are believed to have taken place sometime during Saturday night, said Netrokona Model Police Station OC SM Mofizul Islam. A devotee, who came to make offerings at the temple in Betati around Sunday noon, discovered the broken statue. At…
Source NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 7, 2013 (The Hindu): A technical design intervention by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has helped the rural women in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan engaged in fabrication of tulsi malas (a string of 108 beads for chanting a mantram) boost their production and earn a better livelihood by introducing advanced machinery. The IIT’s…
Source Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.— Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), Founder of Self-Realization Fellowship
Source (HPI notes: Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed out loud of an end to racism. To mark the anniversary of his speech, CNN invited readers to share their personal experiences of “everyday racism,” the ways prejudice still creeps into American life. This is one of several essays in a series). UNITED STATES, August 2013 (CNN): When Sonia…