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…
Source According as one acts, so does he become. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action.— Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5
Source LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, January 9, 2013 (India West): Parents of school children in Encinitas, Calif., have expressed opposition to yoga classes taught at local elementary schools on the grounds that they promote the Hindu religion. According to media reports, about 60 parents expressed their concerns about the yoga classes at a recent school board meeting. The two-year-old grant-funded program,…
Source GUADELOUPE, FRANCE-ANTILLES, January 12, 2013 (France Antilles): According to Fred Negrit, the festival of Pongal, a harvest festival, is celebrated in other places where there is an Indian diaspora (Reunion, Mauritius, etc.). The second day, the most important, is dedicated to the sun, which is offered rice cooked in milk. The third day is devoted to cows which are…