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Source When I came out of the spacecraft (Discovery) for a space walk, I had this feeling that Ganesha was looking over me.— Sunita Williams, astronaut, the second Indian-American to orbit the Earth

Source PHUKET, THAILAND, May 8, 2013 (The Phuket News): Despite having already served the Thai-Nepalese community for more than a decade, the Thai-Nepalese temple on Patong Hill was officially opened on April 19. The event attracted hundreds from the local Nepalese community, many of whom work in the tailor industry in Patong and other tourist areas, as well as a…

Source Though Pakistan was established as a state for Muslims, the original vision of its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was of a place of tolerance and inclusion. “You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any…

Source As a dog, let loose after being tied up for some time, is energetic and active, so one, who learns to remain summa, or still, gets increased energy which can be put to good use.— Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna (1872-1964)

Source OTTAWA, CANADA, April 8, 2013 (National Post): — A growing number of Canadians are identifying themselves as having no religious affiliation, although more than two-thirds of the country’s population says they’re Christian. Statistics Canada’s voluntary National Household Survey (NHS) released Wednesday also shows immigration is contributing to the growth of non-Christian religions, including Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist. The…

Source TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, April 26, 2013 (Guardian): Quick action by a 27-year-old lover of historical buildings saved a Hindu temple in Reform Village, constructed in the 1940s from gobar (cow dung) and other materials, from possible demolition or modification by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. Liam Boodoo, a Spanish teacher at Couva East Secondary and also a photographer and budding historian,…

Source MAJULI, INDIA, April 14, 2013 (New York Times): Not too long ago, Ganesh Hazarika grew rice, vegetables and peas near the edge of the Brahmaputra River on a small plot that provided him a livelihood and a safety net. Then one day the river took it away. Steadily and mercilessly, it had chewed at the banks until his tiny…

Source There are three kinds of devotees. The inferior devotee says, “God is out there” and thinks God is different from His creation. The mediocre devotee says, “God is antaryami, the inner guide who dwells in everyone’s heart;” thus the mediocre devotee sees God within. But the superior devotee sees that God alone is everything, for He has become the…

Source ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA, May 4, 2013 (The Hindu): Remains of Buddhist sculptures are still being worshipped as Lord Siva in all the major temples within the radius of 10 km of Nidumolu village in Movva mandal of Krishna District. These are the places where Buddhism once flourished during 1st and 2nd Century ce and its remains are still available…

Source NIZHNY NOVGOROD, RUSSIA, April 30, 2013 (Indrus.in): Golden domed temples and tastefully landscaped lawns have replaced dilapidated wooden houses in the riverside region of Nizhny Novgorod (about 200 miles east of Moscow, on the Volga River). A picturesque monastery complex now exists where there used to be an abandoned village. About a decade ago, a handful of Russian Hindu…