Source USA, January 21, 2013 (life.time.com): Few spectacles on Earth can compare to the great six-week Hindu pilgrimage, the ancient Kumbh Mela, during which literally tens of millions of people make their way to the river Ganges in order to bathe and worship. The 2013 Kumbh Mela takes place at Allahabad (Prayag) in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Sixty…
Source Seek the Infinite, for that alone is Joy unlimited, imperishable, unfailing, self-sustaining, unconditioned, timeless. When you have this joy, human life becomes a paradise; the light, the grace, the power, the perfections of that which is highest in your inner consciousness, appear in your everyday life.— Swami Omkarananda. founder of Omkarananda Ashram, Rishikesh
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 16, 2013: The Hindu American Foundation’s Jay Kansari is looking for Hindu Americans going to the Kumbha Mela in early February. He’s been asked by CBS News Asia for some names of Hindus from the US for their reporters to meet and possibly interview at the Mela. If you are going and would like to help, kindly…
Paras Ramoutar TRINIDAD, January 15, 2013 (by Paras Ramoutar): An exhibition of books, photos and posters is now available to academic institutions, social, cultural, religious, on request, throughout Trinidad and Tobago. It was launched at the Divali Nagar last Thursday to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the late Indian spiritual leader who is credited to bringing Hinduism…
Source AUSTRALIA, January 14, 2013 (BBC): Australia experienced a wave of migration from India about 4,000 years ago, a genetic study suggests. It was thought the continent had been largely isolated after the first humans arrived about 40,000 years ago until the Europeans moved in in the 1800s. But DNA from Aboriginal Australians revealed there had been some movement from…
Source Once upon a time a man whose ax was missing suspected his neighbor’s son. The boy walked like a thief, looked like a thief and spoke like a thief. But the man found his ax while digging in the valley, and the next time he saw his neighbor’s son, the boy walked, looked and spoke like any other child.—…
Source INDIA, December 11, 2012 (boldsky.com): In Hindu marriages, several cultures have different customs that vary from state to state. These rituals have been passed on through the ages and still carry forward to the next generation. In Hindu marriages, you can find a few things in common. For example, engagement, mehendi, wedding and reception are ceremonies that are commonly…
Source BANGALORE:, INDIA, January 14, 2013 (India Times): Soon, astrologers in Karnataka may have to register with the government. In an effort to check black magic, voodoo and witchcraft, the muzrai department is mulling over a policy in this regard. There is no law now to govern astrology, which is a huge business in the state. “A committee comprising well-known…
Source ALLAHABAD, INDIA, January 16, 2013 (Daily Mail): The lost-and-found family drama is an everyday experience for those at the Maha Kumbh mela. A Bhoole Bhatke Shivir (“lost and found camp”) is ready to help pilgrims locate each other within hours of getting lost in the crowds at the fair. The Shivir, meant for those separated from their families at…
Source KARNATAKA, INDIA, January 15, 2013 (The Hindu): Nirmalanandanatha Swami took over as the 72nd Mathadhipathi of the Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Math on Monday, as willed by his predecessor Balagangadharanatha Swami. Balagangadharanatha Swami passed away at a private hospital on Sunday after a long illness and was laid to rest on Monday. The new Mathadhipathi is a native of Chirnahalli in…