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Source INDIA, September 6, 2013 (Press Information Bureau): Following is the statement issued by Union Minister of Culture Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch to media persons here today: In the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary, it was decided that Archaeological Survey of India will undertake necessary conservation works of Sri Kedarnath Temple that was damaged due to the…

Source The more we are conscious of God’s presence in daily life, the more intense is the fullness of the joy we experience. God means infinitely more to our existence than the light of the sun means to the plants and trees.— Swami Omkarananda, (1930-2000), founder of Omkarananda Ashram, Rishikesh

Source AHMEDABAD, INDIA, September 3, 2013 (infoahmedabad): Having south Indian food can be a spiritual experience, if you are in Ahmedabad! If you are wondering what is the divine connection in idli or dosa, it is in the coconut chutney that is a must-have with any south Indian delicacy. Few food connoisseurs in the city would know that the coconut…

Source SINGAPORE, September 3, 2013 (Asia One): One of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples will have been given a new lease of life by the end of the year when a US$5.3 million redevelopment project is completed. Some $196,000 of the money towards the revamp of Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple in Serangoon Road was raised last Saturday night at a dinner…

Source MUMBAI, INDIA, August 27, 2013 (The Hindu): The Dahi handi celebrations, part of Janmashtami festivities in Mumbai and its suburbs, are literally reaching new heights. And so is the insurance cover for the Govinda teams participating in these festivities. This year, about 3,000 teams have been covered under accident policies for injuries. The dahi handi exercise involves the breaking…

Source BUECHEL, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, September 2, 2013 (The Courier Journal)The exterior of the building that formerly housed Buechel Presbyterian Church looks like just that — a former church with a typical church steeple and message board out front. But on the inside, the building is anything but an old church. It’s now Shree Swaminarayan Temple — one of just eight…

Source KUALA LUMPUR, September 1, 2013 (Malay Mail): (HPI Note: This report is of an the same incident as above). Nine individuals, including one PKR and six MIC Youth leaders, have been arrested so far in this morning’s standoff with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) over an allegedly “illegal” demolition of the 101-year-old Hindu temple on Jalan P. Ramlee. Temple…

Source MALAYSIA, September 03, 2013 (by Rita Jong, The Malaysian Insider): Police and City Hall should have consulted temple officials before forcing their way into Muneswarar Kaliyaman temple and removing statues of deities without observing Hindu religious practices. Malaysian Hindu Sangam president Datuk RS Mohan Shan said the authorities forceful removal of the deities by non-Hindus who do not know…

Source India has come to preserve spiritual traditions which many ancient cultures and countries have lost. Today Hinduism represents not only India but the ancient wisdom of humanity. In Hinduism many ancient countries can still rediscover their religious past, their old Gods and their old spiritual traditions.— Ram Swarup (1920-1998), Indian writer and scholar

Source The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him–that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.— Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)